Biology Commons^™

Evaluation And Validation Of Tumor-Associated Antigen P53 As Biomarker In Liver And Lung Cancer, Marissa R. Velazquez, Liping Dai, Rosalia Ortega, Jianying Zhang

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2012

During cellular stress, p53 can slow down cell cycle progression, allowing DNA to either be repaired or lead to cell apoptosis. In human cancer, the most common changes in p53 are missense point mutations within the coding sequences of p53 gene. These point mutations can alter a protein’s functions and increase their stability. Antibodies to p53 have been found in many types of human cancer. The aim of this project is to evaluate and validate whether p53 and its antibody can be used as a biomarker for liver and lung cancer. First, expression and induction of p53 was done. Purification …

Diversification And Conservation In The South American Dry Biomes: Distribution Modeling And Multilocus Lizard Phylogeography, Fernanda Werneck

Theses and Dissertations

The understanding of diversification of intraspecific lineages can shed light on speciation processes and ultimately biogeographic patterns across multiple spatial and temporal scales. In this dissertation I investigated the geographical and ecological factors promoting diversification across the South American dry diagonal biomes (i.e. Cerrado, Chaco, and Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests - SDTFs), through a coupled approach between multilocus phylogeographic and geospatial methods, in the larger context of interpreting the consequences of the resulting patterns for the conservation of biodiversity and evolutionary processes. In Chapter 1 I evaluate biogeographic hypotheses previously proposed and emphasize that the dry diagonal biomes are particularly …

Invasional Interference Due To Similar Inter- And Intraspecific Competition Between Invaders May Affect Management, Emily S.J. Rauschert, Katriona Shea

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

As the number of biological invasions increases, the potential for invader– invader interactions also rises. The effect of multiple invaders can be superadditive (invasional meltdown), additive, or subadditive (invasional interference); which of these situations occurs has critical implications for prioritization of management efforts. Carduus nutans and C. acanthoides, two congeneric invasive weeds, have a striking, segregated distribution in central Pennsylvania, USA. Possible hypotheses for this pattern include invasion history and chance, direct competition, or negative interactions mediated by other species, such as shared pollinators. To explore the role of resource competition in generating this pattern, we conducted three related experiments …

A New Species Of Saphonecrus (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea) Associated With Plant Galls On Castanopsis (Fagaceae) In China, Zhiwei Liu, Xiao-Hui Yang, Dao-Hong Zhu, Yi-Yuan He

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

A new cynipid species, Saphonecrus hupingshanensis Liu, Yang, et Zhu, sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), is described from China. This is the first species of the inquilinous tribe Synergini ever known to have an association with chinquapins (Fagaceae: Castanopsis). The biology and implication to species diversity of Cynipidae in eastern and southeast Asia are discussed.

A New Species Of Saphonecrus (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea) Associated With Plant Galls On Castanopsis (Fagaceae) In China, Zhiwei Liu, Xiao-Hui Yang, Dao-Hong Zhu, Yi-Yuan He

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

A new cynipid species, Saphonecrus hupingshanensis Liu, Yang, et Zhu, sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), is described from China. This is the first species of the inquilinous tribe Synergini ever known to have an association with chinquapins (Fagaceae: Castanopsis). The biology and implication to species diversity of Cynipidae in eastern and southeast Asia are discussed.

Condition And Brightness Of Structural Blue-Green: Motmot Tail-Racket Brightness Is Related To Speed Of Feather Growth In Males, But Not In Females, Troy G. Murphy, Tiffany T. Pham

Biology Faculty Research

Coloration plays an important role in sexual and social communication, and in many avian species both males and females maintain elaborate colours. Recent research has provided strong support for the hypothesis that elaborate female traits can be maintained by sexual or social selection; however, most research on female ornamentation has focused on pigment-based colours, and less is known about how structural colours are maintained. Both sexes of the turquoise-browed motmot (Eumomota superciliosa) have a blue-green racket-tipped tail, and it remains unknown if tail coloration serves as a sexual or social signal in one or both sexes. Here, we …

Stressors And Threats To The Flora Of Acadia National Park, Maine: Current Knowledge, Information Gaps, And Future Directions, Tanner B. Harris, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Sarah J. Nelson, Peter D. Vaux

Biological Sciences

Acadia National Park is a center of plant diversity in northeastern North America. The Park's varied habitats and flora are sensitive to a number of natural and anthropogenic perturbations. Stressors such as invasive plants, pest and pathogens, ozone, acidic fog and sulfur deposition, nitrogen deposition, heavy metals, fire and fire suppression, over-browsing, visitor use, hurricanes, and climate change have all had effects on the Park's habitats and plant species at some point and it is unclear how many of these stressors are currently affecting the flora of Acadia National Park. We discuss the botanical diversity of Acadia, assess the natural …

Nuclear Migration And Spermatid Elongation During Spermiogenesis In Drosophila Pseudoobscura, Benjamin S. Reimer

Theses

No abstract provided.

