Biology Commons^™

Investigation Of Angiogenic Effects Of Bioactive Borate Glass Microfibers And Beads In A Rodent Model, Richard Jeffrey Watters

Masters Theses

"The primary objective of this research project was to evaluate the effects of three different compositions of bioactive glass microfibers (45S5, 13-93B3, and 13-93B3Cu) and bioactive glass beads (13-93, 13-93B3, and 13-93B3Cu) on angiogenesis in subcutaneous tissue in the SKH1 'hairless' mouse. Microvascular responses to the bioactive glass implants were investigated via three experimental approaches: noninvasive vital imaging of microvasculature in dorsal skin windows; quantitative histomorphometry of microvascular densities; and quantitative PCR measurements of mRNA expression of pro-angiogenic cytokines VEGF and FGF-2. The live imaging of dorsal skin window preparations in the hairless SKH1 showed the formation of a halo-like …

Dephosphorylation Of Iqg1 By Cdc14 Temporally Regulates Actin Ring Formation, Daniel Patrick Miller

Masters Theses

"Cytokinesis is the final step in cell division when the cell separates the cytoplasm by contracting a ring composed of filamentous actin (F-actin) and type II myosin. Iqg1, an IQGAP family member, is an essential scaffolding protein in budding yeast (S. cerevisiae) required for actin recruitment to, and contraction of, the actomyosin ring. Actin is recruited by the calponin homology domain (CHD) in anaphase after Iqg1 is localized to the bud neck. Consensus sites for the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) Cdc28 were identified flanking the CHD. This led us to the hypothesis that phosphorylation of Iqg1 by Cdc28 negatively regulates actin …

She’S A Femme Fatale: Low-Density Larval Development Produces Good Disease Vectors, Steven A. Juliano, Gabriel Sylvestre Ribeiro, Rafael Maciel-De-Freitas, Márcia G. Castro, Claudia Codeço, Ricardo Lourenço-De-Oliveira, L Philip Lounibos

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Two hypotheses for how conditions for larval mosquitoes affect vectorial capacity make opposite predictions about the relationship of adult size and frequency of infection with vector-borne pathogens. Competition among larvae produces small adult females. The competition-susceptibility hypothesis postulates that small females are more susceptible to infection and predicts frequency of infection should decrease with size. The competition-longevity hypothesis postulates that small females have lower longevity and lower probability of becoming competent to transmit the pathogen and thus predicts frequency of infection should increase with size. We tested these hypotheses for Aedes aegypti in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during a dengue …

Spatial And Temporal Habitat Segregation Of Mosquitoes In Urban Florida, Paul T. Leisnham, Shannon L. Ladeau, Steven A. Juliano

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Understanding mechanisms fostering coexistence between invasive and resident species is important in predicting ecological, economic, or health impacts of invasive species. The non-native mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus have been resident in the southeastern United States for over a century. They coexist at some urban sites with the more recent invasive Aedes albopictus, which is usually superior in interspecific competition. We tested predictions of temporal and spatial habitat segregation that foster coexistence of these resident species with the superior invasive competitor. We measured spatial and temporal patterns of site occupancy and abundance for all three species among standard oviposition …

Homocysteine Intensifies Embryonic Lim3 Expression In Migratory Neural Crest Cells: A Quantitative Confocal Microscope Study, Jordan Naumann

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Elevated levels of homocysteine in maternal blood and amniotic fluid are associated with cardiovascular, renal, skeletal, and endocrine diseases and also with embryonic malformations related to neural crest cells. Neural crest cells are necessary for the formation of tissues and organs throughout the body of vertebrate animals. The migration of neural crest cells is essential for proper development of the target tissues. When migration is disrupted, abnormalities may occur. Migration is affected by transcriptional factor LIM3 protein, which regulates the dynamic components of the neural crest cell cytoskeleton. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that exogenous …

Closing The Knowing-Doing Gap In Invasive Plant Management: Accessibility And Interdisciplinarity Of Scientific Research, Virginia Matzek, Justin Covino, Jennifer L. Funk, Martin Saunders

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Like many conservation disciplines, invasion biology may suffer from a knowing-doing gap, where scientific research fails to inform management actions. We surveyed California resource managers to evaluate engagement with scientific research and to identify research priorities. We examined managers' access to information, judgment of the usefulness of existing research, ability to generate scientific information, and priorities for future research. We found that practitioners rely on their own experience, and largely do not read the peer-reviewed literature, which they regard as only moderately useful. Less than half of managers who do research carry out experiments conforming to the norms of hypothesis …

