Biology Commons^™

Position-Scanning Peptide Libraries As Particle Immunogens For Improving Cd8+ T-Cell Responses, Michael C. Vega

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Publications

Short peptides reflecting major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I (MHC-I) epitopes frequently lack sufficient immunogenicity to induce robust antigen (Ag)-specific CD8⁺ T cell responses. In the current work, it is demonstrated that position-scanning peptide libraries themselves can serve as improved immunogens, inducing Ag-specific CD8⁺ T cells with greater frequency and function than the wild-type epitope. The approach involves displaying the entire position-scanning library onto immunogenic nanoliposomes. Each library contains the MHC-I epitope with a single randomized position. When a recently identified MHC-I epitope in the glycoprotein gp70 envelope protein of murine leukemia virus (MuLV) is assessed, only one …

Machine Learning Applications In Microbial Ecology, Human Microbiome Studies, And Environmental Monitoring, Ryan B. Ghannam, Stephen Techtmann

Michigan Tech Publications

Advances in nucleic acid sequencing technology have enabled expansion of our ability to profile microbial diversity. These large datasets of taxonomic and functional diversity are key to better understanding microbial ecology. Machine learning has proven to be a useful approach for analyzing microbial community data and making predictions about outcomes including human and environmental health. Machine learning applied to microbial community profiles has been used to predict disease states in human health, environmental quality and presence of contamination in the environment, and as trace evidence in forensics. Machine learning has appeal as a powerful tool that can provide deep insights …

Sex Chromosome Turnover In Bent-Toed Geckos (Cyrtodactylus), Shannon E. Keating, Madison Blumer, L. Lee Grismer, Aung Lin, Stuart V. Nielsen, Myint Kyaw Thura, Perry L. Wood Jr., Evan S.H. Quah, Tony Gamble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Lizards and snakes (squamates) are known for their varied sex determining systems, and gecko lizards are especially diverse, having evolved sex chromosomes independently multiple times. While sex chromosomes frequently turnover among gecko genera, intrageneric turnovers are known only from Gekko and Hemidactylus. Here, we used RADseq to identify sex-specific markers in two species of Burmese bent-toed geckos. We uncovered XX/XY sex chromosomes in Cyrtodactylus chaunghanakwaensis and ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes in Cyrtodactylus pharbaungensis. This is the third instance of intrageneric turnover of sex chromosomes in geckos. Additionally, Cyrtodactylus are closely related to another genus with intrageneric turnover, Hemidactylus. …

Rivfishtime: A Global Database Of Fish Time-Series As A Currency For Global Change Ecology Research In Riverine Systems, Lise Comte, Juan Carvajal-Quintero, Pablo A. Tedesco, Ulrich Brose, Tibor Erős, Ana F. Filipe, Marie-Josée Fortin, Katie Irving, Claire Jacquet, Christopher M. Taylor

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Motivation

We compiled a global database of long-term riverine fish surveys from 46 regional and national monitoring programmes and from individual academic research efforts, with which numerous basic and applied questions in ecology and global change research can be explored. Such spatially and temporally extensive datasets have been lacking for freshwater systems in comparison to terrestrial ones.

Main types of variables contained

The database includes 11,386 time-series of riverine fish community catch data, including 646,270 species-specific abundance records, together with metadata related to the geographical location and sampling methodology of each time-series.

Spatial location and grain

The database contains 11,072 …

Aprendizaje Activo Y Pedagogía Culturalmente Relevante En Stem: Tres Lecciones Aprendidas Dentro Y Fuera Del Aula, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Uno de los mayores desafíos en la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería y la educación matemática (STEM, por sus siglas en inglés) es mejorar el rendimiento y la retención de estudiantes de diversos orígenes. Existen grandes diferencias entre los logros académicos de los estudiantes de minorías subrepresentadas (EMS) con aquellos que no pertenecen a estas minorías. Las diferencias inician desde el kínder y continúan hasta los estudios de posgrado. El aprendizaje activo y la pedagogía culturalmente sensible/relevante han mostrado resultados exitosos minimizando estas diferencias educacionales. Desafortunadamente, el aprendizaje activo y la pedagogía culturalmente relevante no son métodos comunes de enseñanza …

