Biology Commons^™

Insight Into Human Brain Evolution Through Phylogenetic Analysis And Comparative Genomics, Amy Marie Boddy

Wayne State University Dissertations

As a species, humans are often considered to be unique among mammals, with respect to their large brain size and enhanced cognitive abilities. Humans are the most encephalized mammals, with a brain that is six times larger than expected relative to body mass. Presumably, it is this high degree of encephalization that underlies our advanced cognitive abilities, including the skills needed for complex language and culture. Understanding how large brains evolved can shed light on what makes the human brain unique and introduce possible mechanism for human specific neurodegenerative diseases. This study takes a both a phenotypic and molecular approach …

Expression And Regulation Of Map Kinase Phosphatases 1 And 2 In Breast Cancer Tamoxifen Sensitivity, Kelly Haagenson

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

EXPRESSION AND REGULATION OF MAP KINASE PHOSPHATASES 1 and 2 IN BREAST CANCER TAMOXIFEN SENSITIVITY

by

KELLY K. HAAGENSON

May 2013

Advisor: Dr. Malathy Shekhar

Co-Advisor: Dr. Gen Sheng Wu

Major: Cancer Biology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The deregulation of cell signaling is a very important component in the development and progression of cancer. One group of signaling molecules that has been implicated in these processes is the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) family which consists of three major branches in mammalian cells: ERK, JNK and p38. The activity of these kinases has wide-ranging effects within the cell and must …

Investigation Of X Chromosome Recognition: The Role Of Small Rna In Drosophila Dosage Compensation, Debashish Unnikrishnan Menon

Wayne State University Dissertations

In humans and flies, females have two X chromosomes but males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. This leads to a fatal imbalance in X-linked gene expression in one sex. In mammals and in the fruit fly Drosophila, modulation of X chromosome expression is critical for survival. This process is termed dosage compensation. Flies increase expression from the male X chromosome two-fold. This is achieved by the Male Specific Lethal (MSL) complex, which consists of two large, non-coding RNA on the X transcripts (roX1 and roX2) and five proteins. The roX RNAs have a critical …

Mitochondrial Dna Instability In Cells Lacking Aconitase Correlates With Iron Citrate Toxicity, Zhengchang Liu, Fei Xiao, Zhejun Dong, Tammy Pracheil, Muhammad Farooq

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Aconitase, the second enzyme of the tricarboxylic acid cycle encoded by ACO1 in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, catalyzes the conversion of citrate to isocitrate. aco1Δ results in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) instability. It has been proposed that Aco1 binds to mtDNA and mediates its maintenance. Here we propose an alternative mechanism to account for mtDNA loss in aco1Δ mutant cells. We found that aco1Δ activated the RTG pathway, resulting in increased expression of genes encoding citrate synthase. By deleting RTG1, RTG3, or genes encoding citrate synthase, mtDNA instability was prevented in aco1Δ mutant cells. Increased activity of citrate synthase leads …

Benzo[A]Pyrene Effects On Fundulus Heteroclitus Reproductive Endpoints, Frank Booc

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) that modulates aromatase enzyme function and, thus, potentially interrupts normal reproductive function. The aim of this study was to use a fish model, Fundulus heteroclitus, to assess whether BaP exposure adversely impacted reproduction. Adult fish were exposed to waterborne BaP concentrations of (0, 1 or 10 μg/L) for 28 days. Males and females were combined for the second half of the exposure (days 14-28) in order to quantitate egg production and fertilization success. Egg fertilization and subsequent hatching success of F1 embryos was significantly decreased by 10 μg/L BaP. In males, both …

Differential Bait Preference And Rate Of Attraction By Argentine Ants (Linepithema Humile Mayr) At Freshwater And Saltwater Marsh Sites In Southern California, Victor D. Carmona-Galindo, Meghan Moore, Melanie Tansuwan

