Biology Commons^™

Clonality And Genetic Diversity In Polygonella Myriophylla, A Lake Wales Ridge Endemic Plant, Genevieve Metzger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although capable of sexual reproduction, many plants also rely heavily on clonal reproduction. The formation of multiple, physiologically-independent units with the same genotype has important implications for spatial genetic structure and genetic diversity in these plants. The endangered scrub-dwelling perennial, Polygonella myriophylla is known to reproduce both sexually and clonally but no study to date has been able to investigate the spatial genetic patterns that occur in this species. I use microsatellite markers to investigate questions about clonal structure and genetic diversity in five populations of P. myriophylla and address some of the implications of my findings for conservation of …

Dynamic Genomes Of Eukaryotes And The Maintenance Of Genomic Integrity, Laura Wegener Parfrey, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Many biologists assume that eukaryotic genomes are transmitted stably between generations with only minor variations. Yet, this presumed constancy is at odds with data indicating that eukaryotic genomes are dynamic, varying extensively in content among many different lineages. Thus, rather than being constant, genomes vary considerably within individuals during their lifetimes.

Gender Dimorphism In The Exercise-Naïve Murine Skeletal Muscle Proteome, Lauren Ann Metskas, Mohini Kulp, Stylianos P. Scordilis

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Skeletal muscle is a plastic tissue with known gender dimorphism, especially at the metabolic level. A proteomic comparison of male and female murine biceps brachii was undertaken, resolving an average of 600 protein spots of MW 15-150 kDa and pI 5-8. Twenty-six unique full-length proteins spanning 11 KOG groups demonstrated statistically significant (p< 0.05) abundance differences between genders; the majority of these proteins have metabolic functions. Identified glycolytic enzymes demonstrated decreased abundance in females, while abundance differences in identified oxidative phosphorylation enzymes were specific to the proteins rather than to the functional group as a whole. Certain cytoskeletal and stress proteins showed specific expression differences, and all three phosphorylation states of creatine kinase showed significant decreased abundance in females. Expression differences were significant but many were subtle (≤ 2-fold), and known hormonally-regulated proteins were not identified. We conclude that while gender dimorphism is present in non-exercised murine skeletal muscle, the proteome comparison of male and female biceps brachii in exercise-naive mice indicates subtle differences rather than a large or obviously hormonal dimorphism.

Trapping Mammals In A Cautious World: The Effect Of Disinfectants On Trap Success, James Wilson, K. E. Mabry

Biology Faculty Publications

Disinfecting traps that have captured small mammals is one recommendation for preventing occurrence of hantavirus infection; however, the potential effects of disinfection on small mammal trappability have not been investigated thoroughly. We conducted an experiment to compare the effects of 2 disinfectants (Lysol® and household bleach) on the trappability of 4 small mammal species (Peromyscus maniculatus, Neotamias spp., and Spermophilus lateralis). We established triplicate trap grids in 2 forest types (red fir and mixed conifer), each consisting of a 6 × 6 array of Sherman live-traps placed at 10-m intervals. Traps were given 1 of 3 treatments: control (water), Lysol, …

Alternative Splicing And Polyadenylation Contribute To The Generation Of Herg1 C-Terminal Isoforms, Qiuming Gong, Matthew R. Stump, A. Russell Dunn, Vivianne Deng, Zhengfeng Zhou

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

The human ether-a-go-go-related gene 1 (hERG1) encodes the pore-forming subunit of the rapidly activating delayed rectifier potassium channel. Several hERG1 isoforms with different N- and C-terminal ends have been identified. The hERG1a, hERG1b, and hERG1-3.1 isoforms contain the full-length C terminus, whereas the hERG1_USOisoforms, hERG1a_USO and hERG1b_USO, lack most of the C-terminal domain and contain a unique C-terminal end. The mechanisms underlying the generation of hERG1_USOisoforms are not understood. We show that hERG1 isoforms with different C-terminal ends are generated by alternative splicing and polyadenylation of hERG1 pre-mRNA. We identified an …

Environmental Correlates Of Abundances Of Mosquito Species And Stages In Discarded Vehicle Tires, Donald A. Yee, Jamie M. Kneitel, Steven A. Juliano

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Discarded vehicle tires are a common habitat for container mosquito larvae, although the environmental factors that may control their presence or abundance within a tire are largely unknown. We sample discarded vehicle tires in six sites located within four counties of central Illinois during the spring and summer of 2006 to determine associations between a suite of environmental factors and community composition of container mosquitoes. Our goal was to find patterns of association between environmental factors and abundances of early and late instars. We hypothesized that environmental factors correlated with early instars would be indicative of oviposition cues, whereas environmental …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Climate Change On Amphibian Populations, Andrew R. Blaustein, Susan C. Walls, Betsy A. Bancroft, Joshua J. Lawler, Catherine L. Searle, Stephanie S. Gervasi

