Biology Commons^™

The Colonization And Conservation Genetics Of The Rainbow Darter, Etheostoma Caeruleum, In Northeast Iowa, Dane Jonathan Davis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The aim of this project was to study the population genetic structure of the rainbow darter, Etheostorna caeruleum, distributed in northeastern Iowa rivers. Overall, Iowa sustains a wide array of physical habitats and varying fish assemblage conditions that are influenced by climate and the geology of the landscape. The chief objective of the research was to increase knowledge of nongame species movement that can aid managers in conservation. This project addresses the question: What is the population genetic structure, amount of gene flow, and level of connectivity between populations of Etheostorna caeruleum distributed in northeast Iowa. Specimens were collected from …

A New Genus And A New Species Of Cladorchiidae (Digenea: Dadayiinae) From Podocnemis Expansa (Chelonia) Of The Neotropical Region, State Of Pará, Brazil, Marcelo Knoff, Daniel Rusk Brooks, Maria Cristina Mullins, Delir Corrêa Gomes

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

A new species of amphistome digenean from the stomach and intestine of Podocnemis expansa (Pelomedusidae), of the tropical rain forest, from the State of Pará, Brazil, is described and allocated to a new genus (Oriximinatrema noronhae). The new species is characterized by the presence of an esophageal bulb, an esophageal extension uncovered by an extension of the pharyngeal sacs, a well-developed cirrus sac, post-bifurcal genital sucker, a ventro-terminal acetabulum with an anterior lip, and medium-sized eggs. This is the first report of a Dadayiinae trematode infecting a reptilian host.

Structure Of Mandelate Racemase With Bound Intermediate Analogues Benzohydroxamate And Cupferron, Adam D. Lietzan, Mitesh Nagar, Elisa Pellmann, Jennifer R. Bourque, Stephen L. Bearne, Martin St. Maurice

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Mandelate racemase (MR, EC 5.1.2.2) from Pseudomonas putida catalyzes the Mg2+-dependent interconversion of the enantiomers of mandelate, stabilizing the altered substrate in the transition state by 26 kcal/mol relative to the substrate in the ground state. To understand the origins of this binding discrimination, we determined the X-ray crystal structures of wild-type MR complexed with two analogues of the putative aci-carboxylate intermediate, benzohydroxamate and Cupferron, to 2.2-Å resolution. Benzohydroxamate is shown to be a reasonable mimic of the transition state and/or intermediate because its binding affinity for 21 MR variants correlates well with changes in the free energy of transition …

A Flagellar A-Kinase Anchoring Protein With Two Amphipathic Helices Forms A Structural Scaffold In The Radial Spoke Complex, Priyanka Sivadas, Jennifer M. Dienes, Martin St. Maurice, William D. Meek, Pinfen Yang

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) contain an amphipathic helix (AH) that binds the dimerization and docking (D/D) domain, RIIa, in cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA). Many AKAPs were discovered solely based on the AH–RIIa interaction in vitro. An RIIa or a similar Dpy-30 domain is also present in numerous diverged molecules that are implicated in critical processes as diverse as flagellar beating, membrane trafficking, histone methylation, and stem cell differentiation, yet these molecules remain poorly characterized. Here we demonstrate that an AKAP, RSP3, forms a dimeric structural scaffold in the flagellar radial spoke complex, anchoring through two distinct AHs, the RIIa …

Inhibitory Effects Of Arabidopsis Earli1 Against Botrytis Cinerea And Bradysia Difformis, Zhen Du, Dan Xu, Lan Li, Yao Shi, Michael Schläppi, Zi-Qin Xu

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The aim of this study is to understand the function of EARLI1 in plants subjected to different biotic stresses using EARLI1 overexpressing (OX) and T-DNA knockout (KO) transgenic Arabidopsis lines. Higher levels of expression of EARLI1 in OX lines were confirmed by RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis. The full-length EARLI1 mRNA could not be detected by RT-PCR in KO lines, while only a shorter transcript could be found by RNA gel blotting. In wild-type Col-0 plants (Wt), EARLI1 could be induced by Botrytis cinerea and H₂O₂, indicating this gene might be involved in plant defense system …

