Biology Commons^™

Subcloning, Expression And Purification Of Functional E. Coli Nucleotide Excision Repair Protein Uvra Using Impact-Cn System, Cathy W. Lin Mrs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

DNA in cells is constantly damaged by both endogenous and exogenous genotoxic agents. DNA repair is a cellular machinery that counters DNA damage and thus preserve genome integrity. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) in Escherichia coli (E. coli) is one of the DNA repair systems that recognizes and removes a variety of DNA damage such as pyrimidine dimers, bulky chemical adducts, DNA intrastrand cross-links, etc. The genes responsible for E. coli NER incisions are UvrA, UvrB, and UvrC. As the first step of E. coli NER, DNA damage recognition is achieved through the UvrA₂B …

In Vitro Incubation Of Gills Isolated From The Gulf Killfish, Fundulus Grandis, Joseph Anthony Diaz

Senior Honors Theses

The use of viable and reliable tissue preparations allows for experimental approaches in vitro that would not be possible in vivo. In this experiment, gills were isolated from gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, and subjected to various incubation conditions. A combination of two types of media and two incubation apparatuses were compared in their ability to sustain tissues, as measured by the vital stain trypan blue (TB) and percent lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. Trypan Blue analysis indicated no significant difference in tissue viability, regardless of the treatment or incubation time. However, percent LDH leakage analysis revealed that the two most …

A Preliminary Study Of The Role Of Nickel In Enhancing Flowering Of The Nickel Hyperaccumulating Plant Alyssum Inflatum Nyár. (Brassicaceae), R. Ghasemi, Z. Z. Chavoshi, R. S. Boyd, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Alyssum inflatum is a native of serpentine soils and is able to hyperaccumulate nickel (Ni), but the importance of Ni to reproduction in the species is unknown. We investigated if reproductive fitness is enhanced by Ni in the growth medium, and included a treatment involving a relatively high level of Mg to provide a comparison with elevated levels of another metal. Seedlings were grown in a modified Hoagland solution culture in an inertmediumof Perlite andwere treatedwith Ni (100 μM), a high concentration ofMg (5mM), or under control conditions (solution culture without Ni or the addition of high Mg) for 14 …

Ecomorphological And Genetic Investigations Into The Utah Lake, Ut Sucker Complex With Comparisons To The Jackson Lake, Wy Sucker Complex, David D. Cole

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Natural selection within the sucker family of fishes has produced populations including typical benthic (bottom-feeding) suckers (Catostomus) and lakesuckers (Chasmistes), mid-water plankton eaters, in several large western North American lakes. Suckers of intermediate morphology (shape) exist in a continuum of head, mouth, and body characteristics between these two extremes. All current lakesuckers are listed Endangered, and population declines have been attributed in part to hybridization with their Catostomus neighbors.

Chapter 2 describes the investigation of the relationship between morphology and genetics of June sucker, a lakesucker, and Utah sucker, a benthic sucker, in Utah Lake, Utah. …

The Functional Role Of Cd36 Involved In Fatty Acid Transduction, Han Xu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As one of the most epidemic health concerns in the world, obesity has become a widespread health issue especially for the developed world. It is related to various health conditions including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. It is also quite costly. In United States alone, the medical cost of obesity in 2008 was estimated to be $147 billion. Many underlying mechanisms of obesity have been studied in the past few decades. However, the most prevalent cause appears to be simply an imbalance of energy intake and expenditure, resulting in the accumulation of body fat. On …

The Role Of Vegetation Structure, Composition, And Nutrition In Greater Sage-Grouse Ecology In Northwestern Utah, Brian R. Wing

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) is the largest grouse species in North America and an indicator species for the condition of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems. The Box Elder Sage-Grouse Management Area (SGMA) in northwestern Utah encompasses one of the state’s largest sage-grouse populations.