Biology Faculty Works

Ants are a type of foraging insect species which harvests food resources based on availability. When ants locate food resources that are scarce within their habitat, they tend to be more strongly attracted to that food resource. This study used protein, carbohydrate and control based baits to examine if there was a deficiency in resources demonstrated by the ants at two different wetland habitats. We sampled Argentine ants (Linepithema humileMayr) within the saltwater and freshwater marshes of Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles, CA. We found significant differences in the rapid deployment of Argentine ants towards protein baits over …

Linking The Functional Diversity Of Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Species To Soil Carbon And The Genetics Of A Foundational Tree Species, Nicole Marie Hergott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere continues to increase, leading to an enhanced interest in the potential for ecosystems to sequester carbon. Soil could have a high potential to store carbon in these forests, but there is still a great deal to learn about how carbon storage in soils is influenced by ectomycorrhizal fungi. In this symbiosis, the plant host provides the vast majority of C for fungal growth. As a consequence, ECM fungi may provide one of the major pathways for C from trees to soils. Ectomycorrhizal fungal species produce extracellular enzymes that may degrade soil carbon and may differ …

Population Models, Jessica Hauer

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

This thesis will examine mathematical interpretations of biological situations through the study of differential equations. It will first explore the interactions of the lynx and hare populations in Canada based on data retrieved by the Hudson Bay Company. The purpose of this study is to find a suitable mathematical model, namely that of a three-variable Lotka-Volterra system. Also, the paper will explore short-term infectious disease models as they relate to particular epidemics throughout history, including the Iowa Mumps outbreak of 1966 and the Bubonic Plaque. The thesis will then work to make sense of the rise and fall patterns in …

The Evodevoci: A Concept Inventory For Gauging Students’ Understanding Of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Kathryn E. Perez, Anna Hiatt, Gregory K. Davis, Caleb Trujillo, Donald P. French, Mark Terry, Rebecca M. Price

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

The American Association for the Advancement of Science 2011 report Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education encourages the teaching of developmental biology as an important part of teaching evolution. Recently, however, we found that biology majors often lack the developmental knowledge needed to understand evolutionary developmental biology, or “evo-devo.” To assist in efforts to improve evo-devo instruction among undergraduate biology majors, we designed a concept inventory (CI) for evolutionary developmental biology, the EvoDevoCI. The CI measures student understanding of six core evo-devo concepts using four scenarios and 11 multiple-choice items, all inspired by authentic scientific examples. Distracters were designed …

Avifauna Of The Mache Chindul Ecological Reserve, Northwest Ecuador, Luis Carrasco, Karl S. Berg, Jennifer Litz, Andrew Cook, Jordan Karubian

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

We report on the avifauna of the 120,000 ha Mache Chindul Ecological Reserve (REMACH), northwest Ecuador. The study area is located in a poorly studied transition zone between three major Neotropical biogeographic regions-the Chocó, Tumbesian, and Tropical Andes-each of which contains exceptional diversity and endemism in birds and other organisms. We collected data from 1998–99 and 2004–11 from the Bilsa Biological Station (a 3500 ha private reserve) and several farms, forest fragments, and communities distributed across the central portion of REMACH using observations (aural and visual), audio recordings, mist netting, point counts and photographs. We recorded 360 species of bird …

Breeding Biology Of Chuck-Will's-Widows: Incubation, Brooding, And Provisioning Behavior And Characteristics Of Nest Sites, Ryan Sean O'Connor

Online Theses and Dissertations

Chuck-will's-widows (Antrostomus carolinensis) are cryptically colored grounding-nesting nightars that breed throughout much of the eastern United States, primarily in mixed-forest habitat. Because of their cryptic plumage and nocturnal habits, little is known about their behavior, particularly their breeding and nesting behavior. Thus, my objectives were to: (1) quantify patterns of incubation behavior (e.g., on bouts vs. off bouts) and the respective roles of males and females, (2) quantify the brooding and provisioning behavior of males and females, and, (3) compare the characteristics of nest sites and randomly selected unused sites to determine those features important in nest site selection.

