Biology Commons^™

Mucus Of Achatina Fulica Stimulates Mineralization And Inflammatoryresponse In Dental Pulp Cells, Fahsai Kantawong, Pichaporn Thaweenan, Sutinee Mungkala, Sawinee Tamang, Ruthairat Manaphan, Phenphichar Wanachantararak, Teerasak E-Kobon, Pramote Chumnanpuen

Turkish Journal of Biology

Dental pulp tissue contains stem cells that can be isolated and used for regenerative medicine in tooth restoration or autologous transplantation. The aim of this study was to observe the mineralization and gene expression in dental pulp cells (DPCs) following treatment with snail mucus. Snail mucus was collected from adult Achatina fulica and processed as a dry powder by the freeze-drying technique. The mucus powder was dissolved in a culture medium at a concentration of 15 μg/mL. DPCs were prepared by the outgrowth technique and cultured in a 6-well plate at a density of 5 × 104 cells per well. …

Enhancement Of Chondrogenic Differentiation Potential Of Equine Adiposetissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using Tgf-Ss3 And Bmp-6, Milad Shademan, Abbas Parham, Hesam Dehghani

Turkish Journal of Biology

This study was designed to evaluate the in vitro chondrogenic differentiation potential of equine adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) in response to different culture conditions. Fat tissue cells after collection were cultured in optimized conditions until passage 3 (P3). P3 cells were cultured as micropellets under different chondrogenic conditions for 21 days in 5 groups: basic medium as a control, basic chondrogenic medium (BCM), BCM supplemented with transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGF-β3; 10 ng/mL), BCM supplemented with bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP-6; 10 ng/mL), and BCM supplemented with both TGF-β3 and BMP-6. The growth rate of pellets was …

Construction Of An Oxygen Detection-Based Optic Laccase Biosensor For Polyphenolic Compound Detection, Kadi̇r Bi̇li̇r, Marie-Theres Weil, Julia Lochead, Fatma Neşe Kök, Tobias Werner

Turkish Journal of Biology

A fiber optic biosensor was constructed from Pleurotus ostreatus laccase for the detection of polyphenolic compounds. Laccase was immobilized on the surface of the commercially available fiber optic oxygen sensor spots by using 3-aminopropylsilanetriol, glutaraldehyde, and amino-modified carboxycellulose. A diffusion layer containing tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS), trimethoxymethylsilane (Tri-MOS), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was added to the immobilized laccase layer. The consumption of oxygen as a result of laccase activity was monitored using a fiber optical measuring setup with catechol as a model substrate. The optimal enzyme amount was determined as 1.5 mg per 50 µL of enzyme layer mixture, and with …

Higher Expression Level Of Bat3 Is Associated With Silencing Of Themidn Gene In Primary Mouse Cardiomyocytes, Bi̇lge Şadan Selçuk, Ayşe Evri̇m Bayrak, Ni̇han Ünaltuna

Turkish Journal of Biology

Midnolin (Midn) is a developmentally regulated nucleolar protein that was originally identified in the mesencephalon of developing mouse embryos. Additionally, Midn expression was detected in various adult tissues and was associated with glucokinase activity in pancreatic beta cells and with the regulation of folliculogenesis in ovaries. In this study, our aim was to analyze the expression and function of the Midn gene in cardiomyocyte cells. We constructed a primary neonatal mouse cardiomyocyte cell culture and analyzed the expression of possible Midn-associated genes after short interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated gene silencing for Midn. After 24 h of silencing, we observed that the …

The History And Influence Of Maria Sibylla Merian's Bird-Eating Tarantula: Circulating Images And The Production Of Natural Knowledge, Kay Etheridge

Biology Faculty Publications

Chapter Summary: A 2009 exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum on the confluence of science and the visual arts included a plate from a nineteenth-century encyclopedia owned by Charles Darwin showing a tarantula poised over a dead bird (figure 3.1).1 The genesis of this startling scene was a work by Maria Sibylla Merian (German, 1647–1717), and the history of this image says much about how knowledge of the New World was obtained, and how it was transmitted to the studies and private libraries of Europe, and from there into popular works like Darwin’s encyclopedia. It is unlikely that Merian ever imagined …

Wire Netting Reduces African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) Impact To Selected Trees In South Africa, Kelly Derham, Michelle Henley, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are ecosystem engineers in that they substantially alter the environment through their unique foraging and feeding habits. At high densities, elephants potentially have negative impacts on the environment, specifically for large trees. Because of this, recent increases of elephants in the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, have caused concern regarding the survival of several tree species. Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of wrapping protective wire netting around the trunk of the tree for preventing and reducing bark stripping, branch breaking, …

Novel And Lost Forests In The Upper Midwestern United States, From New Estimates Of Settlement-Era Composition, Stem Density, And Biomass, Simon J. Goring, David J. Mladenoff, Charles V. Cogbill, Sydne Record, Christopher J. Paciorek, Stephen T. Jackson, Michael C. Dietze, Andria Dawson, Jaclyn Hatala Matthes, Jason S. Mclachlan, John W. William

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Background

EuroAmerican land-use and its legacies have transformed forest structure and composition across the United States (US). More accurate reconstructions of historical states are critical to understanding the processes governing past, current, and future forest dynamics. Here we present new gridded (8x8km) reconstructions of pre-settlement (1800s) forest composition and structure from the upper Midwestern US (Minnesota, Wisconsin, and most of Michigan), using 19th Century Public Land Survey System (PLSS), with estimates of relative composition, above-ground biomass, stem density, and basal area for 28 tree types. This mapping is more robust than past efforts, using spatially varying correction factors to accommodate …

