Biology Commons^™

Tertiary Climate Change And The Diversification Of The Amazonian Gecko Genus Gonatodes (Sphaerodactylidae, Squamata), Tony Gamble, Andrew M. Simons, Guarino R. Colli, Laurie J. Vitt

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The genus Gonatodes is a monophyletic group of small-bodied, diurnal geckos distributed across northern South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. We used fragments of three nuclear genes (RAG2, ACM4, and c-mos) and one mitochondrial gene (16S) to estimate phylogenetic relationships among Amazonian species of Gonatodes. We used Penalized Likelihood to estimate timing of diversification in the genus. Most cladogenesis occurred in the Oligocene and early Miocene and coincided with a burst of diversification in other South American animal groups including mollusks, birds, and mammals. The Oligocene and early Miocene were periods dominated by …

Effect Of Ethanol On Microbial Community Structure And Function During Natural Attenuation Of Benzene, Toluene, And O-Xylene In A Sulfate-Reducing Aquifer, Kevin Feris, Doug Mackay, Nick De Sieyes, Irina Chakraborty, Murray Einarson, Krassimira R. Hristova, Kate M. Scow

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Ethanol (EtOH) is a commonly used fuel oxygenate in reformulated gasoline and is an alternative fuel and fuel supplement. Effects of EtOH release on aquifer microbial ecology and geochemistry have not been well characterized in situ. We performed a controlled field release of petroleum constituents (benzene (B), toluene (T), o-xylene (o-X) at ∼1–3 mg/L each) with and without EtOH (∼500 mg/L). Mixed linear modeling (MLM) assessed effects on the microbial ecology of a naturally sulfidic aquifer and how the microbial community affected B, T, and o-X plume lengths and aquifer geochemistry. Changes in microbial community structure …

Mitochondrial Biogenesis: Is An Old Dog Still Teaching Us New Tricks? Meeting On The Assembly Of The Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain, Rosemary A. Stuart, Peter Rehling

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Amp-Activated Protein Kinase Is Involved In Hormone-Induced Mouse Oocyte Meiotic Maturation In Vitro, Jing Chen, Stephen M. Downs

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

We have previously shown that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) can induce the resumption of meiosis in mouse oocytes maintained in meiotic arrest in vitro. The present study was carried out to determine whether AMPK activation is involved in hormone-induced maturation. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and the EGF-like peptide, amphiregulin (AR), are potent inducers of maturation in cumulus cell-enclosed oocytes (CEO). Within 3 h of FSH treatment, phospho-acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) levels were increased in germinal vesicle (GV)-stage oocytes when compared to non-stimulated controls and remained elevated throughout 9 h of culture, indicating AMPK activation. A similar response to AR was observed …

The Spinobulbar System In Lamprey, James T. Buchanan, James F. Einum

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Locomotor networks in the spinal cord are controlled by descending systems which in turn receive feedback signals from ascending systems about the state of the locomotor networks. In lamprey, the ascending system consists of spinobulbar neurons which convey spinal network signals to the two descending systems, the reticulospinal and vestibulospinal neurons. Previous studies showed that spinobulbar neurons consist of both ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting cells distributed at all rostrocaudal levels of the spinal cord, though most numerous near the obex. The axons of spinobulbar neurons ascend in the ventrolateral spinal cord and brainstem to the caudal mesencephalon and within the …

Failure To Replicate Evidence Of Decapod Crustacean Nociception, Sakshi Puri, Zen Faulkes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Introduction Here, we attempt to replicate their experiments with two other species of decapod crustaceans that bracket P. elegans phylogenetically: white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus) and Louisiana red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Litopenaeus setiferus have a similar ecology to prawns. Procambarus clarkii is widely used in the study of neurobiology, and would be an excellent candidate for further neurophysiological studies.

Discussion We found no behavioral evidence of nociception in either L. setiferus or P. clarkii. This outcome contrasts sharply with results that indicated P. elegans had nociception (Barr et al. 2007).

