Biology Commons^™

Eighteen Microsatellite Loci Developed From Western Burrowing Owls (Athene Cunicularia Hypugaea), Brant C. Faircloth, Alexandra Title, Kevin Tan, Justin Welty, James R. Belthoff, Patricia Adair Gowaty

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) are ground-dwelling owls distributed throughout western North America. Because of population declines, this species is considered endangered in Canada, and burrowing owls are listed as a species of conservation concern in states of the western USA. Korfanta et al. (2002) previously presented primers for seven microsatellite loci in burrowing owls. Parentage and relatedness studies require a larger number of markers for accuracy and precision. Here, we developed and characterized 18 additional microsatellite DNA loci, and we tested these loci in 23 individuals. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to …

A Comparison Of Cumulative-Germination Response Of Cheatgrass (Bromus Tectorum L.) And Five Perennial Bunchgrass Species To Simulated Field-Temperature Regimes, Stuart P. Hardegree, Corey A. Moffet, Bruce A. Roundy, Thomas A. Jones, Stephen J. Novak, Patrick E. Clark, Frederick B. Pierson, Gerald N. Flerchinger

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) has come to dominate millions of hectares of rangeland in the Intermountain western United States. Previous studies have hypothesized that one mechanism conferring a competitive advantage to this species is the ability to germinate rapidly at low temperatures in the fall, winter and spring and, therefore, initiate growth and establishment more rapidly than more desirable perennial bunchgrass species. In this experiment, we developed thermal-germination-response models for multiple seedlots of cheatgrass and five perennial grass species. We conducted sensitivity analysis on potentialcumulative- germination response to a 38-y simulation of field-variable conditions of seedbed temperature and moisture. …

Labile Soil Carbon Inputs Mediate The Soil Microbial Community Composition And Plant Residue Decomposition Rates, Marie-Anne De Graaff, Aimee T. Classen, Hector F. Castro, Christopher W. Schadt

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

• Root carbon (C) inputs may regulate decomposition rates in soil, and in this study we ask: how do labile C inputs regulate decomposition of plant residues, and soil microbial communities?

• In a 14 d laboratory incubation, we added C compounds often found in root exudates in seven different concentrations (0, 0.7, 1.4, 3.6, 7.2, 14.4 and 21.7 mg C g soil) to soils amended with and without ¹³C-labeled plant residue. We measured CO₂ respiration and shifts in relative fungal and bacterial rRNA gene copy numbers using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

• Increased labile C input …

Non-Native Salmonids Affect Amphibian Occupancy At Multiple Spatial Scales, David S. Pilliod, Blake R. Hossack, Peter F. Bahls, Evelyn L. Bull, Paul Stephen Corn, Grant Hokit, Bryce A. Maxell, James C. Munger, Aimee Wyrick

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Aim The introduction of non-native species into aquatic environments has been linked with local extinctions and altered distributions of native species. We investigated the effect of non-native salmonids on the occupancy of two native amphibians, the long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) and Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris), across three spatial scales: water bodies, small catchments and large catchments.

Location Mountain lakes at ≥ 1500 m elevation were surveyed across the northern Rocky Mountains, USA.

Methods We surveyed 2267 water bodies for amphibian occupancy (based on evidence of reproduction) and fish presence between 1986 and 2002 and modelled …

The Role Of Caspases In Alzheimer's Disease; Potential Novel Therapeutic Opportunities, Troy T. Rohn

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although apoptosis plays a critical role in molding the CNS into its final appearance and function, inappropriate activation of this pathway in the aging brain may contribute to neurodegeneration. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an overwhelming body of evidence supports the activation of apoptosis in general, and caspases specifically as an early event that may not only contribute to neurodegeneration but also promote the underlying pathology associated with this disease. Therefore, caspase inhibitors may provide an effective strategy for treating AD. However, despite the compelling evidence indicating a role for caspases in disease progression, chronic treatment with caspase inhibitors in animal …

GenHtr: A Tool For Comparative Assessment Of Genetic Heterogeneity In Microbial Genomes Generated By Massive Short-Read Sequencing, Gongxin Yu