Arabidopsis Msl10 Has A Regulated Cell Death Signaling Activity That Is Separable From Its Mechanosensitive Ion Channel Activity, Kira M. Veley, Grigory Maksaev, Elizabeth M. Frick, Emma January, Sarah C. Kloepper, Elizabeth S. Haswell

Biology Faculty Research

Members of the MscS superfamily of mechanosensitive ion channels function as osmotic safety valves, releasing osmolytes under increased membrane tension. MscS homologs exhibit diverse topology and domain structure, and it has been proposed that the more complex members of the family might have novel regulatory mechanisms or molecular functions. Here, we present a study of MscS-Like (MSL)10 from Arabidopsis thaliana that supports these ideas. High-level expression of MSL10-GFP in Arabidopsis induced small stature, hydrogen peroxide accumulation, ectopic cell death, and reactive oxygen species- and cell death-associated gene expression. Phosphomimetic mutations in the MSL10 N-terminal domain prevented these phenotypes. The phosphorylation …

Painted Redstarts In South Texas, 2013-2014, Timothy Brush

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

No abstract provided.

Changes In Fish Populations In The Lower Canyons Of The Rio Grande, Gary P. Garrett, Robert Edwards

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

The Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande suffer from environmental degradation that has negatively impacted native fish populations and their distributions. Macrhybopsis aestivalis (speckled chub), Notropis jemezanus (Rio Grande shiner), Rhinichthys cataractae (longnose dace) and Cycleptus elongatus (blue sucker) populations appear to have suffered recent declines. Although diminished water quantity is likely an important factor in these declines, related changes in channel morphology precipitated by massive stands of Arundo donax (giant reed) and Tamarix sp. (salt cedar) may also be responsible. These invasive exotics have essentially channelized the river, disrupted normal sediment distribution and reduced shallow, low-velocity habitats. Much of …

A Central Support System Can Facilitate Implementation And Sustainability Of A Classroom-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure) In Genomics, Jeremy Buhler, Elaine Mardis, Wilson Leung, Christopher Shaffer, Jennifer Threlfall, Sarah C.R. Elgin, David Lopatto, Charles Hauser, Christopher Jones, Don Paetkau, Vidya Chandrasekaran, David Dunbar, Christy Mackinnon, Joyce Stamm, Consuelo Alvarez, Daron Barnard, James Bedard, April Bednarski, Satish Bhalla, John Braverman, Martin Burg, Hui-Min Chung, Randall Dejong, Justin Diangelo, Chunguang Du, Todd Eckdahl, Julia Emerson, Amy Frary, Donald Frohlich, Anya Goodman, Yuying Gosser, Shubha Govind, Adam Haberman, Amy Hark, Arlene Hoogewerf, Diana Johnson, Lisa Kadlec, Marian Kaehler, Catherine Silver-Key, Nighat Kokan, Olga Kopp, Gary Kuleck, Jane Lopilato, Juan Martinez-Cruzado, Gerard Mcneil, Stephanie Mel, Alexis Nagengast, Paul Overvoorde, Susan Parrish, Mary Preuss, Laura Reed, Gloria Regisford, Dennis Revie, Srebrenka Robic, Jennifer Roecklien-Canfield, Anne Rosenwald, Michael Rubin, Kenneth Saville, Stephanie Schroeder, Karim Sharif, Mary Shaw, Gary Skuse, Christopher Smith, Mary Smith, Sheryl Smith, Eric Spana, Mary Spratt, Aparna Sreenivasan, Jeffrey Thompson, Matthew Wawersik, Michael Wolyniak, James Youngblom, Leming Zhou

Biology Faculty Research

In their 2012 report, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology advocated "replacing standard science laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses"-a challenging proposition that presents practical and pedagogical difficulties. In this paper, we describe our collective experiences working with the Genomics Education Partnership, a nationwide faculty consortium that aims to provide undergraduates with a research experience in genomics through a scheduled course (a classroom-based undergraduate research experience, or CURE). We examine the common barriers encountered in implementing a CURE, program elements of most value to faculty, ways in which a shared core support system can help, and the …

Another Look At The Root Of The Angiosperms Reveals A Familiar Tale, Bryan T. Drew, Brad R. Ruhfel, Stephen A. Smith, Michael J. Moore, Barbara G. Briggs, Matthew A. Gitzendanner, Pamela S. Soltis, Douglas E. Soltis