To fill knowledge gaps regarding the population inhabiting the Raft River subunit of the Box Elder SGMA, I captured, radio-marked, and monitored 123 (68 female, 55 male) sage-grouse from January 2012 through December 2013. My purpose was to describe how the seasonal movements, survival, and reproductive rates of this sage-grouse population …

Systematics And Behavioral Evolution Of Spider Wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Cecilia Waichert Monteiro

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Spider wasps form a diverse and widespread group of stinging wasps. Although all Pompilidae have similar life history characteristics, there is considerable variation in nesting behavior modes and, thus, this family could be useful for learning about the evolution of nesting behavior in insects. The nesting behavior of many species is well known, the family is monophyletic and easily recognized, and certain species have some degree of pre-sociality, i.e., communal nesting. All these factors suggest that the Pompilidae are an important model group for understanding mechanisms and patterns of behavioral evolution.

Pompilidae, however, are rarely studied and their research potential …

Range Limits, Range Shifts, And Lower Thermal Tolerance In The Tropical Barnacle Megabalanus Coccopoma, Samuel Crickenberger

All Dissertations

Climate change and species introductions are leading to shifts in marine species' geographic distributions. However, few studies have examined range limits and range shifts in tropical marine species. The barnacle Megabalanus coccopoma is native to shorelines from Baja California to Peru and has been introduced to a number of locations worldwide including the Atlantic US SE coast, where its current introduced range extends from Ft. Pierce, FL to Cape Hatteras, NC with seasonal populations as far north as Kitty Hawk, NC. In order to understand the potential poleward range limit of M. coccopoma in the US SE under modern day …

Identification Of Novel Natural Compounds With Anti-Breast Cancer Activities, Yusra Saif Al Dhaheri

Dissertations

Breast cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. In this dissertation, natural compounds with anti-breast cancer activities were identified. We investigated the effect of Salinomycin, a potassium ionophore isolated from Streptomyces albus, on the survival of three human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, T47D and MDA-MB-231. High concentrations of Salinomycin induced a G2 arrest, down regulation of survivin and triggered apoptosis. Interestingly, treatments with low concentrations of Salinomycin induced a transient G1 arrest at an earlier time and G2 arrest and senescence, associated with enlarged cell morphology, at a later time. There was also …

Chemical Induced Hypoxia Differentially Affects Gene Expression In Human Neuronal Cells, Natasha V. Pavlichko

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Previously, our laboratory used desferoxamine (DFO), to generate hypoxic conditions (a low oxygen condition) which decreased human neuronal cell viability, but some cells still survived. These surviving neurons showed no morphological changes when compared to the non-treated group. However, the alteration of several intracellular events were detected, such as an increase of hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) mRNA levels, a decrease of human mu opioid receptor (hMOR) message, and no change of human delta opioid receptor (hDOR) receptor message. Western blot analysis showed the Janus kinase (JAK)/ Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STAT) pathway was activated and an increase …

Understanding How Honey Bee Flight And Senescence Are Connected Through Oxidative Stress., Joseph Margotta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this dissertation was to exploit the tractability of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) to understand how the physiological and cellular mechanisms that determine the onset and duration of senescence are shaped by behavioral development and behavioral intensity. These data reveal how behavior can damage cells and consequently limit lifespan. The honey bee represents the ideal model to address these factors because age, behavior, functional senescence, and lifespan are easily manipulated independently of each other while in its natural environment. I determined if there was a cause-effect relationship between honey bee flight and oxidative stress by comparing damage …

Investigations Into Sensory Ecology And Gene Evolution Of The Pea Aphid (Acyrthosiphon Pisum), Swapna R. Purandare

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Organisms use environmental cues to gather information required to perform activities that are essential for their survival and reproduction, such as searching for food, avoiding danger, and finding mates. They respond to the acquired information by changing their behavior or physiology, which may result in increased fitness. Due to the fundamental importance of information in an organism’s life, it is important to understand its acquisition, processing, and the organism’s response to it. In the work presented here, we used the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), an insect that produces multiple phenotypes, or morphs, that are genetically identical, but differ …

The Grass Shrimp, Palaemonetes, Pugio: Hypoxic Influences On Embryonic Development, Christensen C. Javier