La Red Internacional De Inventarios Forestales (Biotree-Net) En Mesoamérica: Avances, Retos Y Perspectivas Futuras, Luis Cayuela, Lucía Gálvez-Bravo, F S. De Albuquerque, Duncan J. Golicher, Mario González-Espinosa, Neptalí Ramírez-Marcial, José M. Rey Benayas, Rakan A. Zahawi, Jorge A. Meave, B. M. Benito, Cristina Garibaldi, I. Chan, Ramón Pérez Pérez, Richard Field, Patricia Balvanera, M. A. Castillo, Blanca L. Figueroa-Rangel, Daniel M. Griffith, Gerald A. Islebe, D. L. Kelly, Miguel Olvera-Vargas, Stefan A. Schnitzer, E. Velazquez, Guadalupe Williams-Linera, Steven W. Brewer, Angélica Camacho-Cruz, Indiana Coronado, Ben De Jong, R. Del Castillo, I. Granzowde La Cerda, Javier Fernández, William Fonseca, Luis Galindo-Jaimes, Thomas W. Gillespie, Benigno González-Rivas, J. E. Gordon, Johanna Hurtado, José Linares, Susan G. Letcher, Scott A. Mangan, V. E. Méndez, Victor Meza, Susana Ochoa-Gaona, C. J. Peterson, Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez, Kymberley A. Snarr, Fernando Tun Dzul, Mirna Valdez-Hernández, Karin M. Viergever, D. A. White, J. N. Williams, Francisco J. Bonet, Regino Zamora

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Conservation efforts in Neotropical regions are often hindered by lack of data, since for many species there is a vacuum of information, and many species have not even been described yet. The International Network of Forest Inventory Plots (BIOTREE-NET) gathers and facilitates access to tree data from forest inventory plots in Mesoamerica, while encouraging data exchange between researchers, managers and conservationists. The information is organised and standardised into a single database that includes spatially explicit data. This article describes the scope and objectives of the network, its progress, and the challenges and future perspectives. The database includes above 50000 tree …

Detection Of Mutant-Huntingtin Aggregation Conformers And Modulation Of Sds-Soluble Fibrillar Oligomers By Small Molecules, Emily M. Sontag, Gregor P. Lotz, Goucheng Yang, Christopher J. Sontag, Brian J. Cummings, Charles G. Glabe, Paul J. Muchowski, Leslie Michels Thompson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The Huntington's disease (HD) mutation leads to a complex process of Huntingtin (Htt) aggregation into multimeric species that eventually form visible inclusions in cytoplasm, nuclei and neuronal processes. One hypothesis is that smaller, soluble forms of amyloid proteins confer toxic effects and contribute to early cell dysfunction. However, analysis of mutant Htt aggregation intermediates to identify conformers that may represent toxic forms of the protein and represent potential drug targets remains difficult. We performed a detailed analysis of aggregation conformers in multiple in vitro, cell and ex vivo models of HD. Conformation-specific antibodies were used to identify and characterize aggregation …

Cyperus Albostriatus (Cyperaceae) New To North America And Fimbristylis Cymosa (Cyperaceae) New To Texas, David J. Rosen, Richard Carter, Alfred Richardson, Ken King

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

Cyperus albostriatus is reported as a naturalized component of the North American flora based upon recent collections from Harris County, Texas. Fimbristylis cymosa was recently collected from Padre Island in Cameron County and is reported new to the Texas flora

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Se cita Cyperus albostriatus como un componente naturalizado de fa flora de Norte América basados en colecciones recientes en el condado de Harris, Texas. Fimbristylis cymosa se coleco recientemente en Padre Island en el condado de Cameron )' se cita como nueva para la flora de Texas

Functional Analysis Of Conserved Motifs In The Mechanosensitive Channel Homolog Mscs-Like2 From Arabidopsis Thaliana, Gregory S. Jensen, Elizabeth S. Haswell

Biology Faculty Research

The Mechanosensitive channel of Small conductance (MscS) of Escherichia coli has become an excellent model system for the structural, biophysical, and functional study of mechanosensitive ion channels. MscS, a complex channel with multiple states, contributes to protection against lysis upon osmotic downshock. MscS homologs are widely and abundantly dispersed among the bacterial and plant lineages, but are not found in animals. Investigation into the eukaryotic branch of the MscS family is in the beginning stages, and it remains unclear how much MscS homologs from eukaryotes resemble E. coli MscS with respect to structure, function, and regulation. Here we test the …