My …

Effects Of Thermal Acclimation On The Critical Thermal Maxima Of The Tropical Cockroaches: Blaptica Dubia, Eublaberus Posticus And Blaberus Discoidalis (Blaberidae), Lauren Michelle Goode

Online Theses and Dissertations

The Critical Thermal Maxima (CTMax) is a measure of upper thermal tolerance. The physiological response upon reaching CTMax is similar across taxa, making CTMax useful in comparative studies. The CTMax defines the ecological lethal temperature of an organism and has been used to predict the effects of global climate change. CTMax was determined for adults and first instar nymphs of three species of tropical cockroaches: Blaptica dubia, Eublaberus posticus, and Blaberus discoidalis. Adult cockroaches were acclimated to temperatures of 10°C, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 31°C and 37°C for a period of seven days. Blaptica dubia was the only species to survive …

Validation Of Kentucky Wetlands Rapid Assessment Method (Ky-Wram) Metrics Using Macroinvertebrate Communities Of Forested Depressional Wetlands, Britney Yvonne Garrison

Online Theses and Dissertations

The Kentucky Wetlands Rapid Assessment Method (KY-WRAM) is currently being developed by the collaborative efforts of the Kentucky Division of Water and Eastern Kentucky University as a tool to measure the function and condition of wetlands. To ensure the rapid assessment method properly evaluates wetland condition, the KY-WRAM needs to be validated by comparison to intensive biological data. This project initiated such a comparison using macroinvertebrate communities. Macroinvertebrates play a critical role in wetland ecosystem functioning, thus it is imperative to have an understanding of the macroinvertebrate community responses to degradation of wetlands. Whereas indices of wetland invertebrate communities have …

Host Range Of The Doc Toxin, Aaron Lee

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Identification And Quantification Of Gene Targets Associated With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Matthew Monaco

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Opuntia Littoralis Fruit Volume, Sugar Concentration, Number Of Seeds And Average Seed Mass In Relation To Fitness, Victor D. Carmona, Kathleen Foster, Carolyne Hoey

Biology Faculty Works

Organisms cannot maximize all life functions and therefore must allocate resources to maximize reproductive fitness such that they produce the highest number of surviving offspring. The object of the experiment was to evaluate variation of fruit morphology to determine how Opuntia littoralis optimizes reproductive investment. The experiment focused on fruit volume, sugar concentration, number of seeds and average seed mass on two different aspects (polar-facing and equatorial-facing slopes) in Temescal Canyon Gateway Park, Pacific Palisades, California. The results revealed fruit volume was positively correlated with number of seeds, sugar concentration was positively correlated with number of seeds, and average seed …

Assessing The Impact Of Invasive Species Management Strategies On The Population Dynamics Of Castor Bean (Ricinus Communis L., Euphorbiaceae) At Two Southern California Coastal Habitats, Victor D. Carmona, Daryle Hinton-Hardin, Jodi Kagihara, Mary Rose T. Pascua

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

A Preliminary Study Of Ricinus Communis Survivorship At Ballona Wetlands And Temescal Canyon, Los Angeles, California, Victor D. Carmona-Galindo, Daryle Hinton-Hardin, Jodi Kagihara, Mary Rose Pascua

Biology Faculty Works

Invasive plants such as Castor bean (Ricinus communis) are known to threaten ecosystems due to their competition for resources. The Ballona Wetlands and Temescal Canyon managers employ different techniques to manage the spread of R. communis, potentially resulting in differences in plant survivorship. To investigate this possibility, height of the stems of individual R. communis plants at each site were recorded in order to assign them to cohort groups. Based on the hypothesis predicted that R. communis would have a similar cohort structure at both sites but would exhibit higher survivorship at Temescal Canyon, where R. communis …

A Small Molecule Inhibitor Of Redox-Regulated Protein Translocation Into Mitochondria, Deepa V. Dabir

