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Articles 211 - 240 of 377
Full-Text Articles in Biology
Rod Monochromacy And The Coevolution Of Cetacen Retinal Opsins, Christopher A. Emerling, Robert W. Meredith, John Gatesy, Vincent M. York, Mark S. Springer
Rod Monochromacy And The Coevolution Of Cetacen Retinal Opsins, Christopher A. Emerling, Robert W. Meredith, John Gatesy, Vincent M. York, Mark S. Springer
Biology
Cetaceans have a long history of commitment to a fully aquatic lifestyle that extends back to the Eocene. Extant species have evolved a spectacular array of adaptations in conjunction with their deployment into a diverse array of aquatic habitats. Sensory systems are among those that have experienced radical transformations in the evolutionary history of this clade. In the case of vision, previous studies have demonstrated important changes in the genes encoding rod opsin (RH1), short-wavelength sensitive opsin 1 (SWS1), and long-wavelength sensitive opsin (LWS) in selected cetaceans, but have not examined the full complement of opsin genes across the complete …
Functional Assessment Of Pharmacological Telomerase Activators In Human T Cells, Hector F. Valenzuela, Brenda Molgara, Riley Bateman, Greg Sweeney, Danielle Finger, Taylor Dimler, Rita B. Effros
Functional Assessment Of Pharmacological Telomerase Activators In Human T Cells, Hector F. Valenzuela, Brenda Molgara, Riley Bateman, Greg Sweeney, Danielle Finger, Taylor Dimler, Rita B. Effros
Biology
Telomeres are structures at the ends of chromosomes that shorten during cell division and eventually signal an irreversible state of growth arrest known as cellular senescence. To delay this cellular aging, human T cells, which are critical in the immune control over infections and cancer, activate the enzyme telomerase, which binds and extends the telomeres. Several different extracts from the Astragalus membranaceus root have been documented to activate telomerase activity in human T cells. The objective of this research was to compare two extracts from Astragalus membranaceus, TA-65 and HTA, for their effects on both telomerase and proliferative activity of …
Parallel Changes In Genital Morphology Delineate Cryptic Diversification Of Planktonic Nudibranchs, Alvin Alejandrino, Celia K. C. Churchill, Ángel Valdés, Diarmaid Ó. Foighil
Parallel Changes In Genital Morphology Delineate Cryptic Diversification Of Planktonic Nudibranchs, Alvin Alejandrino, Celia K. C. Churchill, Ángel Valdés, Diarmaid Ó. Foighil
Biology
The relative roles of geographical and non-geographical barriers in the genesis of genetic isolation are highly debated in evolutionary biology, yet knowing how speciation occurs is essential to our understanding of biodiversity. In the open ocean, differentiating between the two is particularly difficult, because of the high levels of gene flow found in pelagic communities. Here, we use molecular phylogenetics to test the hypothesis that geography is the primary isolating mechanism in a clade of pelagic nudibranchs, Glaucinae. Our results contradict allopatric expectations: the cosmopolitan Glaucus atlanticus is panmictic, whereas the Indo-Pacific Glaucus marginatus contains two pairs of cryptic species …
Cell-Autonomous Sex Determination Outside Of The Gonad, Jenny C. Link, Arthur P. Arnold, Xuqi Chen, Yuichiro Itoh, Karen Reue
Cell-Autonomous Sex Determination Outside Of The Gonad, Jenny C. Link, Arthur P. Arnold, Xuqi Chen, Yuichiro Itoh, Karen Reue
Biology
The classic model of sex determination in mammals states that the sex of the individual is determined by the type of gonad that develops, which in turn determines the gonadal hormonal milieu that creates sex differences outside of the gonads. However, XX and XY cells are intrinsically different because of the cell-autonomous sex-biasing action of X and Y genes. Results: Recent studies of mice, in which sex chromosome complement is independent of gonadal sex, reveal that sex chromosome complement has strong effects contributing to sex differences in phenotypes such as metabolism. Adult mice with two X chromosomes (relative to mice …
Impacts Of Drought On Plant Water Relations And Nitrogen Nutrition In Dryland Perennial Grasses, Albina Khasanove, Jeremy J. James, Rebecca E. Drenovsky
Impacts Of Drought On Plant Water Relations And Nitrogen Nutrition In Dryland Perennial Grasses, Albina Khasanove, Jeremy J. James, Rebecca E. Drenovsky
Biology
Extensive worldwide dryland degradation calls for identification of functional traits critical to dryland plant performance and restoration outcomes. Most trait examination has focused on drought tolerance, although most dryland systems are water and nutrient co-limited. We studied how drought impacts both plantwater relations and nitrogen (N) nutrition.