Hypoxia-Sensitive Gene Expression In The Gastrocnemius Muscle Following Chronic Hind Limb Ischemia, Andrew Tilton

Biological Sciences

Chronic ischemia, caused by the formation atherosclerotic plaque occlusions in major conduit arteries, is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in western societies. Vascular remodeling can help compensate for the adverse effects of atherosclerotic plaque formation. Vascular remodeling relies heavily on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a critical protein that contributes to all forms of vascular formation and remodeling including angiogenesis, arteriogenesisand vasculogenesis. VEGF itself is up-regulated by the transcription factor, hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), which becomes activated in low oxygen environments.

Through the use of animal chronic hindlimb ischemia models, these genes can be evaluated as …

Evidence For A Role Of Endogenous Nesfatin-1 In The Control Of Water Drinking, G. L.C. Yosten, L. Redlinger, W. K. Samson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nesfatin-1, a post-translational product of the nucleobindin-2 (NucB2) gene, is produced in several brain areas known to be important in neuroendocrine, autonomic and metabolic function, including the hypothalamus and medulla. The hallmark action of the peptide is its ability at picomole doses to inhibit food and water intake in rodents and, indeed, the effect on water intake is more pronounced than that on food intake. In preliminary studies, we observed a decrease in hypothalamic NucB2 expression in response to overnight water deprivation even when food was present, which reversed when water was returned to the animals. We therefore hypothesised that …

Transient Hypercapnia Reveals An Underlying Cerebrovascular Pathology In A Murine Model For Hiv-1 Associated Neuroinflammation: Role Of No-Cgmp Signaling And Normalization By Inhibition Of Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase-5, Jharon Silva, Oksana Polesskaya, Walter Knight, Johnny Ting Zheng, Megan Granger, Tenée Lopez, Fernando Ontiveros, Changyong Feng, Chen Yan, Karl A. Kasischke, Stephen Dewhurst

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is known to be dysregulated in persons with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), for uncertain reasons. This is an important issue because impaired vasoreactivity has been associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke, elevated overall cardiovascular risk and cognitive impairment.

Dietary Lipid Saturation Influences Environmental Temperature Preference But Not Resting Metabolic Rate In The Djungarian Hamster (Phodopus Sungorus), Ryan Pannorfi , '04, Barry Michael Zee , '08, I. Vatnick, N. Berner, Sara Hiebert Burch

Biology Faculty Works

Heterothermic rodents increase self-selection of diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) when exposed to cold, short days, or short-day melatonin profiles, and Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) do so in long days in response to cold exposure alone. To determine whether Djungarian hamsters are also capable of selecting a thermal environment in response to dietary lipid composition, continuously normothermic hamsters were fed either a PUF-rich diet or a diet rich in saturated fatty acids (SFAs) for 6-10 wk and given a choice of thermal environments. As predicted, SF-fed hamsters were more likely than PUFA-fed hamsters to occupy the single heated …

Morphology And Phylogeny Of A New Woodruffiid Ciliate, Etoschophrya Inornata Sp. N. (Ciliophora, Colpodea, Platyophryida), With An Account On Evolution Of Platyophryids, William A. Bourland, Greg Hampikian, Peter Vďačný

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We studied the morphology, morphometry, resting cysts and molecular phylogeny of a new woodruffiid ciliate, Etoschophrya inornata, from ephemeral puddles and two lacustrine habitats in Idaho, North-west USA. Up to now, the genus Etoschophrya has included a single species, Etoschophrya oscillatoriophaga, from which our new form is distinguished by (i) the absence of interkinetal cortical granules and, consequently, the absence of extrusible red material in methyl green-pyronin stains, (ii) usually ≥5 adoral membranelles vs. usually four, (iii) greater length and length/width ratio, (iv) prominent cortical furrows vs. inconspicuous and (v) adaptation to non-saline semi-terrestrial and lacustrine habitats in …

Studying Human Disease Genes In Caenorhabditis Elegans : A Molecular Genetics Laboratory Project, Elisabeth A. Cox-Paulson, Theresa M. Grana, Michelle A. Harris, Janet M. Batzli

