Biology Commons^™

Ecological Strategies In California Chaparral: Interacting Effects Of Soils, Climate, And Fire On Specific Leaf Area, Brian Anacker, Nishanta Rajakaruna, David D. Ackerly, Susan Harrison, Jon Keeley, Michael Vasey

Biological Sciences

Background: High values of specific leaf area (SLA) are generally associated with high maximal growth rates in resource-rich conditions, such as mesic climates and fertile soils. However, fire may complicate this relationship since its frequency varies with both climate and soil fertility, and fire frequency selects for regeneration strategies (resprouting versus seeding) that are not independent of resource-acquisition strategies. Shared ancestry is also expected to affect the distribution of resource-use and regeneration traits.

Aims: We examined climate, soil, and fire as drivers of community-level variation in a key functional trait, SLA, in chaparral in California.

Methods: We quantified the phylogenetic, …

The Sheddase Activity Of Adam10/Adam17 On Cxcl16 Increases Proliferation And Survival Of Colorectal Cancer Cells, Tamu C. Talton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CXCL16 is an interferon-inducible chemokine of the CXC-subfamily and functions as an adhesion molecule, when membrane bound, and a chemoattractant when soluble. Upregulation of cell associated CXCL16 (cCXCL16) in colorectal cancer is associated with increased tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and good prognosis. ADAM10 and ADAM17 are metalloproteinases responsible for cleaving CXCL16, releasing soluble CXCL16 (sCXCL16) and contributing to proliferation and migration of mesangial cells, in kidney inflammatory disease. We hypothesize that cCXCL16 is a substrate for ADAM10 and ADAM17 cleavage in colorectal cancer, releasing sCXCL16, which mediates cell proliferation. To this end, we first identified CXCL16 in the human colon carcinoma …

Human Pathogen Shown To Cause Disease In The Threatened Elkhorn Coral Acropora Palmata, Kathryn Sutherland, Sameera Shaban, Jessica L. Joyner, James W. Porter, Erin K. Lipp

Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Publications

Coral reefs are in severe decline. Infections by the human pathogen Serratia marcescens have contributed to precipitous losses in the common Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, culminating in its listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. During a 2003 outbreak of this coral disease, called acroporid serratiosis (APS), a unique strain of the pathogen, Serratia marcescens strain PDR60, was identified from diseased A. palmata, human wastewater, the non-host coral Siderastrea siderea and the corallivorous snail Coralliophila abbreviata. In order to examine humans as a source and other marine invertebrates as vectors and/or reservoirs of the APS pathogen, challenge experiments …

Dr. Faith Liebl Works To Explain What Cells Do, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Reducing Background Fluorescence Reveals Adhesions In 3d Matrices, Kristopher Kubow

Selected Works

No abstract provided.

Characterization And Three-Dimensional Organization Of Nuclei Within Developing Spermatogenic Cysts In Drosophila Pseudoobscura, Crystal Pristell, Angela V. Klaus

Biological Sciences Student Work

We have analyzed spermatogenic cyst morphology to accurately characterize
cyst maturation in our in vitro culture system. Phase contrast and fluorescence pictures were taken capturing all stages of cysts cell maturation. Through the course of the semester, a large collection of each stage has been created to create a standard method in further cyst cell analysis. Accurate characterization of cyst maturation in invitro spermatogenic culture will improve our ability to quantify cyst survival under different treatment conditions.

Contemporary And Historical Separation Of Transequatorial Migration Between Genetically Distinct Seabird Populations, M J. Rayner, M E. Hauber, T E. Steeves, H A. Lawrence, D R. Thompson, P M. Sagar, S J. Bury, R A. Phillips, T J. Landers, L Ranjard, Scott A. Shaffer

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Pelagic seabirds are highly mobile, reducing the likelihood of allopatric speciation where disruption of gene flow between populations is caused by physically insurmountable, extrinsic barriers. Spatial segregation during the non-breeding season appears to provide an intrinsic barrier to gene flow among seabird populations that otherwise occupy nearby or overlapping regions during breeding, but how this is achieved remains unclear. Here we show that the two genetically distinct populations of Cook's petrel (Pterodroma cookii) exhibit transequatorial separation of non-breeding ranges at contemporary (ca. 2–3 yrs) and historical (ca. 100 yrs) time scales. Segregation during the non-breeding season per se appears as …

