Biology Commons^™

Role Of The Thrombospondin - Cd36 - Histidine Rich Glycoprotein Pathway In Tumor Growth And Angiogenesis, James Scott Hale

ETD Archive

Cancer is typically thought of as an uncommon disease, in which solid tumors require a blood supply in order to grow and metastasize. Interestingly, upon autopsy a large portion of elderly individuals display numerous non-vascularized lesions throughout their bodies. Thus, the angiogenic switch in the development of cancer presents an important therapeutic target. Previous work by our laboratory has established an interaction between CD36, Histidine Rich Glycoprotein (HRGP) and Thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) in the modulation of angiogenesis. Briefly, endothelial cell receptor CD36 interaction with soluble or cell bound TSP-1 leads to the induction of an apoptotic signaling cascade in vascular …

Glia Specific Innate Responses And Their Influence On Murine Coronavirus Inducedencephalomyelitis, Parul Kapil

ETD Archive

No abstract provided.

Influences Of Environmental Variability, Genetics And Plant Size On Variation In Sexual And Clonal Reproduction And Allocation Of Resources In Three Wetland Plant Species, Ann M. Nicholls

ETD Archive

Optimal Partitioning Theory (OPT) states organisms will give more resources to structures and functions that enhance fitness. OPT can be applied to reproduction in clonal plants, which allocate resources between two modes of reproduction--sexual through fruits and clonal through spacers and ramets. In nutrient rich environments, clonal growth allows offspring to stay in beneficial surroundings, while in nutrient poor conditions, sexual reproduction can allow escape and generation of new, potentially more fit offspring. I tested this hypothesis by comparing clonal and sexual reproductive allocation in Penthorum sedoides under differing nutrient levels over two generations. Genotypic and environmental influences on reproductive …

Novel Translational Regulation Of The Proapoptotic Bcl2 Member Puma And Its Role During Skeletal Myoblast Apoptosis, Atossa Shaltouki

ETD Archive

Differentiation and apoptosis are coordinately regulated in skeletal myoblasts. During the process of skeletal myoblast differentiation, our lab has determined that roughly 30 of myoblasts undergo apoptosis rather than differentiation. Further, we have reported that cytochrome C is released, and that the expression level of the pro-apoptotic Bcl2 family member PUMA is elevated, when 23A2 myoblasts are cultured in DM. Our long-term goal is to identify targets for manipulation that would abrogate this apoptosis without affecting differentiation. These findings could be significant to the study of myoblast transfer as a therapeutic approach. The goals of this dissertation are to: 1- …

The Parasympathetic Nervous System In Human Heart Failure, Jessica A. French

ETD Archive

Heart failure (HF) affects 5.8 million Americans and is characterized by an inability of the heart to pump blood throughout the body. In a non-diseased state, the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous systems (PNS) innervate the heart to regulate rate and force of contraction. Actions of the PNS on the cardiovascular system are mediated via the vagus nerve, releasing acetylcholine which binds muscarinic receptors on cardiomyocytes. The SNS has been found to be overstimulated in HF, with the role of the PNS in HF unclear. We hypothesized that the PNS is dysregulated in HF, resulting in a change of muscarinic …

Intricate Rna : Rna Interactions In U12-Dependent Nuclear Pre-Mrna Splicing, Tupa Basu Roy

ETD Archive

Coding regions or exons of most human genes are interrupted by noncoding intervening regions or introns. Removal of nuclear precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) introns by RNA splicing is an essential step in eukaryotic gene expression. Two types of nuclear pre-mRNA introns are known as U2-dependent or major type and U12-dependent or minor type. Nuclear pre-mRNA introns are removed by two distinct sets of ribonucleoprotein complexes or spliceosomes, which are formed by five small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) for each spliceosome. U6atac and U12 snRNAs are central to U12-dependent spliceosome and play essential roles in the removal of U12-dependent introns. U6atac and …

Biological Activity And Mass Spectrometric Analysis Of Vernonia Amygdalina Fractions, Winston Anderson

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Vernonia amygdalina (VA) is a tropical African plant of the Asteraceae family used as dietary supplement and as a medicinal herb. In this study, fatty acid esters, fatty acid amide, triterpene, diterpene alcohols and phytostanols were identified as the major chemical groups in the aqueous and organic fractions of VA leaf extracts. Their structures were elucidated, on the basis of GC-MS data, as hexanedioic acid, bis (2-ethylhexyl) ester (2a), erucamide (2b) and squalene (2c) in the water fraction; hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (3a), 9(Z)12(Z)15(Z)-octadecatrienoic acid, methyl ester (3b) and phytol (3c) in methanol fraction; phytol (4a), squalene (4b) and 7,22-ergostadienol …