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Microevolution is the study of short-term changes of alleles within a population and their effects on the phenotype of organisms. The result of the below-species-level evolution is heterogeneity, where populations consist of subpopulations with a large number of structural variations. Heterogeneity analysis is thus essential to our understanding of how selective and neutral forces shape bacterial populations over a short period of time. The Solexa Genome Analyzer, a next-generation sequencing platform, allows millions of short sequencing reads to be obtained with great accuracy, allowing for the ability to study the dynamics of the bacterial population at the whole genome …

Detection And Analysis Of The Bacterium, Xylella Fastidiosa, In Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, Homalodisca Vitripennis, Populations In Texas, Daymon Hail, Forrest Mitchell, Isabelle Lauziere, Patrick Marshall, Jeff Brady, Blake Bextine

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripeninis Germar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is a xylophagous insect that is an endemic pest of several economically important plants in Texas. H. vitripennis is the main vector of Xylella fastidiosa Wells (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae), the bacterium that causes Pierce's disease of grapevine and can travel long distances putting much of Texas grape production at risk. Understanding the movement of H. vitripennis populations capable of transmitting X. fastidiosa into Pierce's-disease-free areas is critical for developing a management program for Pierce's disease. To that end, the USDA APHIS has developed a program to sample vineyards across Texas to monitor populations …

Foraging Strategies Are Related To Skull Morphology And Life History Traits Of Melanerpes Woodpeckers, David L. Leonard Jr., Julie A. Heath

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Links between morphology and foraging strategies have been well established for many vertebrate groups. Foraging strategies of Melanerpes woodpeckers are especially variable, with at least six species being proficient flycatchers; the remainder of the better known species do not flycatch. Our objective was to examine variation in foraging tactics as it relates to skull morphology and other life history traits among these species to better understand the biology of these diverse woodpeckers. We measured eight skull characters from 241 individuals representing 19 species, but focused on eight species for which we had the most data. We used the log-geometric mean …

Agolohymena Aspidocauda Nov. Gen., Nov. Spec., A Histophagous Freshwater Tetrahymenid Ciliate In The Family Deltopylidae (Ciliophora, Hymenostomatia), From Idaho (Northwest U.S.A.): Morphology, Ontogenesis And Molecular Phylogeny, William A. Bourland, Michaela C. Strüder-Kypke

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Morphology, ontogeny and the molecular phylogeny of Agolohymena aspidocauda nov. gen., nov. spec., a new freshwater tetrahymenid ciliate from Idaho, U.S.A, are described. The ontogeny and histophagous mode of nutrition are similar to those of Deltopylum rhabdoides Fauré-Fremiet and Mugard, 1946. The new genus is placed with Deltopylum in the resurrected family Deltopylidae Song & Wilbert, 1989. We emend the diagnostic features of the family to include division by polytomy, right and left somatic kineties extending into the preoral suture, crook-shaped or sigmoid adoral membranelles 1 and 2, markedly reduced adoral membranelle 3 and a tetrahymenid silverline pattern. The main …

Pcif1 Modulates Pdx1 Protein Stability And Pancreatic Β Cell Function And Survival In Mice, Kathryn C. Claiborn, Mira M. Sachdeva, Corey E. Cannon, David N. Groff, Jeffrey D. Singer, Doris A. Stoffers

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The homeodomain transcription factor pancreatic duodenal homeobox 1 (Pdx1) is a major mediator of insulin transcription and a key regulator of the β cell phenotype. Heterozygous mutations in PDX1 are associated with the development of diabetes in humans. Understanding how Pdx1 expression levels are controlled is therefore of intense interest in the study and treatment of diabetes. Pdx1 C terminus–interacting factor-1 (Pcif1, also known as SPOP) is a nuclear protein that inhibits Pdx1 transactivation. Here, we show that Pcif1 targets Pdx1 for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Silencing of Pcif1 increased Pdx1 protein levels in cultured mouse β cells, and Pcif1 …

Present Effects Of Past Wildfires On Leaf Litter Breakdown In Stream Ecosystems, Peter Koetsier, Teresa R. B. Krause, Quenton M. Tuckett