Commentary: Selecting Synaptic Partners: Grasping The Role Of Unc- 6/Netrin, Q L. Ch'ng

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Forming synaptic connections of the appropriate strength between specific neurons is crucial for constructing neural circuits to control behavior. A recent paper in Neural Development describes the use of a synapse-specific label in Caenorhabditis elegans to implicate local UNC-6/netrin signaling in this developmental process. Thus, as well as their well known roles in cell migration and axon guidance, UNC-6/netrin signals distinguish an appropriate synaptic partner from other potential targets.

The Evolution Of Multi-Component Visual Signals In Darters (Genus Etheostoma), Jennifer M. Gumm, Tamra C. Mendelson

Faculty Publications

As complex traits evolve, each component of the trait may be under different selection pressures and could respond independently to distinct evolutionary forces. We used comparative methods to examine patterns of evolution in multiple components of a complex courtship signal in darters, specifically addressing the question of how nuptial coloration evolves across different areas of the body. Using spectral reflectance, we defined 4 broad color classes present on the body and fins of 17 species of freshwater fishes (genus Etheostoma) and quantified differences in hue within each color class. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that most color traits were expressed in …

Rotavirus Nsp4: Cell Type-Dependent Transport Kinetics To The Exofacial Plasma Membrane And Release From Intact Infected Cells, Thomas F. Gibbons, Stephen M. Storey, Cecelia V. Williams, Avery Mcintosh, Deanne M. Mitchel, Rebecca D. Parr, Friedhelm Schroeder, Judith M. Ball

Faculty Publications

Background

Rotavirus NSP4 localizes to multiple intracellular sites and is multifunctional, contributing to RV morphogenesis, replication and pathogenesis. One function of NSP4 is the induction of early secretory diarrhea by binding surface receptors to initiate signaling events. The aims of this study were to determine the transport kinetics of NSP4 to the exofacial plasma membrane (PM), the subsequent release from intact infected cells, and rebinding to naïve and/or neighboring cells in two cell types.

Methods

Transport kinetics was evaluated using surface-specific biotinylation/streptavidin pull-downs and exofacial exposure of NSP4 was confirmed by antibody binding to intact cells, and fluorescent resonant energy …

Behavior And Development Of Red-Eyed Treefrogs During Metamorphosis [Poster], Robin Greene, Clay Noss, Tobias Lanberg, James R. Vonesh, Karen Warkentin

Biology Presentations

Anuran metamorphosis is an extreme transformation from tadpole to frog that involves tremendous morphological and behavioral change. During this transition (Gosner stages 42-46), metamorphs are exposed to both aquatic and terrestrial selective pressures (e.g., predators, desiccation). Their behavior may be crucial for survival, but it is not well studied. Our goal was to describe morphological and behavioral patterns during metamorphosis in red-eyed treefrogs, Agalychnis callidryas. We first quantified development through metamorphosis by measuring and staging 25 wild-caught individuals every 8 h. We then conducted field behavioral observations of 37 metamorphs, at various developmental stages, that had emerged from a …

The Cost Of Hatching Early: Vulnerability And Exposure To Predators [Poster], M. S. Palmer, B. Willink, T. Landberg, James R. Vonesh, K. M. Warkentin

Biology Presentations

Arboreal red-eyed treefrog embryos can hatch prematurely in response to egg predators. Induced early hatchlings face aquatic predators when less developed and for longer than do later hatchlings; both factors may alter survival through the high-risk early larval period. Prior work focused on developmental effects of induced hatching. In 24 h trials, less developed hatchlings were more vulnerable to three aquatic predators (shrimp, fish, water bugs) but had similar or better survival than full-term hatchlings with libellulid and aeschnid dragonfly nymphs. However, it is unknown how developmental effects and duration of exposure to predators combine to create the net effect …