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Since the advent of molecular phylogenetics more than 25 years ago, a major goal of plant systematists has been to discern the root of the angiosperms. While most studies indicate that Amborella trichopoda is sister to all remaining extant flowering plants, support for this position has varied with respect to both the sequence data sets and analyses employed. Recently, Goremykin et al. (2013) questioned the “Amborella-sister hypothesis” using a “noise-reduction” approach and reported a topology with Amborella + Nymphaeales (water lilies) sister to all remaining angiosperms. Through a series of analyses of both plastid genomes and mitochondrial genes, we continue …

Endogenous Ros Levels In C. Elegans Under Exogenous Stress Support Revision Of Oxidative Stress Theory Of Life-History Tradeoffs, Samson W. Smith, Leigh C. Latta Iv, Dee R. Denver, Suzanne Estes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: The oxidative stress theory of life-history tradeoffs states that oxidative stress caused by damaging free radicals directly underpins tradeoffs between reproduction and longevity by altering the allocation of energetic resources between these tasks. We test this theory by characterizing the effects of exogenous oxidative insult and its interaction with thermal stress and diet quality on a suite of life-history traits and correlations in Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes. We also quantify demographic aging rates and endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in live animals.

Results: Our findings indicate a tradeoff between investment in reproduction and antioxidant defense (somatic maintenance) consistent with …

Pcb Effects On Development Of Behavior In Rats, Robert Witte

Honors Projects

Abstract

PCBs were originally used as industrial chemicals in many devices and applications, including electrical capacitors and transformers, lubricants, and sealants in buildings. PCBs have been investigated and their use has been slowly phased out starting in the U.S. in the 1970s. A worldwide ban was put on the use and manufacturing of PCB in 2001, however they remain in the food chain because of their lipophilic properties and their long half-life. Major sources of PCB include wild-life, fish, and other seafood. Individuals exposed to PCB during development can experience negative effects on neurobiological, cognitive, and behavior functioning in both …

The Effects That Liquid And Solid Cattle Manure Have On The Water Quality Of Drainage Ditches In Putnam County, Ohio, Janelle Horstman

Honors Projects

Lake Erie has experienced harmful algal blooms with increased frequency since the mid-1990s due to excess nutrients from Rivers, such as the Maumee River, and largely agricultural watersheds. Nonpoint source pollution from agriculture contributes to eutrophication, algal blooms, and the degradation of water quality. This creates stress on aquatic fauna, reduced aesthetic quality, odor, and limits of the water for usage of drinking, recreation, and industry. This research paper asks what the contributions of having access to manure application records, soil records, and information about antibiotics have on what is known about manure management and antibiotic resistance, which has been …

Population Structure, Size, And The Thermal Ecology Of Iowa Wood Turtles (Glyptemys Insculpta): A Comparison Between Suburban And Rural Populations, Samuel Wesley Berg

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Population structure, population size, and the thermal ecology of wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) was studied in a suburban population in Black Hawk County (BHC) and compared to a rural population in Butler County (BC), Iowa. In a suburban population of 35 wood turtles, 32 (91.4%) were adults distributed in a 1:1 sex ratio [16 (45.7%) females and 16 (45.7%) males], and 3 (8.6%) were juveniles. In the rural population, 60 (98.4% of the total population) adult turtles were distributed in a 3:2 sex ratio [36 (59.0%) females and 24 (39.3%) males], and one (1.7%) juvenile was located. Population structure was …

Preconditioning Effect Of Cytokinins On In Vitro Multiplication Of Embryonic Node Of Grass Pea (Lathyrus Sativus L.) Cultivar Gürbüz, Surendra Barpete, Muhammad Aasim, Khalid Mahmood Khawar, Sancar Fati̇h Özcan, Sebahatti̇n Özcan

Turkish Journal of Biology

Lathyrus sativus L. (grass pea) is an important grain legume crop grown all over the world. It is very recalcitrant and difficult to regenerate under in vitro conditions. The present study determined the effect of preconditioning of cytokinins [10 and 20 mg L^{-1} thidiazuron (TDZ) and 2-isopentenyl adenine (2iP)] and postconditioning of dissimilar levels of TDZ-indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 2iP-IBA on in vitro shoot multiplication using embryonic node explants. The results showed that preconditioning followed by postconditioning on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 mg L^{-1} 2iP or TDZ combined with 0.10 mg L^{-1} IBA …

Squalestatin-Induced Production Of Taxol And Baccatin In Cell Suspension Culture Of Yew (Taxus Baccata L.), Sayed Asadollah Amini, Leila Shabani, Ladan Afghani, Zohreh Jalalpour, Majid Sharifi-Tehrani