Occurrence Of Pediocin Pa-1/Ach-Like Bacteriocin In Native Non-Starter Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Paracasei And Lactobacillus Rhamnosus From Retail Cheddar Cheese, Mothomang Mlalazi, Angela Winslow, Junia Jean-Gilles Beaubrun, Broderick Eribo

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Bacteriocin producing Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus were isolated from retail Cheddar cheese and identified by both phenotypic and molecular methods. These isolates were found to produce bacteriocins with broad-spectrum activity against several foodborne pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhi, E. coli O157:H7, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Further characterization of the bacteriocins showed that they had extremely high thermostability as activity was maintained after boiling for 6.5 h. In addition, autoclaving for 45 minutes had no significant effect on the activity. Similarly, storage at -20 ⁰C, 4 ⁰C, 25 ⁰C, 37 ⁰C and 45 …

Biological Activity And Mass Spectrometric Analysis Of Vernonia Amygdalina Fractions, Broderick Eribo

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Vernonia amygdalina (VA) is a tropical African plant of the Asteraceae family used as dietary supplement and as a medicinal herb. In this study, fatty acid esters, fatty acid amide, triterpene, diterpene alcohols and phytostanols were identified as the major chemical groups in the aqueous and organic fractions of VA leaf extracts. Their structures were elucidated, on the basis of GC-MS data, as hexanedioic acid, bis (2-ethylhexyl) ester (2a), erucamide (2b) and squalene (2c) in the water fraction; hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (3a), 9(Z)12(Z)15(Z)-octadecatrienoic acid, methyl ester (3b) and phytol (3c) in methanol fraction; phytol (4a), squalene (4b) and 7,22-ergostadienol …

Bats Of Kansas, Dale W. Sparks, Curtis J. Schmidt, Jerry R. Choate

Sternberg Museum of Natural History Faculty Publications

In memory of Curtis J. Schmidt (1977-2022)

Invariably, our most feared neighbors on planet earth are the animals that we know the least about. Almost as frequently, when people are exposed to these animals, the fear turns quickly to fascination. Unfortunately, many of these animals are accessible only to the professional scientist. Though science has made great strides in understanding the basic biology and behaviors of many of our least-known animals, this information is generally kept locked away from the general public by the dry, technical language of science. In this publication, it is our hope to open your eyes …

Establishing An Interdepartmental Fluorescent Microscopy Facility, Marcy Kelly, David Zuzga, Nigel Yarlett

Cornerstone 3 Reports : Interdisciplinary Informatics

No abstract provided.

Hands-On Labs (Hol): Using Technology And Web-Based Resources To Transform A Traditional Lab-Based Biology Course Into A Distance Learning (Dl) Hybrid Course, Across Schools At Pace University., Erica Kipp

Cornerstone 3 Reports : Interdisciplinary Informatics

No abstract provided.

Evidence For Olfactory Learning In Procellariiform Seabird Chicks, Gregory B. Cunningham, Gabrielle A. Nevitt

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

Burrow nesting procellariiform seabirds use olfactory cues for both foraging and nest recognition. As chicks, burrow nesters develop in the dark, but are exposed to both prey-related and individual-specific scents through contact with their parents. This exposure suggests that chicks may have the opportunity to learn odors while still in the nest. In this study, we examined whether exposure to odorants during development might influence olfactory search behavior expressed later in life. To test this idea, we exposed eggs of thin-billed prions Pachyptila belcheri to a rosy-scented novel odor (phenyl ethyl alcohol, PEA) or a control (water) just before hatching; …

Generating Interest In Plant Biology Among Predominantly Pre-Med Undergraduates Using A Popular Science Novel, Maryann Herman

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

Many undergraduate pre-med students see little relevance of plant biology to their daily lives or future careers. I have developed assignments for a sophomore-level plant biology course that incorporate readings from from The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. After reading a chapter students define botanical terms within the context of the book and write a response to several instructor-provided questions. Each chapter is integrated into a larger topic in class and students discussed relationships between topics on the novel and course content. For example. the fourth chapter discusses domestication and genetic manipulation of the potato. Students are asked to …

Full Issue: Volume 4, Number 2

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Evolution Of Complex Sperm Morphology, Dawn M. Higginson

Biology - Dissertations

Sperm form evolves rapidly and dramatically, particularly in taxa with internal fertilization. Post-copulatory sexual selection at the level of individual sperm has been suggested to explain the evolution of two enigmatic sperm phenotypes: sperm heteromorphism, where more than one type of sperm is produced by a male, and sperm conjugation, where multiple sperm join together for motility and transport through the female reproductive tract before dissociation prior to fertilization. I explore the taxonomic distribution of sperm heteromorphism and conjugation, speculate on the potential developmental origins and discuss functional hypotheses for evolutionary maintenance of these remarkable traits. I subsequently focus on …

Summer 2011, Nova Southeastern University

Currents

No abstract provided.