A Fresh Start In Ambersnail (Gastropoda: Succineidae) Taxonomy: Finding A Foothold Using A Widespread Species Of Oxyloma, Kathryn E. Perez, Marco A. Martinez Cruz, Brent W. Steury, Gary M. Barker

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The ambersnails (Succineidae), found nearly worldwide, are considered a very challenging group to classify and identify with even genus-level identifications requiring dissection. In this study, we use mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers, shell morphometrics, and anatomical dissection to examine fresh material collected from the type localities of two nominal species in Oxyloma (Neoxyloma). We conclude from these evidence that Oxyloma salleanum (L. Pfeiffer, 1850) and Oxyloma effusum (L. Pfeiffer, 1853) are conspecific, and accordingly reduce O. effusum to the status of junior synonymy. We present a redescription of O. salleanum.

Alternative Promoter Use Governs The Expression Of Iglon Cell Adhesion Molecules In Histogenetic Fields Of The Embryonic Mouse Brain, T. Jagomäe, K. Singh, M.-A. Philips, M. Jayaram, K. Seppa, T. Tekko, Scott F. Gilbert, E. Vasar, K. Lilleväli

Biology Faculty Works

The members of the IgLON superfamily of cell adhesion molecules facilitate fundamental cellular communication during brain development, maintain functional brain circuitry, and are associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, autism, schizophrenia, and intellectual disabilities. Usage of alternative promoter-specific 1a and 1b mRNA isoforms in Lsamp, Opcml, Ntm, and the single promoter of Negr1 in the mouse and human brain has been previously described. To determine the precise spatiotemporal expression dynamics of Lsamp, Opcml, Ntm isoforms, and Negr1, in the developing brain, we generated isoform-specific RNA probes and carried out in situ hybridization in the developing (embryonic, E10.5, E11.5, …

Sperm Fate Is Promoted By The Mir-44 Microrna Family In The Caenorhabditis Elegans Hermaphrodite Germline, Katherine Ann Maniates, Benjamin S. Olson, Allison L. Abbott

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, typically effected by RNA-binding proteins, microRNAs (miRNAs), and translation initiation factors, is essential for normal germ cell function. Numerous miRNAs have been detected in the germline; however, the functions of specific miRNAs remain largely unknown. Functions of miRNAs have been difficult to determine as miRNAs often modestly repress target mRNAs and are suggested to sculpt or fine tune gene expression to allow for the robust expression of cell fates. In Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites, cell fate decisions are made for germline sex determination during larval development when sperm are generated in a short window before the …

Habitat Selection By Vulnerable Golden Bandicoots In The Arid Zone, Cheryl A. Lohr, Kristen Nilsson, Colleen Sims, Judy Dunlop, Michael T. Lohr

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In 2010, vulnerable golden bandicoots (Isoodon auratus) were translocated from Barrow Island, Western Australia, to a mainland predator-free enclosure on the Matuwa Indigenous Protected Area. Golden bandicoots were once widespread throughout a variety of arid and semiarid habitats of central and northern Australia. Like many small-to-medium-sized marsupials, the species has severely declined since colonization and has been reduced to only four remnant natural populations. Between 2010 and 2020, the reintroduced population of golden bandicoots on Matuwa was monitored via capture–mark–recapture data collection, which was used in spatially explicit capture–recapture analysis to monitor their abundance over time. In 2014, we used …

Natural Habitat Of Bali Starling (Leucopsar Rothschildi) In Bali Barat National Park, Indonesia, Sutomo Sutomo, Eddie Van Etten

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Indonesian tropical savannas and dry forests provide habitats to various endemic wildlife. Unfortunately, a few of these endemic species are now seriously threatened and are red listed in the conservation status of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Among these species, the Bali starling or Bali mynah Leucopsar rotschildi, locally known as Jalak Bali, is now mostly restricted to the Bali Barat National Park. Given the high extinction risk faced by such species, conservation programs require multidisciplinary approaches that would address both the biological attributes of the species itself and their habitat requirements. Regrettably, for many species, their …