Habitat Use And Population Densities Of Rain Forest Chameleons In The East Usambara Mountains Of Tanzania [Poster], Philip Shirk, David A. Patrick, James R. Vonesh, Kim Howell

Biology Presentations

Conclusions:

• Chamaeleo dilepis and Ri. brevicaudatus are absent from forest at this elevation (852-1103m), while K. matschiei, K. vosseleri, K. tenuis, and R. spinosus are relatively scarce in the forest. Trioceros deremensis and R. temporalis are common, but density varies greatly.
• The endemic and scarce K. matschiei and K. vosseleri may be of concern given their scarcity in forest habitat. Density estimates in other habitat types are needed to determine status.
• For accurate density estimates, it is important to consider seasonal variation in density and animals too high to be observed in surveys.

Tadpole Density Changes The Relationship Of Red-Eyed Treefrog Morphology And Jumping Performance [Poster], Julie Charbonnier, T. Landberg

Biology Presentations

As organisms develop, increased body size is often accompanied by shape changes that alter the morphology–performance relationship. Animals with different growth histories may also have different shapes at similar body sizes. To investigate how larval growth history affects the morphology–performance relationship, we raised red-eyed treefrog tadpoles (Agalychnis callidryas) at three densities (5, 25 and 50 tadpoles per 400 L tank) and measured jump distance during metamorphosis. We predicted that tadpoles grown at low density would metamorphose into larger frogs with relatively longer legs than those grown at higher densities. We also expected low density frogs to jump further …

Effects Of Hatching Timing On Red-Eyed Treefrog Tadpoles: Relative Vulnerability Varies Among Predators But Not With Hatchling Age-Structure, Growth Varies With The Presence Of More Vulnerable Tadpoles [Poster], B. Willink, T. Landberg, James R. Vonesh, K. M. Warkentin

Biology Presentations

In Gamboa, Panama, undisturbed red-eyed treefrog embryos typically hatch at age 6 days, but they can hatch as early as 4 days if attacked by egg predators. Early hatchlings are less developed and more vulnerable to predatory shrimp and fish. Here we assess the effect of hatching timing on risk of predation by three common insects, with different foraging styles, that prey on red-eyed treefrog larvae. Further, we examine whether the consequences of hatching early vary with the presence of later-hatched tadpoles. We induced hatching at 4 and 6 days and exposed tadpoles to giant water bugs or aeshnid or …

An Intermediate In The Evolution Of Superfast Sonic Muscles., Hin-Kiu Mok, Eric Parmentier, Kuo-Hsun Chiu, Michael L. Fine

Biology Publications

Background

Intermediate forms in the evolution of new adaptations such as transitions from water to land and the evolution of flight are often poorly understood. Similarly, the evolution of superfast sonic muscles in fishes, often considered the fastest muscles in vertebrates, has been a mystery because slow bladder movement does not generate sound. Slow muscles that stretch the swimbladder and then produce sound during recoil have recently been discovered in ophidiiform fishes. Here we describe the disturbance call (produced when fish are held) and sonic mechanism in an unrelated perciform pearl perch (Glaucosomatidae) that represents an intermediate condition in the …

Metabolic Restructuring During Energy-Limited States: Insights From Artemia Franciscana Embryos And Other Animals, Steven C. Hand, Michael A. Menze, Apu Borcar, Yuvraj Patil, Joseph A. Covi, Julie A. Reynolds, Mehmet Toner

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Many life history stages of animals that experience environmental insults enter developmental arrested states that are characterized by reduced cellular proliferation, with or without a concurrent reduction in overall metabolism. In the case of the most profound metabolic arrest reported in invertebrates, i.e., anaerobic quiescence in Artemia franciscana embryos, acidification of the intracellular milieu is a major factor governing catabolic and anabolic downregulation. Release of ion gradients from intracellular compartments is the source for approximately 50% of the proton equivalents needed for the 1.5 unit acidification that is observed. Recovery from the metabolic arrest requires re-sequestration of the protons with …

Tetradium Daniellii, Janice Coons, Nancy Coutant, Wesley Whiteside

Plants by Genus Species

Tetradium daniellii has a natural range in forests and open slopes of Korea and northern China (Dirr 1998, Zhang 2011).