A Selective Force Favoring Increased G+C Content In Bacterial Genes, Rahul Raghavan, Yogeshwar D. Kelkar, Howard Ochman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Bacteria display considerable variation in their overall base compositions, which range from 13% to over 75% G+C. This variation in genomic base compositions has long been considered to be a strictly neutral character, due solely to differences in the mutational process; however, recent sequence comparisons indicate that mutational input alone cannot produce the observed base compositions, implying a role for natural selection. Because bacterial genomes have high gene content, forces that operate on the base composition of individual genes could help shape the overall genomic base composition. To explore this possibility, we tested whether genes that encode the same protein …

Antioxidant Responses In Mesopodopsis Zeylanica At Varying Salinity To Detect Mercury Influence In Culture Ponds, Xivanand Narayan Verlecar, Priya Brata Das, Karmabeer Jena, Dusmant Maharana, Somshekher Raghoba Desai

Turkish Journal of Biology

Antioxidant responses in the estuarine mysid, Mesopodopsis zeylanica, were used to assess mercury (Hg) metal contamination in relation to salinity. Natural mysids acclimatized at 5 psu were subjected to laboratory exposures of 5, 15, and 25 psu salinity singly and under the sublethal Hg concentration of 5 µg/L (one-fifth of 24 h LC_{50} value). Lipid peroxidation in the test species increased with salinity variation from 5 to 15 psu and retained the same up to 25 psu with no change after Hg addition. CAT increased significantly from 5 to 15 psu before Hg influence, and GST increased after addition of …

Reversible Lysine Acetylation Regulates Activity Of Human Glycine N-Acyltransferase-Like 2 (Hglyatl2): Implications For Production Of Glycine-Conjugated Signaling Molecules, Dominick P. Waluk, Filip Sucharski, Laszlo Sipos, Jerzy Silberring, Mary Hunt

Articles

Background: Lysine acetylation is a major post-translational modification of proteins.

Results: Human glycine N-acyltransferase-like 2 is regulated by acetylation/deacetylation of lysine 19.

Conclusion: Reversible lysine acetylation is important in regulating the activity and function of human glycine N-acyltransferases.

Significance: Our study links post-translational modification of proteins with the production of lipid signaling molecules, the N-acyl glycines.

A Qcm-Adhering Bacillus Anthracis Soil Phage Assemblage Is Less Diverse Than A Total B. Anthracis Soil Phage Assemblage, Gabriel David Connell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Recently, phages have been used as affinity reagents in quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)-based biodetection methods. The goal of this study was to isolate and characterize a Bacillus cereus group soil-phage assemblage, which was isolated from 5 grams of local topsoil, and compare its population structure to that of a similar phage assemblage that had been additionally selected by adhering to a QCM electrode. Viruses aren't well-defined in terms of 'species', therefore operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were defined by structural protein profiles from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We were able to obtain a conservative estimate of soilphage 'species' richness …

Inefficient Replication Reduces Reca-Mediated Repair Of Uvdamaged Plasmids Introduced Into Competent Escherichia Coli, Harout Arthur Jeiranian, Charmain T. Courcelle, Justin Courcelle

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Transformation of Escherichia coli with purified plasmids containing DNA damage is frequently used as a tool to characterize repair pathways that operate on chromosomes. In this study, we used an assay that allowed us to quantify plasmid survival and to compare how efficiently various repair pathways operate on plasmid DNA introduced into cells relative to their efficiency on chromosomal DNA. We observed distinct differences between the mechanisms operating on the transforming plasmid DNA and the chromosome. An average of one UV-induced lesion was sufficient to inactivate ColE1-based plasmids introduced into nucleotide excision repair mutants, suggesting an essential role for repair …

Uvrd Participation In Nucleotide Excision Repair Is Required For The Recovery Of Dna Synthesis Following Uv-Induced Damage In Escherichia Coli, Kelley Nicole Newton, Charmain T. Courcelle, Justin Courcelle