We grew a suite of grasses common to the Intermountain West under both well-watered and drought conditions in the greenhouse. These grasses represented three congener pairs (Agropyron, Elymus, Festuca) differing in their habitat of origin ("wetter" or "drier"). We measured growth, water relations, N resorption efficiency and proficiency and photosynthetic N use efficiency …
Potential And Realized Nutrient Resorption In Serpentine And Non-Serpentine Chaparral Shrubs And Trees, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Catherine E. Koehler, Kathryn Skelly, James H. Richards
Potential And Realized Nutrient Resorption In Serpentine And Non-Serpentine Chaparral Shrubs And Trees, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Catherine E. Koehler, Kathryn Skelly, James H. Richards
Biology
Low-nutrient adapted species have numerous mechanisms that aid in nutrient conservation. Hypothetically, species adapted to nutrient-poor soils should have tighter internal nutrient recycling, as evidenced by greater resorption. However, literature results are mixed. We suggest methodological factors may limit our understanding of this process. We hypothesized that plants adapted to serpentine soils would be more proficient in resorbing N and P than plants adapted to non-serpentine soils, although there would be differences among functional groups within each soil type. For six growing seasons, we sampled senescent leaf tissue from the dominant and co-dominant shrubs and trees found in serpentine and …
Evolutionary Biology For The 21st Century, Jonathan B. Losos, Stevan J. Arnold, Gill Bejerano, E. D. Brodie, David Hibbett, Hopi E. Hoekstra, David P. Mindell, Antónia Monteiro, Craig Moritz, H. Allen Orr, Dmitri A. Petrov, Susanne S. Renner, Robert E. Ricklefs, Pamela S. Soltis, Thomas L. Turner
Evolutionary Biology For The 21st Century, Jonathan B. Losos, Stevan J. Arnold, Gill Bejerano, E. D. Brodie, David Hibbett, Hopi E. Hoekstra, David P. Mindell, Antónia Monteiro, Craig Moritz, H. Allen Orr, Dmitri A. Petrov, Susanne S. Renner, Robert E. Ricklefs, Pamela S. Soltis, Thomas L. Turner
Biology
Theodosius Dobzhansky famously proclaimed that “nothing makes sense in biology except in the light of evolution." Though Dobzhansky's statement is sometimes dismissed by biologists in other fields as self-promotion, recent advances in many areas of biology have shown it to be prophetic. For example, genomics, which emerged mostly from molecular biology, is now steeped in evolutionary biology. Evolutionary theory helps to explain our origins, our history, and how we function as organisms and interact with other life forms, all of which are crucial to understanding our future (e.g., [1]–[5]). Evolutionary approaches have helped reconstruct the history of …
Relative Stability Of Plant Communities In A South Carolina High Salt Marsh, James O. Luken
Relative Stability Of Plant Communities In A South Carolina High Salt Marsh, James O. Luken
Biology
The high marsh in southeast Atlantic coast salt marshes forms a relatively small but ecologically important transition zone between low marsh and the terrestrial shoreline. However, long-term trend data from high marshes are limited to a few studies. Permanent plots established in a high marsh near Waties Island in northeast South Carolina were measured for plant coverage from 2002-2010. At the beginning and at the end of the study, four groups of plots were identified: mixed indicated by Borrichia frutescens, Distichlis spicata, and Fimbristylis castanea; Juncus indicated by Juncus roemerianus; Salicornia indicated by Salicornia virginica; and Spartina indicated by Spartina …
Inhibition Of Microrna-302 (Mir-302) By Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 (Bmp4) Facilitates The Bmp Signaling Pathway, Hara Kang, Justin Louie, Alexandra Weisman, Jessica Sheu-Gruttadauria, Brandi N. Davis-Dusenbery, Giorgio Lagna, Akiko Hata