A Repeated Triple Lysine Motif Anchors Complexes Containing Bone Sialoprotein And The Type Xi Collagen A1 Chain Involved In Bone Mineralization, Jeff P. Gorski, Nichole T. Franz, Daniel Pernoud, Andrew Keightley, David R. Eyre, Julia Thom Oxford

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

While details remain unclear, initiation of woven bone mineralization is believed to be mediated by collagen and potentially nucleated by bone sialoprotein (BSP). Interestingly, our recent publication showed that BSP and type XI collagen form complexes in mineralizing osteoblastic cultures. To learn more, we examined the protein composition of extracellular sites of de novo hydroxyapatite deposition which were enriched in BSP and Col11a1 containing an alternatively spliced “6b” exonal sequence. An alternate splice variant “6a” sequence was not similarly co-localized. BSP and Col11a1 co-purify upon ion-exchange chromatography or immunoprecipitation. Binding of the Col11a1 “6b” exonal sequence to bone sialoprotein was …

A Consensus‑Based Ensemble Approach To Improve Transcriptome Assembly, Adam Voshall, Sairam Behera, Xiangjun Li, Xiao‑Hong Yu, Kushagra Kapil, Jitender S. Deogun, John Shanklin, Edgar B. Cahoon, Etsuko N. Moriyama

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Systems-level analyses, such as differential gene expression analysis, co-expression analysis, and metabolic pathway reconstruction, depend on the accuracy of the transcriptome. Multiple tools exist to perform transcriptome assembly from RNAseq data. However, assembling high quality transcriptomes is still not a trivial problem. This is especially the case for non-model organisms where adequate reference genomes are often not available. Different methods produce different transcriptome models and there is no easy way to determine which are more accurate. Furthermore, having alternative-splicing events exacerbates such difficult assembly problems. While benchmarking transcriptome assemblies is critical, this is also not trivial due to the …

Breeding And Feeding Habitat Selection By An Island Endemic Bird May Increase Its Vulnerability To Climate Change [Dataset], Paul Radley, Eddie Van Etten, David Blake, Robert Davis

Research Datasets

Characterising patterns of habitat use is an important first step for effective conservation planning. Species restricted to low-lying islands are at greatest risk from climate change-related sea level rise, and requirements for breeding and foraging habitat may determine their risk from tidal inundation. The endangered Micronesian Scrubfowl (Megapodius laperouse senex) is a model species for understanding these impacts. This species faces the cumulative challenges of tourist visitation, invasive species, and rising sea levels, yet little is understood about its habitat use in the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon Conservation Area (RISL) of Palau. We studied the habitat requirements of …

Rapid Survey Of Anuran Species In Baguio-Benguet Area And Isolation Of Their Fungal Symbionts, Arthien Lovell P. Pelingen, Camille Andrea Flores, Axel John Briz, Roland Hipol, Celia Austria

Biology Faculty Publications

Baguio City is one of the fastest-growing centers of urbanization in the Philippines. As part of the Cordillera Mountain Range, it is a biodiversity hotspot that is largely unexplored. This study is a preliminary investigation using visual encounter surveys of anuran species in various localities of the Baguio-Benguet area (BBA). These include Loakan Airport (LA), Camp John Hay (CJH), and Soroptimist Compound (SC) at the Military Cut Off, all in Baguio; Nangalisan, Tuba (NT), Benguet; and Master’s Garden (MG) at Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet. We documented three Luzon-endemic species of frogs – namely, Kaloula rigida (Family Microhylidae), Sanguirana luzonensis (Family …

Effects Of Sleep Fragmentation On The Progression Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Lindsay Beechem

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, neuronal death, and profound cognitive impairment. Previous studies have indicated that increased Aβ and alterations in the daily sleep-wake cycle are early risk factors and possible predictors of AD. Acute sleep deprivation decreases Aβ clearance, and increased Aβ levels stimulate neuroinflammation and accelerate loss of neurons and synapses. Likewise, it has been shown that there are higher rates of sleep disorders in AD patients. However, limited studies have investigated whether sleep fragmentation accelerates the progression of AD pathology. This partial review will discuss experiments …

Aquatic Coleoptera Of Northern Negros, Philippines, Marc Ryan Sabordo, Carl Michael Buyco, Gwendalyn Henares, Jessica Pacalioga, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

The water beetle fauna of northern Negros Island has not been comprehensively studied. In this study, aquatic Coleoptera of northern Negros have been compiled from various collections. Specimens were sampled through manual sampling and light trap. Twenty-six (26) species were recorded including 21 which are Philippine endemics. Nine genera and three known species are recorded for the first time from Negros. Notes on distribution, ecology and identification are provided. Possible new species, future potential discoveries as well as current significance in terms of conservation are discussed.