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

UvrD is a DNA helicase that participates in nucleotide excision repair and several replication-associated processes, including methyl-directed mismatch repair and recombination. UvrD is capable of displacing oligonucleotides from synthetic forked DNA structures in vitro and is essential for viability in the absence of Rep, a helicase associated with processing replication forks. These observations have led others to propose that UvrD may promote fork regression and facilitate resetting of the replication fork following arrest. However, the molecular activity of UvrD at replication forks in vivo has not been directly examined. In this study, we characterized the role UvrD has in processing …

Anoxia Tolerance During Vertebrate Development - Insights From Studies On The Annual Killifish Austrofundulus Limnaeus, Jason E. Podrabsky, Claire L. Riggs, Jeffrey M. Duerr

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This is chapter 1 from Anoxia -- This book reviews how severe oxygen deprivation affects biological systems - from the molecular to the ecological level. The contributing authors come from diverse regions of the world, which proves the interest in the academic analysis of oxygen deprivation. The diversity in the experimental approach scientists take, in order to understand the influence oxygen deprivation has on living systems, is apparent throughout this book. One of the presented ideas deals with the exploration and examination of the physiological, cellular and genetic characteristics of killifish embryos and nematodes exposed to anoxia. Furthermore, the book …

Genomic Amplification Of An Endogenous Retrovirus In Zebrafish T-Cell Malignancies, J. Kimble Frazer, Lance A. Batchelor, Diana F. Bradley, Kim H. Brown, Kimberly P. Dobrinski, Charles Lee, Nikolaus S. Trede

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Genomic instability plays a crucial role in oncogenesis. Somatically acquiredmutations can disable some genes and inappropriately activate others. In addition, chromosomal rearrangements can amplify, delete, or even fuse genes, altering their functions and contributing to malignant phenotypes. Using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), a technique to detect numeric variations between different DNA samples, we examined genomes from zebrafish (Danio rerio) T-cell leukemias of three cancerprone lines. In all malignancies tested, we identified recurring amplifications of a zebrafish endogenous retrovirus. This retrovirus, ZFERV, was first identified due to high expression of proviral transcripts in thymic tissue from larval and adult fish.We …

In Vivo Evaluation Of Microfibrous Bioactive Borate Glasses For Use In Wound Healing, Yinan Lin

Masters Theses

"This project consisted of two parts focused on in vivo evaluation of microfibrous bioactive borate glasses for use in wound healing. Part one of the project involved subcutaneous implantation of two types of borate glass microfibers and 45S5 glass micro fibers in the dorsum of rats and histologically evaluating the soft tissues at the implant sites at 2 to 4 weeks post surgery. The primary objective was to assess the angiogenic response to the implanted materials. The 13-93B3 and 13-93B3Cu glass microfibers were found to significantly increase the microvascular density in soft tissue, an outcome that suggests these simple and …

Physiochemical Characteristics Contributing To The Cytotoxicity Of Transition Metal Oxides, Chi-Heng Wu

Masters Theses

"In the past ten years nanotechnology has not only evolved to play a prominent role in our economy but also increased the concern over potential adverse effects caused by nanomaterials to human health and the environment. Nanotoxicity is to understand the nature and origin of the toxicity imposed by nanomaterials. Studies from our laboratory have shown that nanoparticle induces oxidative stress, perturbs calcium homeostasis, alter gene expression, and produces pro-inflammatory responses. We also identified a trend of toxicity: TiO₂ < Cr₂O₃ < Fe₂O₃ < Mn₂O₃ < NiO < ZnO < CuO. We then asked a question: what are physiochemical factors of transition metal nanoparticles that contributed to this increasing cytotoxicity. In this thesis I investigated the correlation between physicochemical properties and toxicity of the transition metal oxides in the 4th Period of the Periodic Table of Elements. Particle size, BET surface area, point of zero charge, metal dissolution, and degree of surface adsorption of transition metal oxide nanoparticles were measured. There were no increasing trends in both particle size and specific surface area. The point of zero charge showed an increasing trend as TiO₂ < Cr₂O₃ < Fe₂O₃ < NiO < CuO = ZnO < Mn₂O₃. The number of available binding sites of nanoparticle showed an increasing trend as Cr₂O₃ > ZnO > CuO > NiO > Fe₂O₃ > Mn₂O₃ > TiO₂. The degree of adsorption on the surface of nanoparticles showed an increasing trend with atomic …