Inhibition Of Microrna-302 (Mir-302) By Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 (Bmp4) Facilitates The Bmp Signaling Pathway, Hara Kang, Justin Louie, Alexandra Weisman, Jessica Sheu-Gruttadauria, Brandi N. Davis-Dusenbery, Giorgio Lagna, Akiko Hata
Biology
The signaling pathway mediated by BMPs plays an essential role during development as well as the maintenance of homeostasis in adult. Aberrant activation or inactivation of BMP signaling can lead to developmental defects and various human disorders. To fine-tune its activity, BMP signaling is regulated both positively and negatively by extrinsic and intrinsic regulatory factors that modulate binding of ligand to the receptors, and the activity of receptors and their dedicated signal transducers, the Smad proteins. Upon BMP binding to the receptor complex, Smad proteins translocate to the nucleus and modulate gene expression transcriptionally by directly associating with the promoter …
Long‐Term Outcomes Of Venus Flytrap (Dionaea Muscipula) Establishment, James O. Luken
Long‐Term Outcomes Of Venus Flytrap (Dionaea Muscipula) Establishment, James O. Luken
Biology
Determining the success or failure of rare plant establishment requires long-term monitoring, but such monitoring is seldom conducted. A 2004 census of Venus flytrap populations created by seeding and transplanting was compared to a similar census in 2010. Of the 18 original populations, three were destroyed by logging operations, 12 decreased and three increased. Venus flytraps face several limitations keeping populations small. Consistent soil moisture and the presence of population remnants improved the long-term management outcomes.
Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling In Vascular Disease: Anti-Inflammatory Action Through Myocardin-Related Transcription Factor A, Dahai Wang, Jamunabai Prakash, Peter H. Nguyen, Brandi N. Davis-Dusenbery, Nicholas S. Hill, Matthew D. Layne, Akiko Hata, Giorgio Lagna
Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling In Vascular Disease: Anti-Inflammatory Action Through Myocardin-Related Transcription Factor A, Dahai Wang, Jamunabai Prakash, Peter H. Nguyen, Brandi N. Davis-Dusenbery, Nicholas S. Hill, Matthew D. Layne, Akiko Hata, Giorgio Lagna
Biology
Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) patients exhibit elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines and infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lung. Concurrently, mutations of bmpr2, the gene encoding the type II receptor of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), are found in ∼75% of patients with familial PAH, but a possible nexus between increased inflammation and diminished BMP signaling has hitherto remained elusive. We previously showed that BMP4 triggers nuclear localization of the Myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTF-A) in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC), resulting in the induction of contractile proteins. Here we report the BMPR2-dependent repression of a set of inflammatory …
Expression Of The Pair-Rule Gene Homologs Runt, Pax3/7, Even-Skipped-1 And Even-Skipped-2 During Larval And Juvenile Development Of The Polychaete Annelid Capitella Teleta Does Not Support A Role In Segmentation, Elaine C. Seaver, Emi Yamaguchi, Gemma S. Richards, Néva P. Meyer
Expression Of The Pair-Rule Gene Homologs Runt, Pax3/7, Even-Skipped-1 And Even-Skipped-2 During Larval And Juvenile Development Of The Polychaete Annelid Capitella Teleta Does Not Support A Role In Segmentation, Elaine C. Seaver, Emi Yamaguchi, Gemma S. Richards, Néva P. Meyer
Biology