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We investigated the present effects from a 10-year-old wildfire on leaf litter breakdown rates in 3 headwater streams in central Idaho. These systems experienced a massive debris flow one year after the fire. Based on soil instability and burn patterns, we identified 3 stream conditions: unburned, burned only, and burned/scoured. We placed leaf bags containing willow leaves (Salix sp.) in each stream type and removed bags at various time intervals until all bags were collected 100 days after their introduction. Leaf material was dried and weighed, and decay rate coefficients were calculated. Macroinvertebrates colonizing the bags were enumerated and identified, …

Use Of Archive Aerial Photography For Monitoring Black Mangrove Populations, James H. Everitt, C. Yang, Frank W. Judd, Kenneth R. Summy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A study was conducted on the South Texas Gulf Coast to evaluate archive aerial color-infrared (CIR) photography combined with supervised image analysis techniques to quantify changes in black mangrove [Avicennia germinans (L.) L.] populations over a 26-year period. Archive CIR film from two study sites (sites 1 and 2) was studied. Photographs of site 1 from 1976,1988, and 2002 showed that black mangrove populations made up 16.2%, 21.1%, and 29.4% of the study site, respectively. Photographs of site 2 from 1976 and 2002 showed that black mangrove populations made up 0.4% and 2.7% of the study site, respectively. Over the …

Caspase-Cleaved Tar Dna-Binding Protein-43 In Parkinson’S Disease And Dementia With Lewy Bodies, Polina Kokoulina, Troy T. Rohn

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) proteinopathies are classified based upon the extent of modified TDP-43 and include a growing number of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin immunoreactive, tau-negative inclusions (FTLD-U) and FTLD with motor neuron disease (FTLD-MND). Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine whether proteolytic modifications of TDP-43 are a relevant finding in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Methods: A novel site-directed caspase-cleavage antibody, termed TDP caspase-cleavage product antibody (TDPccp), was utilized based upon a known caspase-3 cleavage consensus site within TDP-43 at position 219. …

Do Decapod Crustaceans Have Nociceptors For Extreme Ph?, Sakshi Puri, Zen Faulkes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Nociception is the physiological detection of noxious stimuli. Because of its obvious importance, nociception is expected to be widespread across animal taxa and to trigger robust behaviours reliably. Nociception in invertebrates, such as crustaceans, is poorly studied.

Methodology/Principal Findings: Three decapod crustacean species were tested for nociceptive behaviour: Louisiana red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus), and grass shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.). Applying sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, or benzocaine to the antennae caused no change in behaviour in the three species compared to controls. Animals did not groom the stimulated antenna, and there was no difference in movement …

Molecular Cloning And Characterization Of Cdnas Encoding Metalloproteinases From Snake Venom Glands, Ying Jia, John C. Perez

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) are a superfamily of zinc-dependent proteases and participate in a number of important biological, physiological and pathophysiological processes. In this work, we simultaneously amplified 9 cDNAs encoding different classes of metalloproteinases from glands of four different snake species (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus, Crotalus atrox, Crotalus viridis viridis and Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) by RT-PCR with a pair of primers. Among the encoded metalloproteinases, two enzymes (AclVMP-I and AplVMP-I), three enzymes (CaVMP-II, CvvVMP-II and AplVMP-II) and four enzymes (AclVMP-III, CaVMP-III, CvvVMP-III and AplVMP-III) …

Parity-Induced Decrease In Systemic Growth Hormone Alters Mammary Gland Signaling: A Potential Role In Pregnancy Protection From Breast Cancer, Robert K. Dearth, David A. Delgado, Jill K. Hiney, Thushangi Pathiraja, Steffi Oesterreich, Dan Medina, W. Les Dees, Adrian V. Lee

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Early full-term pregnancy is an effective natural protection against breast cancer in both humans and experimental rodents. The protective effect of an early pregnancy is in part linked to changes in circulating hormones that are involved in both normal breast development and breast cancer. For example, a reduction in circulating growth hormone (GH) has been shown to protect rats from carcinogen-induced mammary tumors. We examined the ability of a full-term pregnancy to alter the endocrine GH/IGF-I axis and how this change affected normal mammary gland function in two commonly used rat models (Sprague-Dawley and Wistar-Furth). Circulating GH and IGF-I were …