Coping Behaviour As An Adaptation To Stress: Post-Disturbance Preening In Colonial Seabirds, Shandelle M. Henson, Lynelle M. Weldon, James L. Hayward, Daniel Greene, Libby C. Megna, Maureen C. Serem

Faculty Publications

In humans, coping behaviour is an action taken to soothe oneself during or after a stressful or threatening situation. Some human behaviours with physiological functions also serve as coping behaviours, for example, comfort sucking in infants and comfort eating in adults. In birds, the behaviour of preening, which has important physiological functions, has been postulated to soothe individuals after stressful situations. We combine two existing modelling approaches – logistic regression and Darwinian dynamics – to explore theoretically how a behaviour with crucial physiological function might evolve into a coping behaviour. We apply the method to preening in colonial seabirds to …

Evaluating Relationships Between Mercury Concentrations In Air And In Spanish Moss (Tillandsia Usneoides L.), Kathryn T. Sutton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that is transported globally in vapor form. A major source of mercury contamination to soil, water, and biota is atmospheric deposition. Therefore, comprehensive monitoring of atmospheric concentrations is important. Limitations of conventional atmospheric measurement techniques include high cost and lack of temporal or spatial integration. Bioindicators, however, may serve as an integrative tool to add to conventional mercury measurement techniques. Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides L.) is a potential bioindicator of atmospheric mercury concentration in the southeastern United States because it is an abundant epiphyte that absorbs and accumulates atmospheric pollutants. A study was conducted in …

Comparative Analysis Of Microsatellite And Mitochondrial Genetic Variation In Ixodes Scapularis, Cynthia Tak Wan Chan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ixodes scapularis, the black legged tick, is a species endemic to North America with a range including most of the eastern-half of the United States and portions of Canada and Mexico. The tick is an important vector of diseases transmitted to humans and animals. Since its first description in 1821, the taxonomy of the species has been controversial. Biological differences have been identified in the northern and southern populations, yet no consensus exists on population structure and the causes of this disparity. Earlier molecular studies utilizing nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers have revealed the occurrence of two distinct lineages: …

Purification And Properties Of An Endoglucanase From Aspergillus Niger Vtcc-F021, Thi Hoa Pham, Dinh Thi Quyen, Ngoc Minh Nghiem

Turkish Journal of Biology

An extracellular endoglucanase (EG) from Aspergillus niger VTCC-F021 was purified 2.09-fold to homogeneity with a yield of 18.4%. The enzyme had a molecular mass of 31 kDa and a specific activity of 14.122 U/mg protein. Optimum temperature was observed at 55 °C and optimum pH at 5. The enzyme was stable up to 50 °C and from pH 5 to 6 with residual activity >80% and 60%, respectively. The kinetic constants K_m and V_{max} determined for EG, with carboxyl methyl cellulose as a substrate, were 8.5815 mg CMC/mL and 20.121 U/mg protein, respectively. EDTA increased EG activity by 35% at …

A Comparison Of Major Taste- And Health-Related Compounds Of Vaccinium Berries, Jasminka Milivojevic, Vuk Maksimovic, Jelena Dragisic Maksimovic, Dragan Radivojevic, Milena Poledica, Sezai̇ Erci̇şli̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

The chemical fruit composition, phenolic profile, and corresponding total antioxidant activity of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and 2 commercial blueberry cultivars (Vaccinium corymbosum) were analyzed. Results from this study showed that cultivar Berkeley yielded the highest glucose and fructose contents (70.8 and 88.8 mg/g FW, respectively), and the sweetness index expressed a similar trend, achieving the highest value for cultivar Berkeley (279.2). Citric acid was the major organic acid in the berries tested. V. myrtillus yielded a total organic acids value 2-fold higher (0.35 mg/g FW) as well as the highest vitamin C content (25.8 mg/100 g FW). Among the flavonols …

Evaluation Of Nested Pcr Method For Diagnosis Of Meningitis Due To Neisseria Meningitidis And Haemophilus Influenzae, Zahra Hojjati Bonab, Safar Farajnia, Reza Ghotaslou, Elhameh Nikkhah