Background: Annelids and arthropods each possess a segmented body. Whether this similarity represents an evolutionary convergence or inheritance from a common segmented ancestor is the subject of ongoing investigation.Methods: To investigate whether annelids and arthropods share molecular components that control segmentation, we isolated orthologs of the Drosophila melanogaster pair-rule genes, runt, paired (Pax3/7) and eve, from the polychaete annelid Capitella teleta and used whole mount in situ hybridization to characterize their expression patterns.Results: When segments first appear, expression of the single C. teleta runt ortholog is only detected in the brain. Later, Ct-runt is expressed in the ventral nerve cord, …
Trait Convergence And Plasticity Among Native And Invasive Species In Resource-Poor Environments, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Albina Khasanova, Jeremy J. James
Trait Convergence And Plasticity Among Native And Invasive Species In Resource-Poor Environments, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Albina Khasanova, Jeremy J. James
Biology
Premise of study: Functional trait comparisons provide a framework with which to assess invasion and invasion resistance. However, recent studies have found evidence for both trait convergence and divergence among coexisting dominant native and invasive species. Few studies have assessed how multiple stresses constrain trait values and plasticity, and no study has included direct measurements of nutrient conservation traits, which are critical to plants growing in low-resource environments. Methods: We evaluated how nutrient and water stresses affect growth and allocation, water potential and gas exchange, and nitrogen (N) allocation and use traits among a suite of six codominant species from …
The Genome Of The Xerotolerant Mold Wallemia Sebi Reveals Adaptations To Osmotic Stress And Suggests Cryptic Sexual Reproduction, Mahajabeen Padamsee, Arun T.K. Kumar, Robert Riley, Manfred Binder, Alex Boyd, Ana M. Calvo, Kentaro Furukawa, Cedar Hesse, Stefan Hohmann, Tim Y. James, Kurt Labutti, Alla Lapidus, Erika Lindquist, Susan Lucas, Kari Miller, Sourabha Shantappa, Igor V. Grigoriev, David S. Hibbett, David J. Mclaughlin, Joseph W. Spatafora, M. Catherine Aime
The Genome Of The Xerotolerant Mold Wallemia Sebi Reveals Adaptations To Osmotic Stress And Suggests Cryptic Sexual Reproduction, Mahajabeen Padamsee, Arun T.K. Kumar, Robert Riley, Manfred Binder, Alex Boyd, Ana M. Calvo, Kentaro Furukawa, Cedar Hesse, Stefan Hohmann, Tim Y. James, Kurt Labutti, Alla Lapidus, Erika Lindquist, Susan Lucas, Kari Miller, Sourabha Shantappa, Igor V. Grigoriev, David S. Hibbett, David J. Mclaughlin, Joseph W. Spatafora, M. Catherine Aime
Biology
Wallemia (Wallemiales, Wallemiomycetes) is a genus of xerophilic Fungi of uncertain phylogenetic position within Basidiomycota. Most commonly found as food contaminants, species of Wallemia have also been isolated from hypersaline environments. The ability to tolerate environments with reduced water activity is rare in Basidiomycota. We sequenced the genome of W. sebi in order to understand its adaptations for surviving in osmotically challenging environments, and we performed phylogenomic and ultrastructural analyses to address its systematic placement and reproductive biology. W. sebi has a compact genome (9.8. Mb), with few repeats and the largest fraction of genes with functional domains compared with …
Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 Promotes Vascular Smooth Muscle Contractility By Activating Microrna-21 (Mir-21), Which Down-Regulates Expression Of Family Of Dedicator Of Cytokinesis (Dock) Proteins, Hara Kang, Brandi N. Davis-Dusenbery, Peter H. Nguyen, Ashish Lal, Judy Lieberman, Linda Van Aelst, Giorgio Lagna, Akiko Hata
Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 Promotes Vascular Smooth Muscle Contractility By Activating Microrna-21 (Mir-21), Which Down-Regulates Expression Of Family Of Dedicator Of Cytokinesis (Dock) Proteins, Hara Kang, Brandi N. Davis-Dusenbery, Peter H. Nguyen, Ashish Lal, Judy Lieberman, Linda Van Aelst, Giorgio Lagna, Akiko Hata