Menthol To Induce Non-Shivering Thermogenesis Via Trpm8/Pka Signaling For Treatment Of Obesity, Owen Sanders, Jayalekshmi Rajagopalan, Lekshmy Rajagopal

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Increasing basal energy expenditure via uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-dependent non-shivering thermogenesis is an attractive therapeutic strategy for treatment of obesity. Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) channel activation by cold and cold mimetics induces UCP1 transcription and prevents obesity in animals, but the clinical relevance of this relationship remains incompletely understood. A review of TRPM8 channel agonism for treatment of obesity focusing on menthol was undertaken. Adipocyte TRPM8 activation results in Ca2+ influx and protein kinase A (PKA) activation, which induces mitochondrial elongation, mitochondrial localization to lipid droplets, lipolysis, β-oxidation, and UCP1 expression. Ca2+-induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species activate UCP1. …

Identification Of Compounds Causing Cellular Autofluorescence In Touch Samples, Elora C. Wall

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

As DNA analysis has advanced and produced tests with higher sensitivities, attention has turned toward obtaining DNA profiles from cells left with fingermarks. Recent studies have reported that cells deposited within fingermarks can exhibit differences in autofluorescence emission in the ‘red’ region of the visible spectrum (e.g., between 650-670 nm), which can be used to differentiate contributor cell population and separate them before DNA profiles. Interestingly, this emission was not consistent to the individual day-to-day and likely not a genetically-controlled attribute of the contributor. Instead, this emission signature results from extended exposure of the skin to certain materials such as …

Pleistocene Rodents From Southeast Georgia, Parker Rhinehart

Graduate Research Showcase

Late-Pleistocene fossil sites are uncommon in Georgia. However, Clark Quarry, a locality near Brunswick, Georgia, has yielded a large and diverse collection of vertebrate skeletal material dominated by cranial and post-cranial fossils of Columbian mammoths (Mammathus columbi) and giant bison (Bison latifrons). Screen washing of the fossiliferous sediment associated with the bones of the megafauna has produced a large number of microfossils. Here I describe fossil rodents from Clark Quarry. Cranial and post-cranial material of eight rodent taxa have been identified to date. Of these, five are found in the area today: Sigmodon hispidus, Peromyscus sp., …

Double Anus In An Ixodes Scapularis Nymph, A Medically Important Tick Vector, Vikas Taank, Frank A. Lattanzio, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Ixodes scapularis ticks are medically important arthropod vectors that transmit several pathogens to humans. The observations of morphological abnormalities, including nanism, missing leg, extra leg, and gynandromorphism, have been reported in these ticks. In this study, we report the presence of two anuses in a laboratory-reared I. scapularis nymph.

Results: Larval ticks were allowed to feed on mice and to molt to nymphs. Two anuses were observed in one of the freshly molted nymphs. Stereo and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of two anuses in one nymph within a single anal groove.

Conclusions: This report confirms the rare …

Trends And Opportunities In Tick-Borne Disease Geography, Catherine A. Lippi, Sadie J. Ryan, Alexis L. White, Holly D. Gaff, Colin J. Carlson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Tick-borne diseases are a growing problem in many parts of the world, and their surveillance and control touch on challenging issues in medical entomology, agricultural health, veterinary medicine, and biosecurity. Spatial approaches can be used to synthesize the data generated by integrative One Health surveillance systems, and help stakeholders, managers, and medical geographers understand the current and future distribution of risk. Here, we performed a systematic review of over 8,000 studies and identified a total of 303 scientific publications that map tick-borne diseases using data on vectors, pathogens, and hosts (including wildlife, livestock, and human cases). We find that the …

