Biology Commons^™

Microarray And Cdna Sequence Analysis Of Transcription During Nerve-Dependent Limb Regeneration, James R. Monaghan, Leonard G. Epp, Srikrishna Putta, Robert B. Page, John A. Walker, Chris K. Beachy, Wei Zhu, Gerald M. Pao, Inder M. Verma, Tony Hunter, Susan V. Bryant, David M. Gardiner, Tim T. Harkins, S. Randal Voss

Biology Faculty Publications

Background

Microarray analysis and 454 cDNA sequencing were used to investigate a centuries-old problem in regenerative biology: the basis of nerve-dependent limb regeneration in salamanders. Innervated (NR) and denervated (DL) forelimbs of Mexican axolotls were amputated and transcripts were sampled after 0, 5, and 14 days of regeneration.

Results

Considerable similarity was observed between NR and DL transcriptional programs at 5 and 14 days post amputation (dpa). Genes with extracellular functions that are critical to wound healing were upregulated while muscle-specific genes were downregulated. Thus, many processes that are regulated during early limb regeneration do not depend upon nerve-derived factors. …

Microarray And Cdna Sequence Analysis Of Transcription During Nerve-Dependent Limb Regeneration, James R. Monaghan, Leonard G. Epp, Srikrishna Putta, Robert B. Page, John A. Walker, Chris K. Beachy, Wei Zhu, Gerald M. Pao, Inder M. Verma, Tony Hunter, Susan V. Bryant, David M. Gardiner, Tim T. Harkins, S. Randal Voss

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Microarray analysis and 454 cDNA sequencing were used to investigate a centuries-old problem in regenerative biology: the basis of nerve-dependent limb regeneration in salamanders. Innervated (NR) and denervated (DL) forelimbs of Mexican axolotls were amputated and transcripts were sampled after 0, 5, and 14 days of regeneration.

RESULTS: Considerable similarity was observed between NR and DL transcriptional programs at 5 and 14 days post amputation (dpa). Genes with extracellular functions that are critical to wound healing were upregulated while muscle-specific genes were downregulated. Thus, many processes that are regulated during early limb regeneration do not depend upon nerve-derived factors. …

Scientific Components Of Dna Evidence: Molecular Biology And Population Genetics, Dan E. Krane

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Overexpression Of Mazfsa In Staphylococcus Aureus Induces Bacteriostasis By Selectively Targeting Mrnas For Cleavage, Zhibiao Fu, Sandeep Tamber, Guido Memmi, Niles P. Donegan, Ambrose L. Cheung

Dartmouth Scholarship

The role of chromosomally encoded toxin-antitoxin (TA) loci in bacterial physiology has been under debate, with the toxin proposed as either an inducer of bacteriostasis or a mediator of programmed cell death (PCD). We report here that ectopic expression of MazFSa, a toxin of the TA module from Staphylococcus aureus, led to a rapid decrease in CFU counts but most cells remained viable as determined by differential Syto 9 and propidium iodide staining after MazFSa induction. This finding suggested that the toxin MazFSa induced cell stasis rather than cell death. We also showed that MazFSa selectively cleaves cellular mRNAs in …

Can Males Successfully Invade Hermaphroditic Populations Of Clam Shrimp (Eulimnadia Texana)?, Stephen C. Weeks

Biology Faculty Research

Androdioecy (mixtures of males and hermaphrodites) is distinguished by its rarity, being found in only similar to 40 animal species. Many of these species are clam shrimp in the genus Eulimnadia. A metapopulation model for the maintenance of androdioecy is tested herein by examining male success in aquaria with a single male-producing hermaphrodite introduced into an otherwise all-hermaphrodite population. This migration experiment did allow males to persist in these populations for seven generations, although at levels below those found in other populations of these shrimp. These results suggest that the maintenance of androdioecy via 'reproductive assurance' is unlikely by way …