Are Beaches' Suitability As Sand Crab Habitat Affected By Human Recreation?, Jessica H. Murph, Zen Faulkes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

METHODS We compared the populations of sand crabs (Lepidopa benedicti, family Albuneidae) at two locations on the popular tourist destination South Padre Island: one which is reasonably developed, having many hotels and restaurants and one which is not so developed, at a more northern point on the island. At each site, 10 m transects were dug starting at the top of the swash zone (parallel to the surf). Each shovel of sand were carefully sifted. The carapace length, sex, color, and reproductive status of each sand crab found were recorded on site. Samples were collected regularly from August 2009 to …

Selection Ratios On Community Aggregated Traits To Estimate Ecological Filters Imposed On Species By Sites, Nathanael I. Lichti, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Variation in community structure is mediated by interactions between species traits and a site's environmental characteristics. Previously, data on community composition at sites has been employed to correlate trait and environmental variables (e.g., RLQ analysis) and to predict community-level expression of quantitative traits (i.e., community aggregated traits). Here, we demonstrate that the selection ratio, a method originating in animal resource selection studies, can estimate the ecological filters that site conditions impose on species traits by combining observed community aggregated traits with null models of species availability. This flexible, nonparametric approach expresses the filter at each site as a probability density …

Effects Of Small Increases In Corticosterone Levels On Morphology, Immune Function, And Feather Development, Michael W. Butler, Lynda L. Leppert, Alfred M. Dufty Jr.

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Stressors encountered during avian development may affect an individual’s phenotype, including immunocompetence, growth, and feather quality. We examined effects of simulated chronic low-level stress on American kestrel (Falco sparverius) nestlings. Continuous release of corticosterone, a hormone involved in the stress response, can model chronic stress in birds. We implanted 13-d-old males with either corticosterone-filled implants or shams and measured their growth, immune function, and feather coloration.We found no significant differences between groups at the end of the weeklong exposure period in morphometrics (mass, tarsus, wing length, and asymmetry), immunocompetence (cutaneous immunity, heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, and humoral immunity), or feather …

Impacts Of An Orange Oil Solvent And Stickem On The Detection Of Xylella Fastidiosa Dna In Glassy-Winged Sharpshooters, Homalodisca Vitripennis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), Patrick Marshall, Daymon Hail, Forrest Mitchell, Blake Bextine

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Xylella fastidiosa is a plant pathogenic bacterium that causes many economically important agricultural diseases and is transmitted by the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Efficient detection of X. fastidiosa in field collected H. vitripennis in an area-wide management program can contribute to risk assessment associated with insect presence in vineyards. Prior to conducting molecular assays for detection of X. fastidiosa in individual insects, H. vitripennis must be removed from yellow sticky traps with a solvent such as orange oil. In this study, we determined the effect of orange oil concentration on extraction of individual H. vitripennis following trap removal …

Factors Affecting The Spatial Distribution Of Black Mangrove On The Dredged-Material Or “Spoil” Islands In The Lower Laguna Madre Of Texas, Violet Yeager, Kenneth R. Summy, Frank W. Judd, Robert I. Lonard, Ruben A. Mazariegos, James H. Everitt, Michael R. Heep, Thomas Whelan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research was conducted to evaluate the spatial distribution of black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) on the dredged-material or “spoil” islands of the Lower Laguna Madre of Texas. Aerial color-infrared (CIR) photographs revealed the presence of black mangrove stands on many of the islands located south of the Arroyo Colorado (a distributary of the Rio Grande which empties into the Laguna Madre), but failed to detect significant mangrove stands on islands located north of the Arroyo. Analysis of CIR photographs and supervised image classifications for individual islands suggested a concentration of black mangrove along western shorelines and relatively low interior areas of …

Phenotypic Divergence During The Invasion Of Phyla Canescens In Australia And France: Evidence For Selection-Driven Evolution, Cheng-Yuan Xu, Mic H. Julien, Mohammad Fatemi, Christophe Girod, Rieks D. Van Klinken, Caroline L. Gross, Stephen J. Novak