Using Color Infrared Imagery To Detect Sooty Mold And Fungal Pathogens Of Glasshouse-Propagated Plants, Kenneth R. Summy, Christopher R. Little

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Fungi are major biotic constraints for optimum production and quality of glasshouse plants. When plants are infested with sooty mold (Capnodium spp.) or infected with pathogens, the reflected wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum are altered. Spectroradiometric measurements and color infrared (CIR) images of control, honeydew- coated, and sooty mold-infested saplings and individual leaves from trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata), sour orange (Citrus aurantium), ‘Valencia’ orange (C. sinensis), and ‘Bo’ tree (Ficus religiosa) were obtained. Grapefruit saplings and individual leaves infected with Mycosphaerella citri (greasy spot) were imaged under glasshouse conditions. Similarly, muskmelon foliage showing low and high levels of powdery mildew …

Neptunia Plena (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) Rediscovered In Texas, Alfred Richardson, Ken King

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

On October 17, 1938, Robert Runyon collected a specimen of Neptunia plena from a shallow pond south of Armstrong in Kenedy County, Texas. No subsequent collections from Texas have been reported . It was assumed that it was not a permanent member of our flora. On October 27, 2007, a population of N. plena was found near the same locality.

-

El 17 de octubre de 1938, Robert Runyon recogió un espécimen de Neptunia plena de una charca somera de Armstrong en el condado de Kenedy, Tejas. No se ha encontrado ninguna colección posterior de Tejas. Fue asumido que no …

Additions To The Breeding Avifauna Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Timothy Brush

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The breeding avifauna of the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas has experienced many changes during the 20th century, primarily because of declines in native habitats due to land being converted to agriculture and urban habitats. This paper summarizes changes in breeding avifauna from 2003–2007 in the area. Breeding has been confi rmed for Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), and Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia oraria) for the fi rst time, and for Gray-crowned Yellowthroat (Geothlypis poliocephala) and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) after periods of apparent absence. Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus) is a possible breeder, based …

Functional Characterization Of Upd3 In Drosophila Development, Liqun Wang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The JAK/STAT pathway is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathway that is well conserved and highly re-utilized in many mammalian and Drosophila developmental processes. Compared to dozens of ligands and receptors in mammalian JAK/STAT, Drosophila JAK/STAT pathway is simpler with one receptor and three ligands, Upd, Upd2 and Upd3, which have similar amino acid sequences. Previous literature shows that upd and upd2 exhibit the same dynamic striped expression pattern in embryos and have semi-redundant functions during embryogenesis. Do Upd and Upd3 also have redundant functions? To answer this question, the functions of Upd3 in Drosophila development were investigated in this …

Comparative Biology Of Seed Dormancy-Break And Germination In Convolvulaceae (Asterids, Solanales), Kariyawasam Marthinna Gamage Gehan Jayasuriya

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The biology of seed dormancy and germination of 46 species representing 11 of the 12 tribes in Convolvulaceae were compared in laboratory (mostly), field and greenhouse experiments. Seeds were tested for kind of dormancy and storage behavior; artificial or simulated natural treatments were applied to break physical dormancy (PY); the initial route of water entry (“water gap”) into seeds was identified; the morphoanatomy of the water gap was compared in seeds of 17 species; ontogenetical differences between water gap and seed coat away from the hilum were described in Ipomoea lacunosa seeds; cycling of sensitivity to dormancy break was elucidated …

The Influence Of Ca2+ Regulation In Synaptic Facilitation Of Motor Nerve Terminals In Crayfish And Drosophila As Well As In The Physiological Regulation Of Larval Drosophila Heart, Mohati Desai-Shah