Forward And Reverse Genetics Of Rapid-Cycling Brassica Oleracea, Edward Himelblau, Laurie Mentzer, Erin J. Gilchrist, Kelly Buono, Colleen Bizzell, Robert Vogelzang, Thomas Osborn, Richard M. Amasino, Isobel A.P. Parkin, George W. Haughn

Biological Sciences

Seeds of rapid-cycling Brassica oleracea were mutagenized with the chemical mutagen, ethylmethane sulfonate. The reverse genetics technique, TILLING, was used on a sample population of 1,000 plants, to determine the mutation profile. The spectrum and frequency of mutations induced by ethylmethane sulfonate was similar to that seen in other diploid species such as Arabidopsis thaliana. These data indicate that the mutagenesis was effective and demonstrate that TILLING represents an efficient reverse genetic technique in B. oleracea that will become more valuable as increasing genomic sequence data become available for this species. The extensive duplication in the B. oleracea genome …

Thermoregulation And Behavior Of A Peripheral Population Of Evening Bats (Nycticeius Humeralis), Rachel Bricklin

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

I used temperature-sensitive radio transmitters to measure body temperatures of tree-roosting evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) at the northern edge of their range in Lenawee Co., Michigan. Temperature at sunset, diurnal temperature, and nocturnal temperature significantly correlated with use of torpor, whereas ambient temperature at sunset of the previous night, temperature at sunrise, amount of precipitation, abundance of insects, roost type, number of roost-mates, reproductive condition, and age did not. An analysis of individuals roosting in the same tree on the same day suggested that additional factors might determine exactly how low and for how long bats adjust their …

Further Studies Investigating The Behavioral Responses Of African Penguins (Spheniscus Demersus) To Olfactory Stimuli, Gregory B. Cunningham, Venessa Strauss

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

Most of the research into seabird olfaction has focused on procellariiforms (albatrosses and petrels); these birds are responsive to food, nest and social odors. Recently, however, we demonstrated that wild and captive African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) could detect and orient towards a food-related odor, dimethyl sulfide (DMS). Since DMS is associated with high levels of primary productivity in the ocean, we postulated that penguins could use DMS as an indicator of regions where prey is likely to be found when diving. To continue to investigate how penguins use odors while foraging, we were interested in determining whether birds …

Parallel Shifts In Ecology And Natural Selection In An Island Lizard, Ryan Calsbeek, Wolfgang Buermann, Thomas B. Smith

Dartmouth Scholarship

Natural selection is a potent evolutionary force that shapes phenotypic variation to match ecological conditions. However, we know little about the year-to-year consistency of selection, or how inter-annual variation in ecology shapes adaptive landscapes and ultimately adaptive radiations. Here we combine remote sensing data, field experiments, and a four-year study of natural selection to show that changes in vegetation structure associated with a severe drought altered both habitat use and natural selection in the brown anole, Anolis sagrei.

Results: In natural populations, lizards increased their use of vegetation in wet years and this was correlated with selection on limb length …

Screening, Optimization And Extraction Of Polyhydroxyalkanoates And Peptidoglycan From Bacillus Megaterium, Louis Paul-Anthony Paladino

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Bioplastics are polymers (such as polyesters) produced from bacterial fermentations that are biodegradable and nonhazardous. They are produced by a wide variety of bacteria and are made only when stress conditions allow, such as when nutrient levels are low, more specifically levels of nitrogen and oxygen. These stress conditions cause certain bacteria to build up excess carbon deposits as energy reserves in the form of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). PHAs can be extracted and formed into actual plastic with the same strength of conventional, synthetic-based plastics without the need to rely on foreign petroleum.