Economics, Behavioral Biology, And Law, Jeffrey E. Stake, Owen D. Jones, Erin O'Hara O'Connor

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This article compares the relevance to law of two unexpectedly similar fields: economics and behavioral biology. It first examines the assumptions, core concepts, methodological tenets, and emphases of the two fields. It then compares the interdisciplinary fields of law and economics, on one hand, with law and behavioral biology, on the other-highlighting not only important similarities but also important differences. The article subsequently explores ways that biological perspectives on human behavior may, among other things, improve economic models and the behavioral insights they generate. The article concludes that although there are important differences between the two fields, the overlaps between …

Stress-Induced Proteolysis Of Fkbp10: Mutational Analysis And Functional Implications, Lindsey A. Murphy

Featured Research

Cellular signaling is a complex system of communication that regulates cell function through a variety of molecular messengers. When cell survival is threatened by changes in environment or by malfunction of internal regulatory pathways, signals are initiated to restore homeostasis. Deficient protein processing within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes an accumulation of misfolded proteins and stress signaling. The resulting stress signaling includes both adaptive signals (unfolded protein response) and in cases of severe ER stress apoptotic signals induced via the mitochondria. FKBP10 is a key ER luminal peptidy-prolyl isomerase (rotamase) that mediates protein folding. The production of chaperone proteins and …

Positive Selection Shaped The Convergent Evolution Of Independently Expanded Kallikrein Subfamilies Expressed In Mouse And Rat Saliva Proteomes, Robert C. Karn, Christina M. Laukaitis

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

We performed proteomics studies of salivas from the genome mouse (C57BL/6 strain) and the genome rat (BN/SsNHsd/Mcwi strain). Our goal was to identify salivary proteins with one or more of three characteristics that may indicate that they have been involved in adaptation: 1) rapid expansion of their gene families; 2) footprints of positive selection; and/or 3) sex-limited expression. The results of our proteomics studies allow direct comparison of the proteins expressed and their levels between the sexes of the two rodent species. Twelve members of the Mus musculus species-specific kallikrein subfamily Klk1b showed sex-limited expression in the mouse saliva proteomes. …

Angler Survey Of The Connecticut River, Justin P. Davis

EEB Articles

The Connecticut River is the largest and most diverse inland fishery resource in the State of Connecticut. Significant improvements in water quality over the past 30 years have led to progressive increases in recreational use, presumably increasing fishing pressure on some species and possibly decreasing overall fishing quality. To address this concern, the Inland Fisheries Division (IFD) of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) conducted an angler survey on the entire portion of the Connecticut River within the state during March-October of 2008-09. The survey used a similar design as a smaller-scale survey of the river’s …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Winter 2011, Scott R. Abella, Alice C. Newton, Kenneth Chittick, Pam Sinanian

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Lake Mead’s collaborative applied science research program; “annoying the elephant” - ruminations on active management by Alice Newton, Lake Mead NRA vegetation manager; 2012 NWRA Lake Mead symposium sneak peak; assessing forest change using dendrochronology in the Spring Mountains.

"A Revision Of The Freshwater Crabs Of Lake Kivu, East Africa." , Neil Cumberlidge, Kirstin S. Meyer

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Cam Kinase Regulation Of Akt And Bad In Prostate Cancer Cells, John M. Schmitt, Samantha F. Smith

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Abstract AKT and its substrate BAD promote prostate cancer cell survival. Agonists, such as carbachol, and hormones that increase intracellular calcium concentration can activate AKT leading to cancer cell survival. LNCaP prostate cancer cells express the carbachol-sensitive M3-subtype of GPCR’s that increase intracellular calcium and activate the family of Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinases (CaM Ks). One type of CaM Kinase, CaM Kinase Kinase (CaM KK), directly phosphorylates AKT on threonine 308. AKT phosphorylation and activation can enhance cell survival through phosphorylation BAD protein and the subsequent blockade of caspase activation. Our goals were to examine the mechanism of carbachol activation of …