Biology Faculty Scholarship

As part of an overall decline in biodiversity, populations of many organisms are declining and species are being lost at unprecedented rates around the world. This includes many populations and species of amphibians. Although numerous factors are affecting amphibian populations, we show potential direct and indirect effects of climate change on amphibians at the individual, population and community level. Shifts in amphibian ranges are predicted. Changes in climate may affect survival, growth, reproduction and dispersal capabilities. Moreover, climate change can alter amphibian habitats including vegetation, soil, and hydrology. Climate change can influence food availability, predator-prey relationships and competitive interactions which …

Webs In Vitro And In Vivo: Spiders Alter Their Orb-Web Spinning Behavior In The Laboratory, Andrew Sensenig, Ingi Agnarsson, Taylor M. Gondek, Todd A. Blackledge

Biology Faculty Research

Many studies of the elegant architectures of orb webs are conducted in controlled laboratory environments that remove environmental variability. The degree to which spider behavior in these circumstances resembles that of spiders in the wild is largely unknown. We compared web architecture and silk investment of furrowed orb weavers Larinioides corium's (Clerck 1757) building webs in laboratory cages and spinning webs on fences in the field and found significant differences. The volume of major ampullate silk in radii was 53% lower in cage webs, primarily because the silk was 50% thinner, but also because spiders tended to spin 14% fewer …

The Capacity Of Diatom Species To Survive Ingestion By The Algivorous Minnow, Pimephales Notatus, Paul Gregory Grubach

Masters Theses

The capacity of diatom species to survive gastrointestinal passage through the algivorous minnows Pimephales notatusand Campostoma anomalum was studied. From a site on the Grand River in northeastern Ohio, 27 minnows and 7 epilithic diatom samples were taken. In order to determine whether diatom taxa varied in digestibility, live/dead ratios of diatom cells taken from the minnows’ feces were compared with live/dead ratios of cells taken from immersed rocks. Diatoms that were live/undigested at the time of collection were differentiated from dead/digested cells under light microscopy by noting the presence of chloroplasts and/or lipid droplets. Seventy-seven percent of the …

Analysis Of The Suppressive Effects By Reovirus On Rotavirus Replication During Co-Infections, Melody Lyn Kiesling-Barrager

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Reovirus and rotavirus are both members of the Reoviridae family and commonly occur in children. Rotavirus induced diarrhea is one of the leading causes of death in children under the age of five worldwide. Identifying new treatment options for an unnecessarily deadly diarrheal infection caused by rotavirus would benefit hundreds of thousands of children a year. Currently, only oral rehydration therapy or costly vaccinations are available to treat or prevent rotavirus diarrhea. Even with their prevalence, little is known about how these two viruses (reovirus and rotavirus) interact when co-infecting cells. Determining these interactions could lead to new treatment options …

Molecular Tools For Understanding The Population Genetic Effects Of Habitat Restoration On Butterflies, Joseph R. Marquardt

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

No abstract provided.

Biology News, Winter 2010, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

-- Greetings from the Department of Biology
-- Focus on UNI Biology Alumni
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-- Trip to Chicago for Darwin Bicentennial
-- Botanical Center Wins Second Place
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-- New Advisor for Biology
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-- Scholarships and Funding
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Involvement Of Vav2 In The Epha4 Signaling Pathway Of Xenopus Laevis As A Possible Rho Regulator, Jessica Kopala

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The purpose of this research is to shed light on the involvement of the Vav2 guanine nucleotide exchange factor in the Xenopus laevis EphA4 signaling pathway. In the first phase of the project, the presence of Vav2 mRNA within seven different Xenopus laevis embryogenic stages was detected via embryogenic stage collection, retrotranscription, PCR, using forward and reverse Vav2 primers, agarose gel electrophoresis, and UV gel visualization. In the second phase of the project, Western Blotting techniques were used to determine the presence of Vav2 protein in Xenopus laevis embryogenic stages.