Biological Sciences Research

Scientists routinely integrate information from various channels to explore topics under study. We designed a 4-wk undergraduate laboratory module that used a multifaceted approach to study a question in molecular genetics. Specifcally, students investigated whether Caenorhabditis elegans can be a useful model system for studying genes associated with human disease. In a large-enrollment, sophomore-level laboratory course, groups of three to four students were assigned a gene associated with either breast cancer (brc-1), Wilson disease (cua-1), ovarian dysgenesis (fshr-1), or colon cancer (mlh-1). Students compared observable phenotypes of wild-type C. elegans and C. elegans with a homozygous deletion in the assigned …

Turning The Crown Upside Down: Gene Tree Parsimony Roots The Eukaryotic Tree Of Life, Laura A. Katz, Jessica R. Grant, Laura Wegener Parfrey, J. Gordon Burleigh

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The first analyses of gene sequence data indicated that the eukaryotic tree of life consisted of a long stem of microbial groups topped by a crown-containing plants, animals, and fungi and their microbial relatives. Although more recent multigene concatenated analyses have refined the relationships among the many branches of eukaryotes, the root of the eukaryotic tree of life has remained elusive. Inferring the root of extant eukaryotes is challenging because of the age of the group (∼1.7-2.1 billion years old), tremendous heterogeneity in rates of evolution among lineages, and lack of obvious outgroups for many genes. Here, we reconstruct a …

Distributional Survey And Habitat Associations Of Crayfishes In Three River Basins In Kansas, Ryan Lee Pinkall

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Kansas represents the western most edge of high crayfish diversity in North America. The most recent comprehensive survey of crayfishes in Kansas was conducted over 50 years ago and resulted in a list of seven species. Subsequently, three species were added sporadically. The most recent summary of crayfishes in Kansas included 10 species and suggested the highest diversity to be located in the northeastern portion of the state. I surveyed crayfishes in three river basins in Kansas during the summers of 2009, 2010, and 2011: Kansas-Lower Republican, Missouri, and Upper Republican. Sites were selected based on stream order and partitioned …

Shorter Migration Distances Associated With Higher Winter Temperatures Suggest A Mechanism For Advancing Nesting Phenology Of American Kestrels Falco Sparverius, Julie A. Heath, Karen Steenhof, Mark A. Foster

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Global climate change has affected avian migration patterns and nesting phenology. Changes in one phase of a bird's cycle will most likely affect other stages, but few studies focus simultaneously on multiple life-history events. We used western North American ringing records and Christmas Bird Counts to examine whether changes in migration patterns were concordant with advancing American kestrel Falco sparverius nesting phenology. Consistent with previous findings, male kestrels migrated shorter distances than female kestrels, and kestrels nesting in southern latitudes migrated shorter distances than kestrels nesting in more northern areas. In addition, kestrel migration distance decreased significantly from 1960 to …

Continual Passage Of Staphylococcus Epidermidis In Subinhibitory Levels Of The Biocide Triclosan Results In A Marked Increase In The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, Antibiotic Resistance, And Ethidium Bromide Resistance, William T. Moore

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Triclosan is a multi-purpose biocide that is used in many personal care products, including antibacterial hand soaps and toothpastes. The wide usage of triclosan fosters its dispersal into the enviro11l11ent, which might contribute to the ability of microorganisms to become resistant to triclosan in addition to certain other biocides and clinical antibiotics. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether long-term exposure of two strains of Staphylococcal epide]'midis to subinhibitory concentrations of triclosan would select for resistant mutants, and whether their ability to form polysaccharide biofilms lends to this resistance. This study also aimed to determine whether a mutation …

The Likelihood Of Extinction Of Iconic And Dominant Herbivores And Detritivores Of Coral Reefs: The Parrotfishes And Surgeonfishes, Mia T. Comeros-Raynal, John H. Choat, Beth A. Polidoro, Kendall D. Clements, Rene Abesamis, Matthew T. Craig, Muhammad E. Lazuardi, Jennifer Mcilwain, Andreas Muljadi, Robert F. Myers, Cleto L. Nanola Jr., Shinta Pardede, Luiz A. Rocha, Barry Russell, Jonnell C. Sanciangco, Brian Stockwell, Heather Harwell, Kent E. Carpenter