The overall goal of this project was to …

Dispersal And Establishment Both Limit Colonization During Primary Succession On A Glacier Foreland, Chad C. Jones, Roger Del Moral

Botany Faculty Publications

Plant colonization can be limited by lack of seeds or by factors that reduce establishment. The role of seed limitation in community assembly is being increasingly recognized, but in early primary succession, establishment failure is still considered more important. We studied the factors limiting colonization on the foreland of Coleman Glacier, Washington, USA to determine the importance of seed and establishment limitation during primary succession. We also evaluated the effects of seed predation, drought and existing vegetation on establishment. We planted seeds of seven species into plots of four different ages and found evidence that both seed and establishment limitation …

A Watershed Analysis Of Salmon Lake And Mcgrath Pond: Implications For Water Quality And Land Use Management, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond (2009, 1993)

In the summer and fall of 2009, the Colby Environmental Assessment Team (CEAT) studied the water quality of Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond, located in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine. The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water quality were measured and analyzed to evaluate the current health of these lakes. Water quality data collected during the summer and fall of 2009 were compared with data from previous years to study the historic water quality trends. Land use patterns in the Salmon/McGrath watershed were also examined to investigate their impact on the lake water quality. The water quality trends …

Host Density And Human Activities Mediate Increased Parasite Prevalence And Richness In Primates Threatened By Habitat Loss And Fragmentation, David N. M. Mbora, Mark A. Mcpeek

Biology

1. Habitat loss and fragmentation are the principal causes of the loss of biological diversity. In addition, parasitic diseases are an emerging threat to many animals. Nevertheless, relatively few studies have tested how habitat loss and fragmentation influence the prevalence and richness of parasites in animals. 2. Several studies of nonhuman primates have shown that measures of human activity and forest fragmentation correlate with parasitism in primates. However, these studies have not tested for the ecological mechanism(s) by which human activities or forest fragmentation influence the prevalence and richness of parasites. 3. We tested the hypothesis that increased host density …

The Biological Function Of Interacting Partners Of Zxd Family Proteins, Rupa V. Koneni

ETD Archive

We have identified several protein-protein interactions amongst the members of the zinc finger, X-linked (ZXD) family of proteins (ZXDA, ZXDB, ZXDC and ZXDC2) that have important roles in the regulation of major histocompatibility complex class II and several myeloid-specific genes. The ZXDC and ZXDA proteins share significant nucleotide sequence homology and each contain ten C2H2 zinc fingers and a transcription activation domain. In addition, ZXDC has a C-terminal region that is necessary to interact with a key cofactor, CIITA (Class II transactivator) and activate Major histocompatibility complex class II and class I (MHC II and MHC I respectively) genes. In …

Comparative Study Of Cyanobacteria Of Desert And Semi-Desert Crusts Of Two Different Continents: Africa (Ethiopa) And North America (Usa), Melaku Mesfin

ETD Archive

Cyanobacterial flora of microbiotic crusts of the Ethiopian Rift Valley System and the Great Basin in Idaho and Oregon were studied. Nine species of cyanobacteria were identified and morphologically characterized from the microbiotic crusts of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. These included one species of Chroococcales, five species of Oscillatoriales, and three species of Nostocales. Similar studies were made for the microbiotic crusts of the Great Basin of Idaho and Oregon. A total of six morphospecies were morphologically characterized and identified, three species of Oscillatoriales, and three in Nostocales, were recorded in the regions. The cyanobacterial flora of the two …

Biology And Conservation Of Horseshoe Crabs, John T. Tanacredi, Mark L. Bottom, David R. Smith

School of Marine and Environmental Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

We dedicate this book to Drs. Carl N. Shuster, Jr. and Koichi Sekiguchi for their life-long contributions to the biology and conservation of the magnificent horseshoe crab.