Global Extinction Risk For Seahorses, Pipefishes And Their Near Relatives (Syngnathiformes), Riley A. Pollom, Gina M. Ralph, Caroline M. Pollock, Amanda C.J. Vincent

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Few marine taxa have been comprehensively assessed for their conservation status, despite heavy pressures from fishing, habitat degradation and climate change. Here we report on the first global assessment of extinction risk for 300 species of syngnathiform fishes known as of 2017, using the IUCN Red List criteria. This order of bony teleosts is dominated by seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons (family Syngnathidae). It also includes trumpetfishes (Aulostomidae), shrimpfishes (Centriscidae), cornetfishes (Fistulariidae) and ghost pipefishes (Solenostomidae). At least 6% are threatened, but data suggest a mid-point estimate of 7.9% and an upper bound of 38%. Most of the threatened species are …

Patterns Of Genetic Divergence Across Geographically Variable Populations Of Xanthisma Gracile (Asteraceae), Lavanya Challagundla, Lisa E. Wallace

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Premise of research. Numerous biotic and abiotic factors can contribute to local selection and lead to geographic structure and genetic divergence between populations. The southwestern United States contains many distinctive plant communities, ranging from woodlands to desert scrub, that are shaped by species adapting to local variation in elevation, precipitation, seasonality, and soils. Given this variation, species occurring across diverse habitats are expected to harbor high genetic diversity and exhibit significant genetic differences associated with environmental variation.

Methodology. Here, we studied the genetic divergence of populations of Xanthisma gracile (Asteraceae) across Arizona using amplified fragment length polymorphisms and evaluated associations …

Consensus Guidelines For Advancing Coral Holobiont Genome And Specimen Voucher Deposition, Christian R. Voolstra, Kate M. Quigley, Sarah W. Davies, John Everett Parkinson, Raquel S. Peixoto, Manuel Aranda, Andrew C. Baker, Adam R. Barno, Daniel J. Barshis, Francesca Benzoni, Victor Bonito, David G. Bourne, Carol Buitrago-López, Tom C.L. Bridge, Cheong Xin Chan, David J. Combosch, Jamie Craggs, Jörg C. Frommlet, Santiago Herrera, Andrea M. Quattrini, Till Röthig, James D. Reimer, Esther Rubio-Portillo, David J. Suggett, Helena Villela, Maren Ziegler, Michael Sweet

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Coral research is being ushered into the genomic era. To fully capitalize on the potential discoveries from this genomic revolution, the rapidly increasing number of high-quality genomes requires effective pairing with rigorous taxonomic characterizations of specimens and the contextualization of their ecological relevance. However, to date there is no formal framework that genomicists, taxonomists, and coral scientists can collectively use to systematically acquire and link these data. Spurred by the recently announced “Coral symbiosis sensitivity to environmental change hub” under the “Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics Project” - a collaboration between the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation …

Effects Of Weather On Foraging Success And Hunting Frequency In Winter-Irruptive Snowy Owls (Bubo Scandiacus) In Upstate New York, Russell E. Winter, William M. Shields

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The effects of weather on an individual can often alter the population dynamics of a species. Knowledge of how weather influences individual behavior is therefore essential in understanding its full impact in the context of population ecology. Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) exhibit expensive long-distance migrations in winters following population irruptions. During irruptive movements, many owls migrate past the southernmost extent of their traditional wintering grounds, the mechanism for which is still debated. We propose and test the “milder climate” hypothesis; Snowy Owls wintering in lower latitudes are better able to meet their metabolic demands due to higher temperatures …

Variation In Coral Thermotolerance Across A Pollution Gradient Erodes As Coral Symbionts Shift To More Heat-Tolerant Genera, Melissa S. Naugle, Thomas A. Oliver, Daniel J. Barshis, Ruth D. Gates, Cheryl A. Logan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phenotypic plasticity is one mechanism whereby species may cope with stressful environmental changes associated with climate change. Reef building corals present a good model for studying phenotypic plasticity because they have experienced rapid climate-driven declines in recent decades (within a single generation of many corals), often with differential survival among individuals during heat stress. Underlying differences in thermotolerance may be driven by differences in baseline levels of environmental stress, including pollution stress. To examine this possibility, acute heat stress experiments were conducted on Acropora hyacinthus from 10 sites around Tutuila, American Samoa with differing nutrient pollution impact. A threshold-based heat …