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Intracellular Ca²⁺ ions are highly regulated in animal cells for them to function normally. Since the tight regulation of [Ca²⁺]i is so ubiquitous among cells, it is not surprising that altered function in [Ca²⁺]i regulation is associated with a myriad of disease states in humans. This is particularly evident in pacing myocytes and nerve terminals related to synaptic transmission. A common thread through this dissertation is on the role of three regulators proteins that are common to many cell types. These are the plasmalemmal Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger (NCX), the Ca²⁺-ATPase (PMCA) …

Towards Cloning The Clk-3 Gene In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Suchita Umesh Desai

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Mutations in the clk-1, clk-2, clk-3 and gro-1 genes in Caenorhabditis elegans show alterations in developmental and behavioral timing and lifespan, collectively termed the Clk phenotype. While the clk-1, clk-2, and gro-1 genes have been cloned, clk-3 gene has not been identified. Gene expression changes in clk-3 mutant worms were determined using microarray expression data. I examined genes in the region to which clk-3 gene maps, for strongly reduced expression in the clk-3 mutants and identified thirteen clk-3 candidate genes. RNAi feeding vectors for all these candidate genes were picked and cultured from the RNAi library. …

Plant Growth Promoting Properties Of Rhizobacteria Isolated From Wheat And Pea Grown In Loamy Sand Soil, Dilfuza Egamberdieva

Turkish Journal of Biology

Microbes are important catalysts to regulate functional properties of terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, rhizosphere and phyllosphere bacteria were isolated from wheat and peas and examined for their plant growth promoting properties. The effects of bacterial inoculants on the growth of peas and wheat were studied in a series of pot experiments using loamy sand soil. The results showed that the colonisation of bacteria was higher in the rhizosphere as compared to the phyllosphere of both plants. Bacterial strains were identified as Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Kocuria, and Microbacterium, and Cellulomonas species. The response of wheat and peas when inoculated with bacteria …

A Comparative Study On Colchicine Application Methods In Obtaining Doubled Haploids Of Tobacco (Nicotiana Tabacum L.), Betül Bürün, Ülkü Emi̇roğlu

Turkish Journal of Biology

In order to obtain androgenic doubled haploids of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Karabağlar 6265) colchicine was applied at 3 different stages of anther culture. Before culture, anthers were treated with 0.4% aqueous solution of colchicine for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 h. Culture response of anthers decreased as the treatment duration increased (except 12 h) and the highest diploidization of 29.7% was obtained with 6 h. During culture, when macroscopic embryoids appeared in dehisced anthers, they were wrapt up in sterile cotton saturated with 0.2% colchicine for 3 days and transferred to fresh medium. This application resulted …

An Expression Profile Of Cadherin-11 In Developing Chicken Embryos, Kacie Flaherty

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The properties of cadherin-11 adhesiveness allow it to play a dynamic role in development. Known primarily as a mesenchymal cadherin, cadherin-11 expression may be correlated with morphogenetic events in developing embryos. Although cadherin-11 expression has been studied in the mouse and Xenopus, its expression pattern in the important avian model has not been described. We investigated cadherin-11 's expression profile using a monoclonal antibody in fluorescence immunolocalization, assisted by microwave antigen retrieval; in Hamburger-Hamilton stages 13-22 chicken embryos (approx. 46-96 hrs). Cadherin-11 was expressed in mesenchymal tissue surrounding the eye, pharynx and aortic arches, auditory vesicles, lung buds and stomach, …

Analysis Of Leaf Development In Ampelopsis Cordata And Ampelopsis Arborea (Vitaceae), Benjamin Grant Doughan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The genus Ampelopsis is a member of the Vitaceae. Ampelopsis cordata Michx. and Ampelopsis arborea (L.) Koehne are the only two North American species of Ampelopsis. A recent molecular phylogenetic hypothesis placed them into two different clades (Soejima and Wen, 2006). This is correlated with mature leaf morphology, i.e. A. cordata has simple leaves, and A. arborea has compound leaves. My objective was to compare the two species leaf development from initiation to mature form to determine how and at what point their developmental trajectory differentiates and to establish a method to sufficiently track leaf development. Bpi-illumination light microscopy was …