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Grass shrimp,Palaemonetes pugio, can survive in brackish waters and estuarine ecosystems despite the frequent oscillations and fluctuations in salinity, temperature and oxygen. AdultP. pugiohave the ability to osmoregulate (Romney and Reiber 2011), change cardiac parameters to tolerate temperatures (not yet published, Mika and Reiber) and oxyregulate (Guadagnoli and Reiber 2013). Manipulation of cardiac parameters allows for these methods of regulation. However, cardiac contraction and internal convection of oxygen do not occur until later stages of embryonic development. Studies focused on these morphological and physiological advantages may provide further understanding of the regulatory mechanisms within grass shrimp embryos, larvae and adults. …

Life History Tradeoffs And The Costs Of Reproduction In Arizona Bark Scorpions (Centruroides Sculpturatus), Michael Marie Webber

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Tradeoffs in life history evolution result from conflicts in the time and energy that can be simultaneously invested in activities such as growth, reproduction, and survival. Reproduction is an energetically costly activity for organisms, and is known to elicit alterations in the daily activity patterns of individuals. I investigated reproductive tradeoffs in the Arizona Bark Scorpion,Centruroides sculpturatus. To better understand the nature of tradeoffs in this species, I examined the influence of reproductive state on the predatory efficiency and thermal preference of reproductive females. Further, I examined the influence of reproductive activities (i.e. gestation) on the ability of reproductive females …

Invasive Plants As Drivers And Passengers Of Community Change In A Disturbed Urban Forest., Jeffery A. Masters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species can impact local ecosystems by decreasing biodiversity and local abundances of native species. Invasive species also frequently establish in disturbed habitats. An invasive species may dominate a habitat because the introduced species is a superior competitor (driver model) for resources or because the introduced species is more tolerant of noncompetitive processes such as anthropogenic disturbance that reduces the diversity and abundance of native species (passenger model). Ranunculus ficaria (Ranunculaceae) is an invasive plant species in the northeastern United States, and can be especially dense in urban riparian habitats. It emerges early and forms thick mats of vegetation that …

Fruiting Bodies Of The Social Amoeba Dictyostelium Discoideum Increase Spore Transport By Drosophila, Jeff Smith, David C. Queller, Joan E. Strassmann

Biology Faculty Research

Background: Many microbial phenotypes are the product of cooperative interactions among cells, but their putative fitness benefits are often not well understood. In the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum , unicellular amoebae aggregate when starved and form multicellular fruiting bodies in which stress-resistant spores are held aloft by dead stalk cells. Fruiting bodies are thought to be adaptations for dispersing spores to new feeding sites, but this has not been directly tested. Here we experimentally test whether fruiting bodies increase the rate at which spores are acquired by passing invertebrates.
Results: Drosophila melanogaster accumulate spores on their surfaces more quickly …

Survival, Abundance, And Geographic Distribution Of Temperate-Nesting Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis) In Arkansas, Margaret Eliese Ronke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Temperate-nesting Canada geese in Arkansas have grown in abundance and range since reintroduction in the 1980s. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission uses harvest and other methods to maintain the population at desired levels. However, continued management of temperate-nesting geese requires knowledge of the population's demographics and current range to help establish quantifiable management goals.

To assess the need and effect of changing hunting regulations, survival and recovery rates and abundance were estimated for this population. Annual survival rates of temperate-nesting Canada geese banded and recovered in Arkansas from 2005 to 2011 were estimated using the Burnham joint live-dead recovery …

Phylogenetic Revision Of The Genus Arenivaga (Rehn) (Blattodea: Corydiidae), With Descriptions Of New Species, A Key To The Males, And An Investigation Of Its Ecological Niche, Heidi Hopkins