Remarkably High And Consistent Tolerance Of A Red Sea Coral To Acute And Chronic Thermal Stress Exposures, Nicolas R. Evensen, Maoz Fine, Gabriela Perna, Christian R. Voolstra, Daniel J. Barshis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Global warming is resulting in unprecedented levels of coral mortality due to mass bleaching events and, more recently, marine heatwaves, where rapid increases in seawater temperature cause mortality within days. Here, we compare the response of a ubiquitous scleractinian coral, Stylophora pistillata, from the northern Red Sea to acute (7 h) and chronic (7-11 d) thermal stress events that include temperature treatments of 27 degrees C (i.e., the local maximum monthly mean), 29.5 degrees C, 32 degrees C, and 34.5 degrees C, and assess recovery of the corals following exposure. Overall, S. pistillata exhibited remarkably similar responses to acute …

Dietary Protein Content And Digestibility Influences Discrimination Of Amino Acid Nitrogen Isotope Values In A Terrestrial Omnivorous Mammal, John P. Whiteman, Mauriel Rodriguez Curras, Kelli L. Feeser, Seth D. Newsome

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

RATIONALE: Ecologists increasingly determine the δ¹⁵N values of amino acids (AA) in animal tissue; "source" AA typically exhibit minor variation between diet and consumer, while "trophic" AA have increased δ¹⁵N values in consumers. Thus, trophic-source δ¹⁵N offsets (i.e., Δ¹⁵N_T-S) reflect trophic position in a food web. However, even minor variation in δ¹⁵N_{source AA} values may influence the magnitude of offset that represents a trophic step, known as the trophic discrimination factor (i.e., TDF_T-S). Diet digestibility and protein content can influence the δ¹⁵N values …

Tick Extracellular Vesicles Enable Arthropod Feeding And Promote Distinct Outcomes Of Bacterial Infection, Adela S. Oliva Chávez, Xiaowei Wang, Liron Marnin, Nathan K. Archer, Holly L. Hammond, Erin E. Mcclure Carroll, Dana K. Shaw, Brenden G. Tully, Amanda D. Buskirk, Shelby L. Ford, L. Rainer Butler, Preeti Shahi, Kateryna Morozova, Cristina C. Clement, Lauren Lawres, Anya J. O'Neal, Choukri Ben Mamoun, Kathleen L. Mason, Brandi E. Hobbs, Glen A. Scoles, Eileen M. Barry, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Utpal Pal, Jesus G. Valenzuela, Marcelo B. Sztein, Marcela F. Pasetti, Michael L. Levin, Michail Kotsyfakis, Steven M. Jay, Jason F. Huntley, Lloyd S. Miller, Laura Santambrogio, Joao H.F. Pedra

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Extracellular vesicles are thought to facilitate pathogen transmission from arthropods to humans and other animals. Here, we reveal that pathogen spreading from arthropods to the mammalian host is multifaceted. Extracellular vesicles from Ixodes scapularis enable tick feeding and promote infection of the mildly virulent rickettsial agent Anaplasma phagocytophilum through the SNARE proteins Vamp33 and Synaptobrevin 2 and dendritic epidermal T cells. However, extracellular vesicles from the tick Dermacentor andersoni mitigate microbial spreading caused by the lethal pathogen Francisella tularensis. Collectively, we establish that tick extracellular vesicles foster distinct outcomes of bacterial infection and assist in vector feeding by acting …

Diet Of Long-Eared Owl And Common Kestrel In An Urban Landscape (Ukraine), Ivan Zahorodnyi, Oleksii Dubovyk, Ivan Komarnytskyi, Ihor Dykyy

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In the present study we performed a comparative dietary analysis of two predatory birds, the Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) and the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in the district of Lviv city. We found that the Long-eared Owl and the Common Kestrel are typical small mammal specialists within the urban ecosystem. Considering the abundance and biomass of prey, small mammals comprise 98.4% of the Long-eared Owl’s diet. The species composition of mammals coincides almost 50% in the food intake comparison of the two birds. It has been established that the main prey of both species is the …