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rapid adaptive evolution has been advocated as a mechanism that promotes invasion. Demonstrating adaptive evolution in invasive species requires rigorous analysis of phenotypic shifts driven by selection. Here, we document selection-driven evolution of Phyla canescens, an Argentine weed, in two invaded regions (Australia and France). Invasive populations possessed similar or higher diversity than native populations, and displayed mixed lineages from different sources, suggesting that genetic bottlenecks in both countries might have been alleviated by multiple introductions. Compared to native populations, Australian populations displayed more investment in sexual reproduction, whereas French populations possessed enhanced vegetative reproduction and growth. We partitioned …

Detection Of Incipient Pest Infestations On Glasshouse Crops Using Multispectral Imagery And A Common Vegetation Index, Kenneth R. Summy, Christopher R. Little, James H. Everitt, Ruben A. Mazariegos, J. V. French, Mamoudou Setamou, Jesus Mata

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of multispectral (conventional color and color infrared) imagery and a common vegetation index (simple ratio) for detecting incipient infestations of spider mites (Tetranychus spp.; Acari: Tetranychidae) and false spider mites (Brevipalpus spp.; Acari: Tenupalpidae) on selected crops under glasshouse conditions. Although damaging infestations of both mite species were associated with intense feeding injury which was readily detectable by visual inspection, subtle levels of foliar damage caused by the two mite species were difficult to detect by visual inspection and were not readily distinguishable from undamaged (healthy) foliage in conventional color (CC) or color …

Common Algogenic Chemicals Do Not Cause Nociceptive Responses In Louisiana Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus Clarkii), Sakshi Puri, Zen Faulkes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Do crustaceans feel pain? This is hard to answer, because pain is complicated. A more tractable question is whether crustaceans have nociceptors: neurons specialized to detect tissue damage.

Algogenic chemicals bind to nociceptors and cause them to fire, often causing pain without tissue damage. For example, capsaicin is the algogenic chemical that makes peppers spicy; isothiocyanate is the chemical that makes wasabi pungent. Both can cause nociceptive responses in some invertebrates (capsaicin: Pastor et al. 1996, Wittenburg & Baumeister 1999, isothiocyanate: Al-Anzi et al. 2006).

The Spread Of The Parthenogenetic Marbled Crayfish, Marmorkrebs (Procambarus Sp.), In The North American Pet Trade, Zen Faulkes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The parthenogenetic marbled crayfish Marmorkrebs was discovered in the pet trade in Europe in the 1990s. Since then, its distribution through the pet trade has spread from Europe to other continents, including North America. North American pet owners were surveyed online with the aims of trying to track when Marmorkrebs entered the North American pet trade, the ways in which it spread through the pet trade, and how widely distributed Marmorkrebs are throughout the continent. Marmorkrebs have been in the North American pet trade since at least 2004, with the number of people increasing every year. While many Marmorkrebs are …

The Isolation Of Viruses Infecting Archaea, Kenneth M. Stedman, Kate Porter, Mike L. Dyall-Smith

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A mere 50 viruses of Archaea have been reported to date; these have been investigated mostly by adapting methods used to isolate bacteriophages to the unique growth conditions of their archaeal hosts. The most numerous are viruses of thermophilic Archaea. These viruses have been discovered by screening enrichment cultures and novel isolates from environmental samples for their ability to form halos of growth inhibition, or by using electron microscopy to screen enrichment cultures for virus-like particles. Direct isolation without enrichment has not yet been successful for viruses of extreme thermophiles. On the other hand, most viruses of extreme halophiles, the …

Mitochondrial Physiology Of Diapausing And Developing Embryos Of The Annual Killifish Austrofundulus Limnaeus: Implications For Extreme Anoxia Tolerance, Jeffrey M. Duerr, Jason E. Podrabsky

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Diapausing embryos of the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus have the highest reported anoxia tolerance of any vertebrate and previous studies indicate modified mitochondrial physiology likely supports anoxic metabolism. Functional mitochondria isolated from diapausing and developing embryos of the annual killifish exhibited VO2, respiratory control ratios (RCR), and P:O ratios consistent with those obtained from other ectothermic vertebrate species. Reduced oxygen consumption associated with dormancy in whole animal respiration rates are correlated with maximal respiration rates of mitochondria isolated from diapausing versus developing embryos. P:O ratios for developing embryos were similar to those obtained from adult liver, but were diminished in …