Trp Channel Regulation Of Estrogen Signaling, John M. Schmitt, Jessica N. Magill

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Abstract Calcium regulates numerous cell functions including growth and development. Calcium can enter cells through transient receptor potential channels (TRPCs). Previous studies in MCF-7 cells have suggested that the expression of one particular TRPC, TRPC6, correlates with cell transformation and disease progression. Calcium has several cellular targets including the Calcium/Calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaM Ks) and ERK. Previous work has shown that estrogen (E2) may utilize CaM Ks and ERK to promote breast cancer cell proliferation, however the possible involvement of TRPCs in this pathway is currently unknown. Our objective was to understand which E2 receptor is used in our system …

Addressing Prey Selection And Predator Fitness: Ingestion By, And Growth Of Ochromonas Danica On Multiple Bacterial Prey, Briony L. Foster

Biology Theses - Archive

Nanoflagellates provide an important link in aquatic food webs by consuming bacterial biomass and subsequently providing nutrients to higher trophic levels by becoming prey themselves and regenerating nutrients consumed in excess of metabolic needs. Nanoflagellate predation has typically been addressed by examining one or two aspects of a seemingly complex prey identification process, and rarely has the subsequent fitness of the predator been quantified. In this work we examine how bacterial prey size, growth state, growth rate, nutritional composition, and phylogenetic class effect ingestion rate by, and growth rate of, the mixotrophic flagellate Ochromonas danica. A phylogenetically diverse group of …

Molecular Systematics Of The Coffee Snakes, Genus Ninia (Colubridae: Dipsadinae), Matthew John Ingrasci

Biology Theses - Archive

Although previous studies have addressed issues relating to the systematics and taxonomy in the snake genus Ninia, the evolutionary history of the group remains largely unknown. Preliminary morphological studies have been unable to resolve many of the relationships within the genus and have not thoroughly tested the relationship between Ninia and other dipsadine snakes. To address these gaps in our knowledge of Ninia, I used molecular techniques to infer phylogenetic relationships. I obtained tissue samples for all species of Ninia and sequenced two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and one nuclear DNA (nucDNA) locus. In total, this dataset included 2453 base pairs …

Characterization Of A Dipartite Iron Uptake System From Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli Strain, Doreen Koch, Anson C. K. Chan, Michael E.P. Murphy, Hauke Lilie, Gregor Grass, Dietrich H. Nies

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

In the uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain F11, in silico genome analysis revealed the dicistronic iron uptake operon fetMP, which is under iron-regulated control mediated by the Fur regulator. The expression of fetMP in a mutant strain lacking known iron uptake systems improved growth under iron depletion and increased cellular iron accumulation. FetM is a member of the iron/lead transporter superfamily and is essential for iron uptake by the Fet system. FetP is a periplasmic protein that enhanced iron uptake by FetM. Recombinant FetP bound Cu(II) and the iron analog Mn(II) at distinct sites. The crystal structure of the …

Crystallization Of Chlorella Deoxyuridine Triphosphatase, Laura Badalucco, Ishwari Poudel, Mamoru Yamanishi, Chandrasekhar Natarajan, Hideaki Moriyama

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Deoxyuridine triphosphatase (dUTPase) is a ubiquitous enzyme that has been widely studied owing to its function and evolutionary significance. The gene coding for the dUTPase from the Chlorella alga was codon-optimized and synthesized. The synthetic gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and recombinant core Chlorella dUTPase (chdUTPase) was purified. Crystallization of chdUTPase was performed by the repetitive hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method at 298 K with ammonium sulfate as the precipitant. In the presence of 2'-deoxyuridine-5'-[(α,β)-imido]triphosphate and magnesium, the enzyme produced die-shaped hexagonal R3 crystals with unit-cell parameters a = b = 66.9, c = 93.6 A, ƴ = 120°. X-ray diffraction …

Analyses Of Fruit Flies That Do Not Express Selenoproteins Or Express The Mouse Selenoprotein, Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase B1, Reveal A Role Of Selenoproteins In Stress Resistance, Valentina A. Shchedrina, Hadise Kabil, Gerd Vorbruggen, Byung Cheon Lee, Anton A. Turanov, Mitsuko Hirosawa- Takamori, Hwa- Young Kim, Lawrence G. Harshman, Dolph L. Hatfield, Vadim N. Gladyshev

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Selenoproteins are essential in vertebrates because of their crucial role in cellular redox homeostasis, but some invertebrates that lack selenoproteins have recently been identified. Genetic disruption of selenoprotein biosynthesis had no effect on lifespan and oxidative stress resistance of Drosophila melanogaster. In the current study, fruit flies with knock-out of the selenocysteine-specific elongation factor were metabolically labeled with ⁷⁵Se; they did not incorporate selenium into proteins and had the same lifespan on a chemically defined diet with or without selenium supplementation. These flies were, however, more susceptible to starvation than controls, and this effect could be ascribed to the …