Characterization And Differentiation Of Peripheral Blood Derived Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells, Hari Satya Shankar Addagarla

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Stem cells are populations of undifferentiated cells that are found in most tissues and act as precursors for regeneration and maintenance. In the future, they could provide promising therapies for diseases which are to date incurable. Our lab developed a novel cell line from the peripheral blood of adult transgenic green fluorescent protein swine and designated them as Peripheral Blood Derived Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells (PBD-MAPCs). In this study we characterized the mRNA and protein expression profiles of PBD-MAPCs before and after neural differentiation and investigated the potential of PBD-MAPCs to differentiate into myocardial or neural lineages in vitro. We …

Effects Of Aging On Regulators Of Muscle Apoptosis In The Female F344bn Rat, Murali K. Gadde

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Age-related muscle atrophy is a consequence of normal aging characterized by decreases in muscle mass and strength. The mechanism(s) underlying the loss of muscle mass with increasing age is not fully understood, however recent data has suggested that muscle cell apoptosis may be involved. Here we investigate how aging affects the regulation of muscle apoptosis in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles of young (6-month), aged (26-month), and very aged (30-month) female Fischer 344/NNiaHSD X Brown Norway / BiNia (F344BN) rats. EDL and soleus muscle mass/body weight ratios were lower in aged animals but not different between 26- …

An Undescribed Gecko (Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus) From Deer Cave, Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, With Comments On The Distribution Of Bornean Cave Geckos, Donald A. Mcfarlane, Joyce Lundberg, Keith Christenson

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

Geckos of the genus Cyrtodactylus are a speciose group in Southeast Asia, with at least nine species known from the island of Borneo (Das & Ismail, 2001; Das, 2006). Of these species, Cyrtodactylus cavernicolus has the smallest known range and is therefore the most vulnerable, a status that is reflected in the species having been designated a Totally Protected Species in Sarawak. Confirmed records of C. cavernicolus are known only from Niah Cave, located in an isolated limestone block known as the Gunung Subis massif, approximately 13 km² in extent. The Niah Cave Gecko is presumed to be dependent on …

In Situ Co-Hybridization Of Retroposon Sine-Ctrt1 And Hemogoblin Family Genes In The Polytene Chromosomes Of Chironomus Riparius (Diptera), Khuyen Doan

Theses

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Heterochromatin Assembly On Unpaired Chromosomes During Caenorhabditis Elegans Meiosis By Components Of A Small Rna-Mediated Pathway, Xingyu She, Xia Xu, Alexander Fedotov, William G. Kelly, Eleanor M. Maine

Biology - All Scholarship

Many organisms have a mechanism for down regulating the expression of non-synapsed chromosomes and chromosomal regions during meiosis. This phenomenon is thought to function in genome defense. During early meiosis in Caenorhabditis elegans, unpaired chromosomes (e.g., the male X chromosome) become enriched for a modification associated with heterochromatin and transcriptional repression, dimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 9 (H3K9me2). This enrichment requires activity of the cellular RNA-directed RNA polymerase, EGO-1. Here we use genetic mutation, RNA interference, immunofluorescence microscopy, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and molecular cloning methods to identify and analyze three additional regulators of meiotic H3K9me2 distribution: CSR-1 (a …

Role Of Accelerated Segment Switch In Exons To Alter Targeting (Asset) In The Molecular Evolution Of Snake Venom Proteins, Robin Doley, Stephen P. Mackessy, R. Manjunatha Kini

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Snake venom toxins evolve more rapidly than other proteins through accelerated changes in the protein coding regions. Previously we have shown that accelerated segment switch in exons to alter targeting (ASSET) might play an important role in its functional evolution of viperid three-finger toxins. In this phenomenon, short sequences in exons are radically changed to unrelated sequences and hence affect the folding and functional properties of the toxins.