Turkish Journal of Biology

Various elicitors have already been reported to enhance the production of taxol and related taxanes. In this study, effects of a fungal metabolite, squalestatin, on production of taxol and baccatin III were studied. Expressions of 4 key involved genes, ts, dbat, bapt, and dbtnbt, in suspension cultures of Taxus baccata were also detected using qPCR. Results showed that application of squalestatin significantly increased taxol and baccatin III yields. Increased expressions of the genes were in accordance with measures of taxol and baccatin accumulations in cells and medium. Production of H_{2}O_{2} has significant positive correlations with both gene expression and taxanes, …

Cobalt Induces Alterations In Serum Parameters Associated With Bone Metabolism In Male Adult Rat, Ali Asghar Moshtaghie, Pedram Malekpouri, Elham Moshtaghie, Farhang Rahnamaie

Turkish Journal of Biology

The intention of this study was to investigate the toxic effect of cobalt on the bone metabolism of rats, including calcium, inorganic phosphorus, and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase of serum during short- and long-term experiments. Rats were injected intraperitoneally (IP) with either 16 mg kg^{-1} BW of cobalt for 5 and 10 days or 6 mg kg^{-1} BW for 20 and 40 days. It was found that IP administrations of cobalt could increase all serum parameters associated with bone metabolic processes. The observed effect was greatest for 16 mg kg^{-1} BW when used for 10 continuous days. By using gel filtration …

Cloning And Expression Analysis Of 1-Deoxy-D-Xylulose-5-Phosphate Synthase Gene From The Medicinal Plant Conyza Blinii H.Lév., Rong Sun, Shan Liu, Jing-Lei Gao, Zi-Zhong Tang, Hui Chen, Cheng-Lei Li, Qi Wu

Turkish Journal of Biology

Conyza blinii H.Lév. is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant that is distributed mainly in southwestern Sichuan and northern Yunnan. Its characteristic product is blinin, which has, among other properties, antigastric ulcer activity, and can serve as a quality-control standard for such medicine. The problem is that C. blinii only produces low yields of blinin. As a diterpene, blinin is likely formed by the methylerythritol phosphate pathway. While 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) is the first rate-limiting enzyme in diterpenoid biosynthesis, it is a switch in the pathway. The DXS gene was successfully cloned and characterized from C. blinii by homologous cloning and …

Failure Of Immunological Cells To Eradicate Tumor And Cancer Cells: An Overview, Rohit Sharma, Daizee Talukdar, Parth Malik, Tapan K. Mukherjee

Turkish Journal of Biology

Inflammation can be broadly understood as a successive immune response of an organism's immune system towards nonnative or foreign antigens. This is a protective mechanism of the immune system, mediated by diverse immunological cells, to ensure homeostasis of an individual. Once activated, these immunological cells release a number of cytokines, chemokines, reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, histamines, prostaglandins, and other materials leading to inflammation. Tumor cells express altered proteins due to mutations of their genes, DNA modifications such as histone modification, DNA methylation, or other mechanisms of altered protein expression. The body's immunological cells actively recognize these altered proteins, …

Current Paradigms Of Cancer Chemoprevention, Rajendra G. Mehta

Turkish Journal of Biology

Cancer chemoprevention has been continually evolving ever since the term was coined in the 70s. From the original approaches of identifying chemopreventive agents from the dietary constituents based on the epidemiological data to the current status of adapting them from the molecular targets, significant understanding of cancer as a disease and its possible prevention has been achieved. The identification of the chemopreventive agent from a complex mixture of natural product extracts involves numerous steps including bioassay guided fractionation; evaluation of the extracts, fractions and isolated new chemicals selectively using in vitro and in vivo experimental models; and understanding the mechanism …

Genotoxic, Cytotoxic, And Apoptotic Effects Of Crude Extract Of Usnea Filipendula Stirt. In Vitro, Serap Çeli̇kler Kasimoğullari, Seyhan Oran, Ferda Ari, Engi̇n Ulukaya, Nazlihan Aztopal, Mehmet Sarimahmut, Şule Öztürk