Biology
The bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) signaling pathway plays a critical role in the promotion and maintenance of the contractile phenotype in vascular smooth muscle cell (vSMC). Misexpression or inactivating mutations of the BMP receptor gene can lead to dedifferentiation of vSMC characterized by increased migration and proliferation that is linked to vascular proliferative disorders. Previously we demonstrated that vSMCs increase microRNA-21 (miR-21) biogenesis upon BMP4 treatment, which induces contractile gene expression by targeting programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4). To identify novel targets of miR-21 that are critical for induction of the contractile phenotype by BMP4, biotinylated miR-21 was expressed …
The Number Of X Chromosomes Causes Sex Differences In Adiposity In Mice, Jenny Link, Xuqi Chen, Rebecca Mcclusky, Simon W. Beaven, Peter Tontonoz, Arthur P. Arnold, Karen Reue
The Number Of X Chromosomes Causes Sex Differences In Adiposity In Mice, Jenny Link, Xuqi Chen, Rebecca Mcclusky, Simon W. Beaven, Peter Tontonoz, Arthur P. Arnold, Karen Reue
Biology
Sexual dimorphism in body weight, fat distribution, and metabolic disease has been attributed largely to differential effects of male and female gonadal hormones. Here, we report that the number of X chromosomes within cells also contributes to these sex differences. We employed a unique mouse model, known as the “four core genotypes,” to distinguish between effects of gonadal sex (testes or ovaries) and sex chromosomes (XX or XY). With this model, we produced gonadal male and female mice carrying XX or XY sex chromosome complements. Mice were gonadectomized to remove the acute effects of gonadal hormones and to uncover effects …
Macroevolutionary Dynamics And Historical Biogeography Of Primate Diversification Inferred From A Species Supermatrix, Christopher A. Emerling, Mark S. Springer, Robert W. Meredith, John Gatesy, Jong Park, Daniel L. Rabosky, Tanja Stadler, Cynthia Steiner, Oliver A. Ryder, Jan E. JanecˇKa, Colleen A. Fisher, William J. Murphy
Macroevolutionary Dynamics And Historical Biogeography Of Primate Diversification Inferred From A Species Supermatrix, Christopher A. Emerling, Mark S. Springer, Robert W. Meredith, John Gatesy, Jong Park, Daniel L. Rabosky, Tanja Stadler, Cynthia Steiner, Oliver A. Ryder, Jan E. JanecˇKa, Colleen A. Fisher, William J. Murphy
Biology
Phylogenetic relationships, divergence times, and patterns of biogeographic descent among primate species are both complex and contentious. Here, we generate a robust molecular phylogeny for 70 primate genera and 367 primate species based on a concatenation of 69 nuclear gene segments and ten mitochondrial gene sequences, most of which were extracted from GenBank. Relaxed clock analyses of divergence times with 14 fossil-calibrated nodes suggest that living Primates last shared a common ancestor 71–63 Ma, and that divergences within both Strepsirrhini and Haplorhini are entirely post-Cretaceous. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs …
A Functional Trait Perspective On Plant Invasion, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Brenda J. Grewell, Carla M. D'Antonio
A Functional Trait Perspective On Plant Invasion, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Brenda J. Grewell, Carla M. D'Antonio
Biology
Global environmental change will affect non-native plant invasions, with profound potential impacts on native plant populations, communities and ecosystems. In this context, we review plant functional traits, particularly those that drive invader abundance (invasiveness) and impacts, as well as the integration of these traitsacross multiple ecological scales, and as a basis for restoration and management.