Biology Faculty Works

The mitochondrial disulfide relay system of Mia40 and Erv1/ALR facilitates import of the small translocase of the inner membrane (Tim) proteins and cysteine-rich proteins. A chemical screen identified small molecules that inhibit Erv1 oxidase activity, thereby facilitating dissection of the disulfide relay system in yeast and vertebrate mitochondria. One molecule, mitochondrial protein import blockers from the Carla Koehler laboratory (MitoBloCK-6), attenuated the import of Erv1 substrates into yeast mitochondria and inhibited oxidation of Tim13 and Cmc1 in in vitro reconstitution assays. In addition, MitoBloCK-6 revealed an unexpected role for Erv1 in the carrier import pathway, namely transferring substrates from the …

Regulation Of The Stability And Cellular Localization Of The Coxsackievirus And Adenovirus Receptor (Car), Ran Yan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In polarized epithelia, the seven exon isoform of the Coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR^Ex7) is a basolateral cell-cell adhesion protein that is inaccessible for viral infection. In contrast, the eight-exon CAR isoform (CAR^Ex8) localizes at the apical surface and mediates adenovirus (AdV) infection. A PDZ-domain containing protein, MAGI-1, interacts with both isoforms of CAR. I hypothesized that each CAR isoform interacts with specific MAGI-1 PDZ domain(s). Co-immunoprecipitation, FRET and binding assays showed that CAR^Ex7 and CAR^Ex8 both interact with MAGI-1-PDZ3 with high affinity. CAR^Ex8 also interacts with MAGI-1-PDZ1. Whereas the CAR^Ex7-PDZ3 …

Accurate Splicing Of Hdac6 Requires Son, Vishnu Priya Chowdary Battini

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Pre-mRNA splicing requires proper splice site selection mediated by many factors including snRNPs and serine-arginine rich (SR) splicing factors. Son is the largest known SR splicing factor, and it has several putative functional domains including an RS domain, a glycine rich patch (G-patch) and double stranded RNA binding domain (DSRBD). One-third of Son's amino acid sequence consists of novel repetitive sequence motifs of unknown function (Sharma et al., 2010). Son is essential for organization of pre-mRNA processing factors in nuclear speckles and for cell cycle progression (Sharma et al., 2010; Sharma et al., 2011; Ahn et al 2011). Exon array …

The Phylogenetics Of Tachinidae (Insecta: Diptera) With An Emphasis On Subfamily Structure, Daniel J. Davis

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The parasitoid flies of the Tachinidae family are an important and diverse (>10,000 species) lineage of insects. However, tachinids are not well studied partially due to their confusing classification and taxonomy. DNA sequences were obtained from twenty tribal representatives of Tachinidae, along with eight outgroups in order to phylogenetically reconstruct the superfamilial, subfamilial and tribal relationships of Tachinidae. Seven gene regions of six genes (18S, 28S, COI, CAD, Ef1a, and TPI) were sequenced for each taxon (6214 bp total). Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods were used to infer phylogenies. The Sarcophagidae and Oestridae were usually reconstructed as monophyletic. …

Can Antibiotics From Recently Discovered Marine Actinobacteria Slow The Tide Of Antibiotic Resistance?, Lorraine Susan Tangeman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Actinobacteria, one phylum of gram positive bacteria, are found throughout all the environments on earth. Actinobacteria have long been studied for the benefits they provide, both to their environment and to humans, and have a great capacity for adaptation and evolution. They decompose organic matter, replenishing nutrients into the soil, and as such are important members of the food chain. Humans benefit from the exploitation of Actinobacterial metabolites as antimicrobial drugs. These antimicrobials have been effectively utilized for decades in the fight against infectious disease. Despite the success of this drug arsenal we are now in the midst of an …

Likely Successors Of Ash Species In Response To The Emerald Ash Borer In Ohio Forests, Brian Michael Good