A Model For Understanding Epilepsy In Peromyscus, Kevin Ryan, Gabor Szalai

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of The Sumter Wastewater Treatment Plant On The Survival And Reproduction Of Ceriodaphnia Dubia In Chronic Toxicity Tests, Erin Worley, Pearl R. Fernandes, S. Michele Harmon, Jeff Steinmetz

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Do Snakes Use Olfactory Receptors In The Nose To Detect Odors?: A Prediction Based On The Percentage Of Nonfunctional Olfactory Receptor Genes Amplified In Four Species Of Snakes, Taylor Byerly, Amanda Robinson, Michelle Vieyra

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Associative Learning In Larval Dosophila Melanogaster: The Role Of Heredity In Learning Speed And Persistence Of Leaning Into Adulthood, Jasmin Hicklen, Domonique Jones, Michelle Vieyra

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Genotype And Allele Frequencies Of Nine Str Loci In Sikhs From Malaysia., Tan Chin Teck

Student Works (2010-2019)

Allele frequencies for nine short tandem repeats (STRs) gene loci (CSF1PO, TPOX,TH01, F13A01, FESFPS, vWA, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317) were obtained from analyses of saliva DNA from 109 unrelated healthy Sikh individuals residing in Malaysia. DNA was extracted using phenol/chloroform/isoamly alcohol method. 2ng of DNA for each sample was amplified following the instruction in GenePrint® STR Systems (Promega Corporation) CTT, FFv and SilverSTR III Multiplex kits. PCR products were separated in denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver stained using Promega DNA Silver Staining System. The results were then calculated and processed to establish a statistical database for Sikh community. Chi-square test …

Seed Dispersal By Pulp Consumers, Not ‘‘Legitimate’’ Seed Dispersers, Increases Guettarda Viburnoides Population Growth, Andrea P. Loayza, Tiffany M. Knight

Biology Faculty Research

We examined the effect of seed dispersal by Purplish Jays (Cyanocorax cyanomelas; pulp consumers) and the Chestnut-eared Araçari (Pteroglossus castanotis; "legitimate" seed dispersers) on population growth of the small tree Guettarda viburnoides (Rubiaceae) in northeastern Bolivian savannas. Because each bird species differs with respect to feeding and post-feeding behavior, we hypothesized that seed dispersal by each species will contribute differently to the rate of increase of G. viburnoides, but that seed dispersal by either species will increase population growth when compared to a scenario with no seed dispersal. To examine the effects of individual dispersers on the future population size …

Chapter 27 – Studying Plus-End Tracking At Single Molecule Resolution Using Tirf Microscopy, Ram Dixit, Jennifer L. Ross

Biology Faculty Research

The highly dynamic microtubule plus-ends are key sites of regulation that impact the organization and function of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Much of this regulation is performed by the microtubule plus-end tracking (+TIP) family of proteins. +TIPs are a structurally diverse group of proteins that bind to and track with growing microtubule plus-ends in cells. +TIPs regulate microtubule dynamics as well as mediate interactions between microtubule tips and other cellular structures. Most +TIPs can directly bind to microtubules in vitro; however, the mechanisms for their plus-end specificity are not fully understood. Cellular studies of +TIP activity are complicated by the fact …

Diversity Of Boletaceae In Peninsular Malaysia., Chan Hong Twu

Student Works (2010-2019)

The Boletaceae (Basidiomycetes) s.l. is a large family of putrescent mushrooms with pores. Members of this well-recognized family form one of the largest, critical fungal components of obligate, symbiotic mycorrhizal communities throughout the temperate and tropical forest ecosystems of the world. They are intimately involved with basic ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, nutrient uptake, and decomposition of organic matter. Favourable temperature and humidity conditions in Asian tropical forest support a wide diversity of boletes. However, the seasonality of fruiting, short-lived and often solitary fruiting bodies are major problems encountered when documenting their diversity in tropical forests. The diversity of …

Tubulin Evolution In Insects: Gene Duplication And Subfunctionalization Provide Specialized Isoforms In A Functionally Constrained Gene Family, Mark G. Nielsen, Sudhindra R. Gadagkar, Lisa Gutzwiller

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: The completion of 19 insect genome sequencing projects spanning six insect orders provides the opportunity to investigate the evolution of important gene families, here tubulins. Tubulins are a family of eukaryotic structural genes that form microtubules, fundamental components of the cytoskeleton that mediate cell division, shape, motility, and intracellular trafficking. Previous in vivo studies in Drosophila find a stringent relationship between tubulin structure and function; small, biochemically similar changes in the major alpha 1 or testis-specific beta 2 tubulin protein render each unable to generate a motile spermtail axoneme. This has evolutionary implications, not a single non-synonymous substitution is …

Commentary Of Off-Label Prescribing: A Call For Heightened Professional And Government Oversight, Mark A. Jaffe

Biology Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Tourist Behavior And Decibel Levels Correlate With Threat Frequency In Tibetan Macaques (Macaca Thibetana) At Mt. Huangshan, China, Lucy A. Ruesto, Lori K. Sheeran, Megan D. Matheson, Jin-Hua Li, R. Steven Wagner