We review the concepts and terminology surrounding functional traits and how functional traits influence processes at the individual level. We explore how phenotypic plasticity may lead to rapid evolution of novel traits facilitating invasiveness in changing environments and then oscale up' to evaluate the relative …
Detection Of Non-Pcr Amplified S. Enteritidis Genomic Dna From Food Matrices Using A Gold-Nanoparticle Dna Biosensor: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Sylvia A. Vetrone, Michael C. Huarng, Evangelyn C. Alocilja
Detection Of Non-Pcr Amplified S. Enteritidis Genomic Dna From Food Matrices Using A Gold-Nanoparticle Dna Biosensor: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Sylvia A. Vetrone, Michael C. Huarng, Evangelyn C. Alocilja
Biology
Bacterial pathogens pose an increasing food safety and bioterrorism concern. Current DNA detection methods utilizing sensitive nanotechnology and biosensors have shown excellent detection, but require expensive and time-consuming polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA targets; thus, a faster, more economical method is still essential. In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated the ability of a gold nanoparticle-DNA (AuNP-DNA) biosensor to detect non-PCR amplified genomic Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. enteritidis) DNA, from pure or mixed bacterial culture and spiked liquid matrices. Non-PCR amplified DNA was hybridized into sandwich-like structures (magnetic nanoparticles/DNA/AuNPs) and analyzed through detection of gold voltammetric peaks using …
Comparison Of Disturbance Impacts To And Spatial Distribution Of Biological Soil Crusts In The Little San Bernardino Mountains Of Joshua Tree National Park, California, Nicole Pietrasiak, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Tasha Ladoux, Robert C. Graham
Comparison Of Disturbance Impacts To And Spatial Distribution Of Biological Soil Crusts In The Little San Bernardino Mountains Of Joshua Tree National Park, California, Nicole Pietrasiak, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Tasha Ladoux, Robert C. Graham
Biology
Biological soil crust ecology in the hot Mojave Desert is poorly understood with regard to crust distribution and abundance, as well as the impacts of trampling disturbance on crust development. Our objective was to study biological soil crusts in 2 areas of differing disturbance pressures in the high desert region of Joshua Tree National Park, California, with respect to visible crust cover and frequency, chlorophyll a, and soil stability. Impacts on biological soil crusts from 2 disturbance regimes, historic grazing and recent high knot traffic, were compared using a disturbance indicator. In addition, we measured a suite of abiotic and …
Insulin Receptor-Mediated Signaling Via Phospholipase C-Γ Regulates Growth And Differentiation In Drosophila, Juan M. Murillo-Maldonado, Fouad Bou Zeineddine, Rachel Stock, Justin Thackeray, Juan R. Riesgo-Escovar
Insulin Receptor-Mediated Signaling Via Phospholipase C-Γ Regulates Growth And Differentiation In Drosophila, Juan M. Murillo-Maldonado, Fouad Bou Zeineddine, Rachel Stock, Justin Thackeray, Juan R. Riesgo-Escovar
Biology
Coordination between growth and patterning/differentiation is critical if appropriate final organ structure and size is to be achieved. Understanding how these two processes are regulated is therefore a fundamental and as yet incompletely answered question. Here we show through genetic analysis that the phospholipase C-γ (PLC-γ) encoded by small wing (sl) acts as such a link between growth and patterning/differentiation by modulating some MAPK outputs once activated by the insulin pathway; particularly, sl promotes growth and suppresses ectopic differentiation in the developing eye and wing, allowing cells to attain a normal size and differentiate properly. sl mutants have previously been …
Down-Regulation Of Krüppel-Like Factor-4 (Klf4) By Microrna-143/145 Is Critical For Modulation Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype By Transforming Growth Factor-Β And Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4, Brandi N. Davis-Dusenbery, Mun Chun Chan, Kelsey E. Reno, Alexandra S. Weisman, Matthew D. Layne, Giorgio Lagna, Akiko Hata
Down-Regulation Of Krüppel-Like Factor-4 (Klf4) By Microrna-143/145 Is Critical For Modulation Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype By Transforming Growth Factor-Β And Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4, Brandi N. Davis-Dusenbery, Mun Chun Chan, Kelsey E. Reno, Alexandra S. Weisman, Matthew D. Layne, Giorgio Lagna, Akiko Hata
Biology
In the postnatal vasculature, fully differentiated and quiescent vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in a “contractile” phenotype are required for the normal regulation of vascular tone. The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily of growth factors (TGF-βs and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs)) are potent inducers of contractile phenotype and mediate (i) induction of contractile genes, and (ii) inhibition of VSMC growth and migration. Transcription of contractile genes is positively regulated by a regulatory DNA element called a CArG box. The CArG box is activated by the binding of serum response factor and its coactivators, myocardin (Myocd) or Myocd-related transcription factors (MRTFs). …