Turkish Journal of Biology

Meningitis due to Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae is a common infectious disease among infants and children that can be fatal in the absence of rapid and proper diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, a rapid and sensitive method for diagnosis is a high priority. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of culture, conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and nested PCR methods for diagnosis of meningitis caused by N. meningitidis and H. influenzae. A total of 106 cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from infants and children suspected of having meningitis. A portion of these samples were used for …

Evaluation Of Antiinflammatory And Antinociceptive Effects Of Some Juniperus Species Growing In Turkey, Ni̇lüfer Orhan, Esra Akkol, Fatma Ergun

Turkish Journal of Biology

Different parts and products of Juniperus species have been used as folk medicine for various infectious diseases, rheumatism, and wounds in Turkey. In order to evaluate this traditional usage, antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities of leaf and berry extracts of 3 Juniperus species (J. excelsa, J. foetidissima, and J. sabina) were investigated. Additionally, antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities of subextracts of J. oxycedrus subsp. oxycedrus (Joso) berries and leaves were evaluated. The p-benzoquinone-induced writhing test for antinociceptive activity and the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model for antiinflammatory activity in mice were employed. Ethanol extract prepared from berries of J. foetidissima provided a …

Identification And Isolation Of Salt-Stress-Responsive Transcripts From Gossypium Arboreum L., Muhammad Naveed Shahid, Adil Jamal, Bushra Rashid, Beenish Aftab, Tayyab Husnain

Turkish Journal of Biology

Salinity has adverse effects on plant development and ultimately reduces production. Very few reports on the genes induced by salt stress in Gossypium arboreum are available. In this report salt-stress-responsive genes were screened from cotton leaves using the differential display (DD) technique, and gene expression was compared under control and salt stressed conditions. By using a 107 primer combination, 25 gene fragments were found to be up-regulated in response to salt stress. Out of 25 induced fragments, 12 were rejected as false positives after reamplification and quality control assay. The remaining 13 fragments were selected for cloning and genetic transformation. …

Antioxidant And Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Potential Of Arnica Montana Cultivated In Bulgaria, Dimitrina Zheleva Dimitrova, Vessela Balabanova

Turkish Journal of Biology

The antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory potential of methanol extract from Arnica montana cultivated in Bulgaria was evaluated. For the determination of antioxidant activity 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) di-ammonium salt (ABTS) free radicals, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay were used. Modified Ellman's colorimetric method was used for quantitative assessment of acetylcholinesterase inhibition potential. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and galantamine hydrobromide were used as positive controls, respectively. In addition, total polyphenols and tannins, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic derivatives, and sesquiterpene lactones were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, AlCl_3, Na_2MoO_4, and m-dinitrobenzene, respectively. The results demonstrated that Arnica extract has strong antioxidant activity and moderate …

Identification Of 23 Specific Nucleotide Patterns In The Hn Gene Of Newcastle Disease Viruses Isolated From Iran, Majid Esmaelizad, Mehdi P. Ashtiani, Saber Jelokhani Niaraki, Khadije Hashemnejad

Turkish Journal of Biology

Newcastle disease is considered the most contagious poultry disease and may cause severe economic loss in the poultry industry. The present study was undertaken to focus on molecular and phylogenetic analyses of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) gene in the Iranian isolates. The nucleotide sequence of the HN (780-903 nt) coding region of 6 Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs), isolated from various outbreaks in Iran, was determined and aligned with previously published sequences of 26 NDV isolates in GenBank; the resulting alignment was then analyzed in terms of genetic variation. The number of nucleotide sequence variations presented by each of the isolates indicated …

Genetic Diversity And Identification Of Some Turkish Cotton Genotypes (Gossypium Hirsutum L.) By Rapd-Pcr Analysis, Yonca Surgun, Beki̇r Çöl, Betül Bürün

Turkish Journal of Biology

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is the leading fiber crop and the second most important oil seed crop in the world. This study aimed to analyze the genetic differences among 9 cotton genotypes of cultivars from Turkey using the random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) method. A total of 42 RAPD primers were used to determine polymorphism among the genotypes and 34 of the primers produced scorable results, with 319 RAPD-PCR bands obtained. The rate of polymorphism was calculated to be 18.1%, and genetic similarity between any 2 genotypes ranged from 90.2% to 96.5%. By evaluating the presence and absence …