Terrestrial Macrofungi Of Illinois Old-Growth Prairie Groves, Scott J. Meiners, Andrew Methven, Vincent P. Hustad

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

ABSTRACT.—Macrofungi from two old-growth prairie grove remnants in the Midwestern United States (Brownfield and Trelease Woods. Champaign Co., IL ) were surveyed over two summer and fall fruiting periods. Communities of Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes and Myxomycètes were sampled and compared using multivariate statistical analyses. Standard estimations of species richness were calculated for comparison with other studies of fungal diversity. Environmental factors (rainfall, humidity, air temperature and soil temperature at 10 cm depth) as well as leaf litter composition, and woody plant communities were surveyed to assess their impact on fungal communities. Fungal community structure was found to differ significandy both between …

Domain And Propositions Of Succession Theory, Steward Pickett, Scott J. Meiners, Mary L. Cadenasso

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Succession is perhaps the oldest of ecological concepts, having arisen when ecology was emerging as a self-conscious discipline (Mcintosh 1985). Yet it continues to address many fundamental issues in ecology, to support important applications, and to synthesize the insights and perspectives of other theories. Thus, it fulfills two functions key in assessing the utility of a contemporary ecological theory. First, it exhibits the attributes of a mature, welldeveloped, and intensively tested theory (Glenn-Lewin et al. 1992; Pickett and Cadenasso 2005). Second, it provides a linkage among theories and applications that have usually been considered separately (Walker et al. 2007). For …

Is The Lcp Superfund Site An Ecological Trap For Clapper Rails?, Karen F. Gaines, Jay W. Summers, James C. Cumbee Jr., Warren L. Stephens Jr., Gary L. Mills

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Rallus longirostris (Clapper Rail) is considered a good indicator species for toxicants because of its strong site fidelity and predictable diet of benthic organisms. High levels of the rare PCB Aroclor 1268 have been found in Clapper Rail adults, chicks, and eggs from the marshes associated with the Linden Chemical Plant (LCP) in Brunswick, GA. Recently, sampling and testing feathers has successfully been used as a non-lethal tool to trace exposure and assimilation of Aroclor 1268 in rails from the LCP site. This approach allows us to infer how and when these birds are exposed to contaminants in the marsh …

Aceraceae - Acer Griseum, Janice Coons, Nancy Coutant, Wesley Whiteside

Plants by Family

Acer griseum was first brought to North America in 1907 by Ernest Henry Wilson in the form of two seedlings that were collected from Hubei Province in China. These two original plants remain at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts, and were the source of the first North American horticultural distribution of the plant in 1927 (Del Tredici 2007). It is a handsome plant with very showy bark and is becoming more popular and easier to obtain than it has been in the past.

Acer Griseum, Janice Coons, Nancy Coutant, Wesley Whiteside

Plants by Genus Species

Acer griseum was first brought to North America in 1907 by Ernest Henry Wilson in the form of two seedlings that were collected from Hubei Province in China. These two original plants remain at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts, and were the source of the first North American horticultural distribution of the plant in 1927 (Del Tredici 2007). It is a handsome plant with very showy bark and is becoming more popular and easier to obtain than it has been in the past.

Carpinus Caroliniana, Janice Coons, Nancy Coutant, Wesley Whiteside

Plants by Genus Species

Carpinus caroliniana has a native range from Texas, north to Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, throughout the rest of the eastern United States, including Ontario and Quebec, occurring in understories along waterways (USDA 2011, Dirr 1998).

Elliottia Racemosa, Janice Coons, Nancy Coutant, Wesley Whiteside

Plants by Genus Species

Georgia plume has a limited range occurring on sandy soils in seventy discrete stands in Georgia along the Altamaha- Ogeechee- Savannah river system and one location in South Carolina (Tucker 2009).