Comparative Ecology Of Sarcobatus Baileyi And Sarcobatus Vermiculatus In Eastern California, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Alynn M. Martin, Molly R. Falasco, James H. Richards
Comparative Ecology Of Sarcobatus Baileyi And Sarcobatus Vermiculatus In Eastern California, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Alynn M. Martin, Molly R. Falasco, James H. Richards
Biology
Greasewood (Sarcobatus) is a succulent-leaved, halophytic shrub of North American origin. The genus comprises 2 species: Sarcobatus baileyi and Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Sarcobatus vermiculatus is common throughout much of western North America, but S. baileyi is much more limited in distribution and was previously thought to be endemic to Nevada. Here we document and describe a S. baileyi population in eastern California, comparing its morphology and ecology to an adjacent S. vermiculatus population. Morphologically, S. baileyi is smaller in stature but produces larger seeds; however, fewer S. baileyi seeds germinated and survived a 20-day laboratory incubation compared to seeds of S. …
The Amsterdam Declaration On Fungal Nomenclature, David L. Hawksworth, Pedro W. Crous, Scott A. Redhead, Don R. Reynolds, Robert A. Samson, Keith A. Seifert, John W. Taylor, Michael J. Wingfield, Özlem Abaci, Catherine Aime, Ahmet Asan, Feng Yan Bai, Z. Wilhelm De Beer, Dominik Begerow, Derya Berikten, Teun Boekhout, Peter K. Buchanan, Treena Burgess, Walter Buzina, Lei Cai, Paul F. Cannon, J. Leland Crane, Ulrike Damm, Heide Marie Daniel, Anne D. Van Diepeningen, Irina Druzhinina, Paul S. Dyer, Ursula Eberhardt, Jack W. Fell, Jens C. Frisvad, David M. Geiser, József Geml, David Hibbett
The Amsterdam Declaration On Fungal Nomenclature, David L. Hawksworth, Pedro W. Crous, Scott A. Redhead, Don R. Reynolds, Robert A. Samson, Keith A. Seifert, John W. Taylor, Michael J. Wingfield, Özlem Abaci, Catherine Aime, Ahmet Asan, Feng Yan Bai, Z. Wilhelm De Beer, Dominik Begerow, Derya Berikten, Teun Boekhout, Peter K. Buchanan, Treena Burgess, Walter Buzina, Lei Cai, Paul F. Cannon, J. Leland Crane, Ulrike Damm, Heide Marie Daniel, Anne D. Van Diepeningen, Irina Druzhinina, Paul S. Dyer, Ursula Eberhardt, Jack W. Fell, Jens C. Frisvad, David M. Geiser, József Geml, David Hibbett
Biology
The Amsterdam Declaration on Fungal Nomenclature was agreed at an international symposium convened in Amsterdam on 19-20 April 2011 under the auspices of the International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi (ICTF). The purpose of the symposium was to address the issue of whether or how the current system of naming pleomorphic fungi should be maintained or changed now that molecular data are routinely available. The issue is urgent as mycologists currently follow different practices, and no consensus was achieved by a Special Committee appointed in 2005 by the International Botanical Congress to advise on the problem. The Declaration recognizes …
Geologic Composition Influences Distribution Of Microbiotic Crusts In The Mojave And Colorado Deserts At The Regional Scale, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Nicole Pietrasiak, Jeffrey R. Johansen
Geologic Composition Influences Distribution Of Microbiotic Crusts In The Mojave And Colorado Deserts At The Regional Scale, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Nicole Pietrasiak, Jeffrey R. Johansen
Biology
Abiotic and biotic factors influencing distribution of microbiotic crusts within hot deserts, such as the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, are poorly known. Our objective was to examine microbiotic crust distribution with reference to soil and parent material characteristics as well as plant functional groups in wilderness areas of Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP). A total of 75 sites were visually assessed for crust abundance and plant community composition; soil physical and chemical factors also were measured. Microbiotic crusts of JTNP, in particular lichen and moss crusts, were not as well-developed or as widely distributed as in other arid regions of …
Convergent And Parallel Evolution In Life Habit Of The Scallops (Bivalvia: Pectinidae), Alvin Alejandrino, Louise Puslednik, Jeanne M. Serb
Convergent And Parallel Evolution In Life Habit Of The Scallops (Bivalvia: Pectinidae), Alvin Alejandrino, Louise Puslednik, Jeanne M. Serb
Biology
We employed a phylogenetic framework to identify patterns of life habit evolution in the marine bivalve family Pectinidae. Specifically, we examined the number of independent origins of each life habit and distinguished between convergent and parallel trajectories of life habit evolution using ancestral state estimation. We also investigated whether ancestral character states influence the frequency or type of evolutionary trajectories.