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Parrotfishes and surgeonfishes perform important functional roles in the dynamics of coral reef systems. This is a consequence of their varied feeding behaviors ranging from targeted consumption of living plant material (primarily surgeonfishes) to feeding on detrital aggregates that are either scraped from the reef surface or excavated from the deeper reef substratum (primarily parrotfishes). Increased fishing pressure and widespread habitat destruction have led to population declines for several species of these two groups. Species-specific data on global distribution, population status, life history characteristics, and major threats were compiled for each of the 179 known species of parrotfishes and surgeonfishes …

Mecp2 Binds To Nucleosome Free (Linker Dna) Regions And To H3k9/H3k27 Methylated Nucleosomes In The Brain, Anita A. Thambirajah, Marlee K. Ng, Lindsay J. Frehlick, Andra Li, Jason J. Serpa, Evgeniy V. Petrotchenko, Begonia Silva-Moreno, Kristal K. Missiaen, Christoph H. Borchers, J. Adam Hall, Ryan Mackie, Frank Lutz, Brent E. Gowen, Michael Hendzel, Philippe T. Georgel, Juan Ausió

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a chromatin-binding protein that mediates transcriptional regulation, and is highly abundant in brain. The nature of its binding to reconstituted templates has been well characterized in vitro. However, its interactions with native chromatin are less understood. Here we show that MeCP2 displays a distinct distribution within fractionated chromatin from various tissues and cell types. Artificially induced global changes in DNA methylation by 3-aminobenzamide or 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine, do not significantly affect the distribution or amount of MeCP2 in HeLa S3 or 3T3 cells. Most MeCP2 in brain is chromatin-bound and localized within highly nuclease-accessible regions. We …

Plasmodium Falciparum Ssb Tetramer Wraps Single-Stranded Dna With Similar Topology But Opposite Polarity To E. Coli Ssb, Edwin Antony, Elizabeth A. Weiland, Sergey Korolev, Timothy M. Lohman

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Single-stranded DNA binding (SSB) proteins play central roles in genome maintenance in all organisms. Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria, encodes an SSB protein that localizes to the apicoplast and likely functions in the replication and maintenance of its genome. P. falciparum SSB (Pf-SSB) shares a high degree of sequence homology with bacterial SSB proteins but differs in the composition of its C-terminus, which interacts with more than a dozen other proteins in Escherichia coli SSB (Ec-SSB). Using sedimentation methods, we show that Pf-SSB forms a stable homo-tetramer alone and when bound to …

Plasmodium Falciparum Ssb Tetramer Binds Single-Stranded Dna Only In A Fully Wrapped Mode, Edwin Antony, Alexander G. Kozlov, Binh Nguyen, Timothy M. Lohman

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The tetrameric Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein (Ec-SSB) functions in DNA metabolism by binding to ssDNA and interacting directly with numerous DNA repair and replication proteins. Ec-SSB tetramers can bind ssDNA in multiple DNA binding modes that differ in the extent of ssDNA wrapping. Here, we show that the structurally similar SSB protein from the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum (Pf-SSB) also binds tightly to ssDNA but does not display the same number of ssDNA binding modes as Ec-SSB, binding ssDNA exclusively in fully wrapped complexes with site sizes of 52–65 nt/tetramer. Pf …

Wing Shape As An Indicator Of Larval Rearing Conditions For Aedes Albopictus And Aedes Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), C R. Stephens, Steven A. Juliano

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Estimating a mosquito's vector competence, or likelihood of transmitting disease, if it takes an infectious bloodmeal, is an important aspect of predicting when and where outbreaks of infectious diseases will occur. Vector competence can be affected by rearing temperature and inter- and intraspecific competition experienced by the individual mosquito during its larval development. This research investigates whether a new morphological indicator of larval rearing conditions, wing shape, can be used to distinguish reliably temperature and competitive conditions experienced during larval stages. Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae were reared in low intraspecific, high intraspecific, or high …

Seasonal Photoperiods Alter Developmental Time And Mass Of An Invasive Mosquito, Aedes Albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae), Across Its North-South Range In The United States, Steven A. Juliano, Donald A. Yee, Steven M. Vamosi

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), is perhaps the most successful invasive mosquito species in contemporary history. In the United States, Ae. albopictus has spread from its introduction point in southern Texas to as far north as New Jersey (i.e., a span of approximate to 14 degrees latitude). This species experiences seasonal constraints in activity because of cold temperatures in winter in the northern United States, but is active year-round in the south. We performed a laboratory experiment to examine how life-history traits of Ae. albopictus from four populations (New Jersey [39.4 degrees N], Virginia [38.6 degrees N], North …

Environmental Flows Recommendations Report. Final Submission To The Environmental Flows Advisory Group, Rio Grande, Rio Grande Estuary, And Lower Laguna Madre Basin And Bay Stakeholders Committee, And Texas Commission On Environmental Quality, Hudson R. Deyoe, David Buzan, Jude A. Benavides, Carlos Marin, R. J. Edwards, W. Pulich Jr.