Biology Faculty Scholarship

Tourism is a common component of management practices directed toward endangered species and habitats, but few studies have explored the potential stressors that may occur to nonhumans as objects of tourism. We examined the impact that tourists have on provisioned, habituated Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana). Data were collected during August 2005 at the Valley of the Wild Monkeys (VWM), Mt. Huangshan, China. From a tourist viewing platform, we measured tourist densities, behaviors (for example, foot, hand, and mouth noises; mimicking monkeys; throwing objects or food), and decibel levels. Frequencies of monkey threats in the provisioning area of their …

Bioluminescence In The Sea, Steven H.D. Haddock, Mark A. Moline, James F. Case

Biological Sciences

Bioluminescence spans all oceanic dimensions and has evolved many times—from bacteria to fish—to powerfully influence behavioral and ecosystem dynamics. New methods and technology have brought great advances in understanding of the molecular basis of bioluminescence, its physiological control, and its significance in marine communities. Novel tools derived from understanding the chemistry of natural light-producing molecules have led to countless valuable applications, culminating recently in a related Nobel Prize. Marine organisms utilize bioluminescence for vital functions ranging from defense to reproduction. To understand these interactions and the distributions of luminous organisms, new instruments and platforms allow observations on individual to oceanographic …

The Metabolic Demands Of Swimming Behavior Influence The Evolution Of Skeletal Muscle Fiber Design In The Brachyuran Crab Family Portunidae, Kristin M. Hardy, Sean C. Lema, Stephen T. Kinsey

Biological Sciences

We investigated the influence of intracellular diffusion on muscle fiber design in several swimming and non-swimming brachyuran crabs. Species with sustained swimming behavior had aerobic dark fibers subdivided into small metabolic functional units, creating short diffusion distances necessary to support the high rates of aerobic ATP turnover associated with endurance activity. This dark fiber design was observed in all swimming species including Ovalipes ocellatus, which has apparently evolved swimming behavior independently of other Portunidae. In addition, we observed fiber and subdivision size-dependent differences in organelle distribution. Mitochondria, which rely on oxygen to function, were uniformly distributed in small fibers/subdivisions, …

Mitochondrial Inheritance And Natural Phenotypic Variation Among Caenorhabditis Briggsae Populations, Anna Luella Coleman-Hulbert

Dissertations and Theses

Mutations affecting the mitochondrial electron transport chain cause numerous neurodegenerative disorders in humans and affect longevity in other organisms. A natural model system to study the relationship between mitochondrial function and aging within an evolutionary or population genetic context has been lacking. Natural populations of Caenorhabditis briggsae nematodes were recently found to harbor mitochondrial genetic variation with likely functional consequences for aging. Specifically, C. briggsae isolates containing high frequencies of a deletion mutation affecting the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 5 (ND5) gene were found to have reduced reproductive fitness and lifespan and elevated levels of mutagenic superoxide. Here, rates …

Building Better Scientists Through Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration In Synthetic Biology: A Meeting Report From The Genome Consortium For Active Teaching (Gcat) Workshop 2010, Michael J. Wolyniak, Consuelo J. Alvarez, Vidya Chandrasekaran, Theresa M. Grana, Andrea Holdago, Christopher J. Jones, Robert W. Morris, Anil L. Pereira, Joyce Tamm, Talitha M. Washington, Yixin Yang

School of Science Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Molecular Effects Of Metolachlor Exposure On Human Cells, Sean Hartnett

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Metolachlor is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States of America. Numerous studies have shown that exposure to this herbicide results in decreased cell proliferation, growth and reproductive ability in different organisms. However, pervious studies used high concentrations of metolachlor to see molecular effects. In the study presented here, we investigated the effects of metolachlor on human cells. Previous cell proliferation analysis from our laboratory has shown that metolachlor is capable of significantly inhibiting the growth of normal human fibroblasts and HepG2 cells at 1.6 parts per billion (ppb) and 50 ppb. We assessed cellular effects …

Aldo Leopold’S Land Ethic And The Great Lakes: A Paradigm For Understanding The Morality Of Aquatic Invasive Species Management, M. Andrew Sanford, John Uglietta, Phd

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Abstract: This essay explores what obligations we have to protect the Great lakes ecosystem from the threat of aquatic invasive species within the context of Aldo Leopold‟s seminal essay in environmental philosophy The Land Ethic. In this essay I argue that Leopold‟s land ethic provides a consistent and dynamic paradigm for how we perceive and protect the natural environment. The land ethic is summarized in what I call Leopold’s Edict which directs us to preserve the health and beauty of the natural environment. The land ethic implies that people interested in conservation must develop a firm understanding of what …