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species have the capability to alter landscapes and change the composition of a forest in a very short time. The recent invasive pest, Agrilus planipennis, emerald ash borer, was unintentionally introduced to the United States via ship route to Michigan. The pest attacks and kills all five native ash species in Ohio. This study focused on an area in west central Ohio not yet affected by the borer. Ash centered plots were used to record all species and sizes (diameter at breast height) within a 5m radius of a central ash tree. Plots ranged in topography and all five …

Co2/Ph Signaling Of Respiratory Control Neurons In The Bullfrog, Lithobates Catesbeianus: Development Of A Comparative Model, Joseph M. Santin

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The locus coeruleus (LC) in the brainstem senses alterations in CO₂/pH and influences ventilatory adjustments that restore blood gas values to starting levels in bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus). We hypothesized that neurons of the bullfrog LC are sensitive to changes in CO₂/pH and that chemosensitive responses are intrinsic to individual neurons. In addition, we hypothesized putative respiratory control neurons of the bullfrog LC would be stimulated by hypercapnic acidosis within physiological ranges of PCO₂/pH. 84% of LC neurons depolarized and increased firing rates during exposure to hypercapnic acidosis (HA). A pH dose response …

Enhancing Herbicide Efficacy On Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris Arundinacea) By Testing A Plant Growth Hormone, Application Times, And Herbicide Type, Denise Lynn Fong

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Phalaris arundinacea, also known as reed canary grass (RCG), is a non-native invasive grass that thrives in floodplains. RCG plants displace native flora which reduces diversity in otherwise species rich wetlands. This is a widespread problem throughout many parts of the USA. RCG can grow by its seeds or its rhizomes. Its seeds are capable of surviving long periods in soil. RCG can potentially be controlled by multi-year treatments in early spring and early fall with broad spectrum or grass specific herbicides. The goal of this study was to optimize methods to control RCG, in order to increase species …

Long-Term Effects Of Deer Browsing On Northern Wisconsin Forest Plant Communities, Danielle Rae Begley

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The effects of excessive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browsing on forest understory plant communities are well-documented. However, these studies are usually short-term, and fail to focus on phylogenetic diversity and additional variables that may explain species composition. This study examined ecological and phylogenetic diversity, vegetation structure, and light (% insolation) in short (7 year) and long-term (22 year) exclosures (and paired controls) to identify if competitive exclusion occurs in long-term exclosures. A deer browsing susceptibility index (DBS) was also developed to identify species reliant on exclosures for persistence. Statistical analysis using 2-way ANOVAs showed increased percent cover, vegetation height, and …

Spatial And Seasonal Signals In Stable Isotopes Of Incisor Enamel From Free-Ranging, Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrels, Jacob Andrew Brassington

Honors Theses

From early May through late September, 2012, we captured, tagged, and collected body masses from multiple, free-ranging thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) in southwestern Michigan, with 14 individuals recaptured 1 or more times through the season. Beginning in mid-June, we captured and euthanized 12 or these individuals (on average, about 1 per week) to allow study of their lower incisors. We serially micro-sampled enamel along squirrel incisors using laser ablation and determined stable isotope ratios (d13 and d18 O) with gas chromatography-isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS). The resulting values fell into two spatial groups. Specimens collected within 25 m of a …

How Species Richness And Total Abundance Constrain The Distribution Of Abundance, Kenneth J. Locey, Ethan P. White

Biology Faculty Publications

The species abundance distribution (SAD) is one of the most intensively studied distributions in ecology and its hollow-curve shape is one of ecology’s most general patterns. We examine the SAD in the context of all possible forms having the same richness (S) and total abundance (N), i.e. the feasible set. We find that feasible sets are dominated by similarly-shaped hollow-curves, most of which are highly correlated with empirical SADs (most R2 values > 75%), revealing a strong influence of N and S on the form of the SAD and an a priori explanation for the ubiquitous hollow-curve. Empirical SADs are often …

Life History, C. W. Fox, Frank J. Messina

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.