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

No abstract provided.

Short Lesson Plan Associated With Increased Acceptance Of Evolutionary Theory And Potential Change In Three Alternate Conceptions Of Macroevolution In Undergraduate Students, Joel K. Abraham, Kathryn E. Perez, Nicholas Downey, Jon C. Herron, Eli Meir

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

Undergraduates commonly harbor alternate conceptions about evolutionary biology; these alternate conceptions often persist, even after intensive instruction, and may influence acceptance of evolution. We interviewed undergraduates to explore their alternate conceptions about macroevolutionary patterns and designed a 2-h lesson plan to present evidence that life has evolved. We identified three alternate conceptions during our interviews: that newly derived traits would be more widespread in extant species than would be ancestral traits, that evolution proceeds solely by anagenesis, and that lineages must become more complex over time. We also attempted to measure changes in the alternate conceptions and levels of acceptance …

Anti-Invasive And Anti-Adhesive Activities Of A Recombinant Disintegrin, R-Viridistatin 2, Derived From The Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus Viridis Viridis), Sara E. Lucena, Ying Jia, Julio G. Soto, Jessica Parral, Esteban Cantu, Jeremy Brannon, Kristina Lardner, Carla J. Ramos, Agustin I. Seoane, Elda. E. Sánchez

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

Snake venom disintegrins inhibit platelet aggregation and have anti-cancer activities. In this study, we report the cloning, expression, and functional activities of a recombinant disintegrin, r-viridistatin 2 (GenBank ID: JQ071899), from the Prairie rattlesnake. r-Viridistatin 2 was tested for anti-invasive and anti-adhesive activities against six different cancer cell lines (human urinary bladder carcinoma (T24), human fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), human skin melanoma (SK-Mel-28), human colorectal adenocarcinoma (CaCo-2), human breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231) and murine skin melanoma (B16F10)). r-Viridistatin 2 shares 96% and 64% amino acid identity with two other Prairie rattlesnake medium-sized disintegrins, viridin and viridistatin, respectively. r-Viridistatin 2 was able to …

Selfish Little Circles: Transmission Bias And Evolution Of Large Deletion-Bearing Mitochondrial Dna In Caenorhabditis Briggsae Nematodes, Katie A. Clark, Dana K. Howe, Kristin Gafner, Danika Kusuma, Sita Ping, Suzanne Estes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Selfish DNA poses a significant challenge to genome stability and organismal fitness in diverse eukaryotic lineages. Although selfish mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has known associations with cytoplasmic male sterility in numerous gynodioecious plant species and is manifested as petite mutants in experimental yeast lab populations, examples of selfish mtDNA in animals are less common. We analyzed the inheritance and evolution of mitochondrial DNA bearing large heteroplasmic deletions including nad5 gene sequences (nad5Δ mtDNA), in the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae. The deletion is widespread in C. briggsae natural populations and is associated with deleterious organismal effects. We studied the inheritance patterns of nad5Δ …

Identification Of The Wings Apart Transcriptional Unit In Drosophila Melanogaster, Ginny R. Morriss

Biology ETDs

Muscle development is an evolutionarily conserved process. Mechanisms that govern the development of specific muscles in invertebrates can inform our understanding of how vertebrate muscles form. Understanding these processes allows us to translate developmental mechanisms to disease pathogenesis, as similar genes and developmental processes are affected by these diseases. In this dissertation, CG14614 is identified as the gene responsible for the wings apart phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster. This mutation leads to a loss of the adult jump muscle (TDT) in most cases and a greater than 60% reduction in muscle fibers in its least severe form. wap mutants fail to …

Spectral Densities And Coherence Of Nm Hydrology; Nm Decomposition Analysis; Quantifying Science Education, Jennifer L. Tichy

Biology ETDs

Chapter 1: River discharge and montane snowpack play a central role in controlling processes at all levels of ecological organization, so the identification of dominant hydrological periods is an important issue in relating the physical system to the biological system. To quantitatively study the Rio Grande discharge along with the closely related snowpack, we determine the spectral densities as a function of frequency in addition to coherence estimates. This is quality-controlled through a signal to noise ratio, which also allows us to create a transfer function to model the relationship between river discharge and snowpack. By using frequency domain techniques, …