Cedrus Libani, Janice Coons, Nancy Coutant, Wesley Whiteside

Plants by Genus Species

Cedar of Lebanon had an extensive ancient range through Lebanon, Syria, and Southern Turkey. It now is greatly reduced and fragmented through economic exploitation for 5000 years, agricultural clearing, and war. Populations are found in the Taurus Mountains and Black Sea region of Turkey, the eastern side of Jabal an-Nusayriya in Syria, and the western mountain range in Lebanon (Khuri 2000).

Koelreuteria Paniculata, Janice Coons, Nancy Coutant, Wesley Whiteside

Plants by Genus Species

Koelreuteria paniculata is native to temperate regions in China, Korea and Japan and is typically found in dry valleys (Dosmann 2006).

Trace Metals (Cu, Zn, Cd And Pb) In Juvenile Fish From Estuarine Nurseries Along The Portuguese Coast, Rita P. Vasconcelos, Patrick Reis-Santos, Anabela Maia, Miguel Ruano, Maria J. Costa, Henrique N. Cabral

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Organic and inorganic pollution can impact organisms directly and affect condition, growth and survival of juvenile fish which use estuaries as nurseries, and thereby affect marine adult populations quantitatively and qualitatively. Trace element contamination (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) in juveniles of commercial fish Solea solea, Solea senegalensis, Platichthys flesus, Diplodus vulgaris and Dicentrarchus labrax collected in putative nurseries of the main Portuguese estuaries (with diverse intensities and sources of anthropogenic pressures) was determined via atomic absorption spectrometry. Contamination was significantly different among species. Similar levels of contamination were found among estuaries, except for D. vulgaris. Cu and Zn concentrations ranged …

Chemical Characterization And In Vitro Fermentation Of Brassica Straw Treated With The Aerobic Fungus, Trametes Versicolor, J. Ramirez-Bribiesca, Y. Wang, L. Jin, Thomas Canam, J. Town, A. Tsang, T. Dumonceaux, T. Mcallister

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Brassica napus straw (BNS) was either not treated or was treated with two strains of Trametes versicolor; 52J (wild type) or m4D (a cellobiose dehydrogenase-deficient mutant) with four treatments. Glucose was provided to encourage growth of the mutant strain. All treatments with T. versicolor decreased (P<0.05) neutral-detergent fibre and increased (P<0.05) protein and the concentration of lignin degradation products in straw. Ergosterol was highest (P<0.05) in straw treated with B-52J, suggesting it generated the most fungal biomass. Insoluble lignin was reduced (P<0.05) in straw treated with B-52J and B-m4D, but not with B-m4Dg. Mannose and xylose concentration were generally higher (P<0.05) in straw treated with fungi, whereas glucose and galactose were lower as compared with C-BNS. The four treatments above were subsequently assessed in rumen in vitro fermentations, along with BNS treated with 5 N NaOH. Concentrations of total volatile fatty acids after 24 and 48h were lower (P<0.05) in incubations that contained BNS treated with T. versicolor as compared with C-BNSor NaOH-treated BNS. Compared with C-BNS, in vitrodry matter disappearance and gas production were increased (P<0.05) by NaOH, but not by treatment with either strain of T. versicolor. Although treatment with T. versicolor did release more lignin degradation products, it did not appear to provide more degradable carbohydrate to in vitro rumen microbial populations, even when a mutant strain with compromised carbohydrate metabolism was utilized. Production of secondary compounds by the aerobic fungi may inhibit rumen microbial fermentation.

Terrestrial Macrofungi Of Illinois Old-Growth Prairie Groves, Scott Meiners, Andrew Methven, Vincent Hustad

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

ABSTRACT.—Macrofungi from two old-growth prairie grove remnants in the Midwestern United States (Brownfield and Trelease Woods. Champaign Co., IL ) were surveyed over two summer and fall fruiting periods. Communities of Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes and Myxomycètes were sampled and compared using multivariate statistical analyses. Standard estimations of species richness were calculated for comparison with other studies of fungal diversity. Environmental factors (rainfall, humidity, air temperature and soil temperature at 10 cm depth) as well as leaf litter composition, and woody plant communities were surveyed to assess their impact on fungal communities. Fungal community structure was found to differ significandy both between …