Turkish Journal of Biology

Lichens are recently receiving great attention because they have potential anticancer activity. Therefore, in this study, genotoxic and antigrowth properties of lichen species Usnea filipendula Stirt. were tested against human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). Antigrowth effect was assayed by the MTT and ATP viability assays. Cell death modes (apoptosis/necrosis) were evaluated morphologically (fluorescence staining) and biochemically (caspase-cleaved cytokeratin 18, caspase-3 activity, and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage). Genotoxic activity of U. filipendula was determined by using micronucleus, chromosomal aberration, and comet assays in human lymphocyte culture. U. filipendula inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner and induced apoptosis by …

Stimulatory Effect Of Methyl Jasmonate And Squalestatin On Phenolic Metabolism Through Induction Of Lox Activity In Cell Suspension Culture Of Yew, Zohreh Jalalpour, Leila Shabani, Ladan Afghani, Majid Sharifi-Tehrani, Sayed Asadollah Amini

Turkish Journal of Biology

Cell suspension cultures of Taxus baccata were treated with 2 elicitor compounds, methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and squalestatin (S), individually and in combination for 7 days to determine if they mediated the enhancement of biosynthesis of endogenous jasmonate through induction of lipoxygenase (LOX) activity. Total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, total antioxidants, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and LOX activities in 5-month-old yew cell cultures were studied. Our results showed that MeJA and S could stimulate production of phenol derivatives in cell suspension cultures of T. baccata. In parallel to the induction of phenolic production in elicited cells, results showed that …

Comprehensive Analysis Of Beta-Galactosidase Protein In Plants Based On Arabidopsis Thaliana, Samin Seddigh, Maryam Darabi

Turkish Journal of Biology

Beta-galactosidases (\BETAgals) (EC 3.2.1.23) have been detected in a wide range of plant organs and tissues and are described by their ability to hydrolyze terminal nonreducing \BETA-D-galactosyl residues from \BETA-D-galactosides. In this study, 92 \BETAgal protein sequences from different plants, 7 animal samples including human and mouse, 3 samples from bacteria including Escherichia coli, and 4 samples from insects including Drosophila melanogaster were aligned. Sequences were analyzed by computational tools to predict the protein properties, such as molecular mass, isoelectric point, signal peptide, motifs, transmembrane domain, and secondary and spatial structure. Protein structure analysis revealed there is a high identity …

Identification And Expression Profiling Of Clcuv-Responsive Transcripts In Upland Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum L.), Beenish Aftab, Muhammad Naveed Shahid, Sania Riaz, Adil Jamal, Bahaeldeen Babiker Mohamed, Muzna Zahur, Mahwish Aftab, Bushra Rashid, Tayyab Husnain

Turkish Journal of Biology

CLCuV is one of the most serious causes of cotton damage for which no adequate remedy is available. The possible solution to this problem may be the transfer of resistant genes into the background of agronomical CLCuV-tolerant varieties. In response to viral infection, several plants may show qualitative and quantitative variations in gene expression. To study gene expression between diseased and tolerant plants, DDRT-PCR was performed. Upregulated gene expression was observed among cDNA transcripts screened through random primers. Seven transcripts have significant homology with known proteins (ribosomal protein, photosystem protein unit, membrane protein, and a predicted hypothetical protein). Quantitative real-time …

Tracking Above- And Below- Ground Seed Persistence And Mortality In A Native Tallgrass Prairie Restoration, Carmen Pellish

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The large cost of seed and low seedling establishment rates make restoring native tallgrass prairies expensive and difficult. Tallgrass prairie restorations typically achieve seedling emergence rates of only 10%. This begs the question of what happens to the remaining 90% of seeds that do not emerge as seedlings. This thesis sought to assess or quantify the importance of seed predators and death by microorganisms or to senescence on seed survival and seedling establishment within a newly planted native tallgrass prairie restoration under typical restoration conditions. I hypothesized that small vertebrate seed predators would play be detrimental to overall seedling emergence …

Novel Cul3 Binding Proteins Function To Remodel E3 Ligase Complexes, Wananit Wimuttisuk, Mark West, Brittney Davidge, Kebing Yu, Arthur Salomon, Jeffrey D. Singer

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Cullins belong to a family of scaffold proteins that assemble multi-subunit ubiquitin ligase complexes to recruit protein substrates for ubiquitination via unique sets of substrate adaptor, such as Skp1 or Elongin B, and a substrate-binding protein with a conserved protein-protein interacting domain, such as leucine-rich repeats (LRR), a WD40 domain, or a zinc-finger domain. In the case of the Cullin3 (Cul3), it forms a BTB-Cul3-Rbx1 (BCR) ubiquitin ligase complex where it is believed that a BTB domain-containing protein performs dual functions where it serves as both the substrate adaptor and …