Biology ETDs

The cockroach genus Arenivaga is revised. Forty-eight Arenivaga species are recognized with nine previously known species and 39 described as new including the following: A. pagana sp. n., A. grandiscanyonensis sp. n., A. haringtoni sp. n., A. hopkinsorum sp. n., A. umbratilis sp. n., A. tenax sp. n., A. impensa sp. n., A. trypheros sp. n., A. darwini sp. n., A. nalepae sp. n., A. sequoia sp. n., A. mckittrickae sp. n., A. gaiophanes sp. n., A. belli sp. n., A. estelleae sp. n., A. delicata sp. n., A. mortisvallisensis sp. n., A. milleri sp. n., A. pratchetti sp. n., …

Analysis Of Genes Required For Quiescent Cell Formation In Stationary Phase Cultures Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Melissa R. Wilson

Biology ETDs

Yeast cells in stationary phase cultures, after several days growth in rich, glucose-based medium (YPD), are separable by density-gradient centrifugation into two fractions. The heavier, quiescent cells are mostly virgin daughters whereas the less-dense, non-quiescent cells, are a typical mixture of daughters to aged cells. Quiescent cells can also be separated based on expression of specific GFP-tagged proteins, including many that are localized to the mitochodria. To ask the question, what genes are required for this differentiation process, we used a combination of the diploid, homozygous yeast deletion set, the heterozygous deletion set (carrying one deleted 'essential' gene) and a …

Abiotic Drivers Of Chihuahuan Desert Plant Communities, Laura Marie Ladwig

Biology ETDs

Within grasslands, precipitation, fire, nitrogen (N) addition, and extreme temperatures influence community composition and ecosystem function. The differential influences of these abiotic factors on Chihuahuan Desert grassland communities was examined within the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, located in central New Mexico, U.S.A. Although fire is a natural disturbance in many grasslands, fire during drought temporarily increased forb cover and decreased grass cover for several years. The seasonal timing of fire was not important, rather community recovery was more influenced by the persistent drought conditions. N deposition is increasing worldwide due to human activities, and although additional N increases productivity and …

Differences In Consumption Rates Between Juvenile And Adult Laccophilus Fasciatus Rufus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) On Larval Culex Quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae), Carmen E. Bofill

Honors Theses

With the increase of global temperature and human populations, prevalence of vector-borne diseases is becoming an issue for public health. Over the years these vectors have been notorious for developing resistance to human regulated insecticides. Thus, other forms of control, including the use of natural predators, have become an important topic in research. Research on member of the family of predaceous diving beetles (Dytiscidae) and their predatory ability to decrease aquatic mosquito larvae populations has been of recent interest. The purpose of this study is to 1) quantify consumption rates of the dytiscid Laccophilus fasciatus rufus juvenile and adults on …

Teaching Gene Regulation In The High School Classroom, Ap Biology,, Stefanie H. Baker, Marie Fox, Leigh Smith

Arthur Vining Davis High Impact Fellows Projects

This project sought to enhance high school students’ understanding of gene regulation as taught in an Advanced Placement Biology course. We accomplished this by designing and implementing a lab module that included a pre-lab assessment, a hands-on classroom experiment, and a post-lab assessment in the form of a lab poster. Students developed lab skills while simultaneously learning about course content. Students’ progress was evaluated through a multiple choice/essay test and their lab posters that they created on the lab experiment.

Indirect Effects Between Deer, Mice, And The Gypsy Moth In A Forest Community, John Wojcikiewicz

Theses and Dissertations

White-tailed deer are ecosystem engineers that dramatically alter forest understory vegetation. Consequently, deer can impact many species in a forest through both direct and indirect effects. One species that deer may indirectly affect is the gypsy moth, whose pupae are preyed upon by the white-footed mouse. Through alterations to understory habitat of mice, deer may reduce mouse predation on gypsy moth pupae. In this study, I tested for indirect effects of deer on the gypsy moth by comparing mouse abundance, vegetation properties, and predation on pupae inside, and outside, of long-term deer exclosures. Overall, I did not find evidence for …

Forest Net Primary Production Resistance Across A Gradient Of Moderate Disturbance, Ellen Goodrich-Stuart