Morphological Convergence Of Shell Shape In Distantly Related Scallop Species (Mollusca: Pectinidae), Alvin Alejandrino, Jeanne M. Serb, Erik Otárola-Castillo, Dean C. Adams
Morphological Convergence Of Shell Shape In Distantly Related Scallop Species (Mollusca: Pectinidae), Alvin Alejandrino, Jeanne M. Serb, Erik Otárola-Castillo, Dean C. Adams
Biology
Morphological convergence is a central concept in evolutionary biology, but convergent patterns remain under-studied in nonvertebrate organisms. Some scallop species exhibit long-distance swimming, a behaviour whose biomechanical requirements probably generate similar selective regimes. We tested the hypothesis that shell shape similarity in long-distance swimming species is a result of convergent evolution. Using landmark-based geometric morphometrics, we quantified shell shape in seven species representing major behavioural habits. All species displayed distinct shell shapes, with the exception of the two long-distance swimmers, whose shells were indistinguishable. These species also displayed reduced morphological variance relative to other taxa. Finally, a phylogenetic simulation revealed …
Managing Soil Nitrogen To Restore Annual Grass Infested Communities: An Effective Strategy Or Incomplete Framework?, Rebecca Drenovsky
Managing Soil Nitrogen To Restore Annual Grass Infested Communities: An Effective Strategy Or Incomplete Framework?, Rebecca Drenovsky
Biology
Theoretical and empirical work has established a positive relationship between resource availability and habitat invasibility. For nonnative invasive annual grasses, similar to other invasive species, invader success has been tied most often to increased nitrogen (N) availability. These observations have led to the logical assumption that managing soils for low N availability will facilitate restoration of invasive plant-dominated systems. Although invasive annual grasses pose a serious threat to a number of perennial-dominated ecosystems worldwide, there has been no quantitative synthesis evaluating the degree to which soil N management may facilitate restoration efforts. We used meta-analysis to evaluate the degree to …
Bringing The Dead Compartment Of A Plant Cell To Life: A Novel Imaging Technique Resurrects The Dynamic Nature Of The Apoplast, Doug Van Hoewyk
Bringing The Dead Compartment Of A Plant Cell To Life: A Novel Imaging Technique Resurrects The Dynamic Nature Of The Apoplast, Doug Van Hoewyk
Biology
No abstract provided.
Variation In Nutrient Resorption By Desert Shrubs, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Jeremy J. James, James H. Richards
Variation In Nutrient Resorption By Desert Shrubs, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Jeremy J. James, James H. Richards
Biology
Plant nutrient resorption prior to leaf senescence is an important nutrient conservation mechanism for aridland plant species. However, little is known regarding the phylogenetic and environmental factors influencing this trait. Our objective was to compare nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) resorption in a suite of species in the Asteraceae and Chenopodiaceae and assess the impact of soil salinity on nitrogen resorption. Although asters and chenopods did not differ in N resorption proficiency, chenopods were more proficient than asters at resorbing P. Plant responses to salinity gradients were species-specific and likely related to different salt-tolerances of the species. During the three …