RESULTS: Here we analyzed other snake venom protein families to elucidate the role of ASSET in their functional evolution. ASSET appears to be involved in the functional evolution of three-finger toxins …

Insomnia: Its Causes, Its Consequences, And Its Cures, Shoshana Fried

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Insomnia is a complaint that affects almost all Americans at some point throughout their lives. However, only chronic insomnia is truly a disorder. This type of insomnia can be caused by various reasons, whether physiological, molecular, or psychological. This paper will elaborate on a number of possible causes for insomnia. Furthermore, this paper will present some of the many adverse effects that are caused by the sleep deprivation resulting from chronic insomnia. There are many possible treatments available to help against insomnia. This paper will explain 53 some of the behavioral methods. In addition, it will discuss the many different …

Botox And Its Effect On Wrinkles, Rochelle Eckstein

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Clostridia Botulinum (C. Botulinum) is a bacterium that produces a unique exotoxin, botulinum toxin (BTX). BTX induces flaccid muscle paralysis by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine at the cholinergic nerve endings. Recently, Botox, developed from BTX, has become a popular solution to reduce the appearance of hyper-functional facial rhytids. Facial wrinkles are caused by repetitive muscle contraction, and a treatment that directly addresses this will be effective. Injections of Botox temporarily relax or paralyze these muscles. This paper will briefly discuss the bacterial basis of Botox and its development. It will explain how the mechanism of action of BTX can …

Botany At Eastern Illinois University, Marissa C. Jernegan, Nancy E. Coutant, Janice M. Coons

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Eastern Illinois University was established in 1899, and from its beginning the importance of the botanical sciences was recognized. Two terms of botany were required for the four year program. Dr. Otis W. Caldwell, a botanist, was one of the original faculty members. He taught all of the biology courses and initiated the acquisition of a greenhouse. Caldwell was the first in a series of talented and dedicated botany professors including Edgar N. Transeau, Ernest L. Stover, Hiram F. Thut and John E. Ebinger. These and many other professors incorporated a field component into almost all classes. This dedication to …

Natural History Notes: Rhinocheilus Lecontei Tesselatus (Longevity), Stephen J. Mullin

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Lifelines Winter 2009, Southern Adventist University

Lifelines - Biology Department Newsletter

The Winter 2009 issue of Lifelines features articles on RAM Clinics, Dr. Earl Aagaard's retirement, the addition of Richard Seidel to the faculty, and a pictorial directory of the 2009 biology and allied health graduates.

A Novel Signaling Network Essential For Regulating Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm Development, Olga E. Petrova, Karin Sauer

Biological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

The important human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been linked to numerous biofilm-related chronic infections. Here, we demonstrate that biofilm formation following the transition to the surface attached lifestyle is regulated by three previously undescribed two-component systems: BfiSR (PA4196-4197) harboring an RpoD-like domain, an OmpR-like BfmSR (PA4101-4102), and MifSR (PA5511-5512) belonging to the family of NtrC-like transcriptional regulators. These two-component systems become sequentially phosphorylated during biofilm formation. Inactivation of bfiS, bfmR, and mifR arrested biofilm formation at the transition to the irreversible attachment, maturation-1 and -2 stages, respectively, as indicated by analyses of biofilm architecture, and protein and phosphoprotein patterns. Moreover, …

Life-Centered Ethics And The Human Future In Space, Michael Noah Mautner

Chemistry Publications

In the future, human destiny may depend on our ethics. In particular, biotechnology and expansion in space can transform life, raising profound questions. Guidance may be found in Life-centered ethics, as biotic ethics that value the basic patterns of organic gene/protein life, and as panbiotic ethics that always seek to expand life. These life-centered principles can be based on scientific insights into the unique place of life in nature, and the biological unity of all life. Belonging to life then implies a human purpose: to safeguard and propagate life. Expansion in space will advance this purpose but will also raise …

The Effect Of Exercise On Alzheimer’S Disease, Benjamin Korman

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, from which there is no recovery. It begins with impaired memory and judgement and progresses to the point where those affected can no longer care themselves. Although the cause of AD is unknown, two significant abnormalities occur in the brain of its victims: neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques. It has been well established that exercise improves mood and general well-being, however this paper will focus on the effect of exercise on AD. It will show that exercise can improve physical functioning of an individual with AD, however more importantly it will focus …