Theses and Dissertations

The global carbon (C) balance is vulnerable to disturbances that alter terrestrial C uptake and loss. Moderate disturbances that kill or defoliate only a subset of canopy trees such as insect defoliation, drought, and age-related senescence are increasing in extent and frequency; yet, little is known about the effect of moderate disturbance on forest production and the mechanisms sustaining or supporting the recovery of the C cycle across a range of moderate disturbance severities. We used a broad plot-scale gradient of upper canopy tree mortality within a large manipulation of forest disturbance to: 1) quantify how aboveground wood net primary …

Combined Metagenomic And Phenomic Approaches Identify A Novel Salt Tolerance Gene From The Human Gut Microbiome, Eamon Culligan, Julian R. Marchesi, Colin Hill, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

In the current study, a number of salt-tolerant clones previously isolated from a human gut metagenomic library were screened using Phenotype MicroArray (PM) technology to assess their functional capacity. PM's can be used to study gene function, pathogenicity, metabolic capacity and identify drug targets using a series of specialized microtitre plate assays, where each well of the microtitre plate contains a different set of conditions and tests a different phenotype. Cellular respiration is monitored colorimetrically by the reduction of a tetrazolium dye. One clone, SMG 9, was found to be positive for utilization/transport of L-carnitine (a well-characterized osmoprotectant) in the …

Traversing Swanton Road, 15th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Progress Of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy For Neural And Retinal Diseases, Tsz Kin Ng, Veronica R. Fortino, Daniel Pelaez, Herman S. Cheung

Biology Faculty Articles

Complex circuitry and limited regenerative power make central nervous system (CNS) disorders the most challenging and difficult for functional repair. With elusive disease mechanisms, traditional surgical and medical interventions merely slow down the progression of the neurodegenerative diseases. However, the number of neurons still diminishes in many patients. Recently, stem cell therapy has been proposed as a viable option. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a widely-studied human adult stem cell population, have been discovered for more than 20 years. MSCs have been found all over the body and can be conveniently obtained from different accessible tissues: bone marrow, blood, and adipose …

Sumoylation Status And Effects Of Sumylation On Dax-1, Amy E. Scandurra, Hai Nguyen, Christina Tzagarakis -­‐Foster

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

DAX-1 (Dosage Sensitive Sex Reversal Adrenal Hypoplasia Congenita on the X Chromosome gene 1) is a Nuclear Hormone Receptor, which acts as a transcriptional repressor in the nucleus. DAX-1 plays an important role in development and also appears to have some influence on the progression of cancer. In an effort to better understand DAX-1 function both in normal and disease states we are examining one type of posttranslational modification, SUMOylation. SUMOylation involves the addition of the small polypeptide conjugate SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier) to proteins, this can have a variety of effects on protein activity. To …

Effect Of Australian Pine (Casuarina Equisetifolia) Canopy Density On The Understory Plant Community On San Salvador, Bahamas, Jeffry Anderson, Anna Baumgartner

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Casuarina equisetifolia, or Australian pine, is an invasive angiosperm species on the island of San Salvador, The Bahamas. It was originally found only in Southeast Asia and Australia. This tree is unique in that its leaves are much reduced and occur in whorls around the photosynthetic branchlets. It has been established that this tree contributes to the increased erosion of sediment on the dunes of San Salvador (Sealey 1998). This study investigated several possible factors contributing to differences in the understory plant community which may contribute to this erosion including leaf litter density, shading, and soil pH. It is …

Physiological And Biochemical Consequences Of Sleep Deprivation, Jade Catherine Boykin

Honors College Theses

Sleep is a universal phenomenon in vertebrates and lack of sleep has been linked with various abnormal behaviors (Singh et al 2013). Studies have shown that a strong linkage exists between stress and sleep, or lack thereof. In fact, the Better Sleep Council’s 2009 survey revealed that 65% of Americans lose sleep due to elevated stress (Wells and Vaughn 2012). Continual (chronic) elevated stress levels have been linked with serious negative health effects. By using sleep deprivation studies, on a simpler animal model than humans it is our aim to investigate the consequences of sleep deprivation at the physiological and …