Graduate Students Navigating Social-Ecological Research: Insights From The Long-Term Ecological Research Network, Sydne Record, Paige Ferguson, Elise Benveniste, Rose Graves, Vera Pfeiffer, Michele Romolini, Christie Yorke, Ben Beardmore

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Interdisciplinary, collaborative research capable of capturing the feedbacks between biophysical and social systems can improve the capacity for sustainable environmental decision making. Networks of researchers provide unique opportunities to foster social-ecological inquiry. Although insights into interdisciplinary research have been discussed elsewhere, they rarely address the role of networks and often come from the perspectives of more senior scientists. We have provided graduate student perspectives on interdisciplinary degree paths from within the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network. Focusing on data from a survey of graduate students in the LTER Network and four self-identified successful graduate student research experiences, we examined the …

Revision Of The Synechococcales (Cyanobacteria) Through Recognition Of Four Families Including Oculatellaceae Fam. Nov. And Trichocoleaceae Fam Nov. And Seven New Genera Containing 14 Species, Truc Mai

Masters Theses

A total of 48 strains of thin, filamentous cyanobacteria in the Synechococcales were studed by sequencing 16S rRNA, rpoC1, and rbcLX gene fragments. A subset of these were carefully characterized morphologically. Bayesian analysis of the 16S rRNA gene data in a large alignment of Synechococcales (345 OTU's) was in agreement with the phylogeny based on the rpoC1 gene for 59 OTU's. Both indicated that the large family-level grouping formerly classified as the Leptolyngbyaceae could be further divided into four family-level clades. Two of these family-level clades have been recognized previously as Leptolyngbyaceae and Prochlorotrichaceae. The Oculatellaceae fam. prov. and Trichocoleaceae …

Habitat Use And Avoidance By Foraging Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers In East Texas, John N. Macey, Brent Burt, Daniel Saenz, Richard N. Conner

Faculty Publications

Picoides borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpecker) is an endangered bird endemic to the Pinus (pine) ecosystems of the southeastern US. Mature pine savannahs with a minimal midstory and lush herbaceous groundcover represent high-quality habitat. This study examines the foraging-habitat patterns of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in East Texas. We present a logistic regression model that best differentiates between foraged and non-foraged habitat. Increases in hardwood-midstory basal area have the greatest negative impact on the probability of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers selecting a habitat patch for foraging. Five additional variables negatively impact foraging probability: shrub height, diameter at breast height (DBH) of pine midstory, canopy closure, density …

Dna Methylation And Stress-Induced Reversions From Asexual To Sexual Seed Formation In Boechera (Brassicacea), Landon Watts

Biology Posters

Apomixis is a form of asexual reproduction that occurs in many plants and animals. Eggs of apomictic plants and animals form by apomeiosis, which means they do not become genetically reduced. Furthermore, these eggs develop into embryos without fertilization. Apomictic plants and animals generally reproduce quickly by making genetic copies of themselves, a trait that would be economically beneficial for perpetuating hybrid vigor if introduced into major seed crops. Metabolic stress induces a reversion from apomixis to sex in many apomicts, and this was recently shown to occur in species of the plant genus Boechera. 1 Transcriptome studies strongly suggest …

An Environmentally Friendly Conductive Ink Made Using Transgenic Spider Silk Protein And Silver Salts, Amir Ghazi Tabatabaei, Jay Merrill, Randolph V. Lewis, Ibrahim Hassounah

Biology Posters

The goal of this study was to demonstrate that it is possible to formulate an electrically conductive, stretchable and environmentally friendly ink or coating. This is made possible by harnessing the properties of biomimetic spider silk obtained from transgenic goats. In this experiment we formulated four inks using spider silk, silver trifluoroacetate and carbon nanotubes (CNT). We utilized Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), spider silk, natural rubber (Latex) and polystyrene-block-isobutylene-block-styrene(SIS) as substrates to demonstrate the flexible nature of the ink/coating. We then conducted surface characterization using FTIR and SEM to verify the presence of our coating and quantified the thickness of our …

Observation Of Fertilized Bovine Oocytes, Tyce Addley, Kenneth Campbell

Biology Posters

Oocytes were extracted from bovine ovaries by perforation of the follicle wall. Oocytes extracted were chosen for culture based on the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC), graded by the density of cumulus cells on a scale of A-D, in vitro fertilization (IVF) was performed on COC’s rated A or B. Healthy COC were placed into a maturation media for incubation at 29 degree C with a 5 percent CO2 air mixture for twenty four hours. After the maturation period the chosen oocytes were fertilized by IVF using frozen/thawed semen from one bull.

Single-Locus Versus Multilocus Patterns Of Local Adaptation To Climate In Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus, Pinaceae), Om P. Rajora, Andrew J. Eckert, John W. R. Zinck

Biology Publications

Natural plant populations are often adapted to their local climate and environmental conditions, and populations of forest trees offer some of the best examples of this pattern. However, little empirical work has focused on the relative contribution of single-locus versus multilocus effects to the genetic architecture of local adaptation in plants/forest trees. Here, we employ eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) to test the hypothesis that it is the inter-genic effects that primarily drive climate-induced local adaptation. The genetic structure of 29 range-wide natural populations of eastern white pine was determined in relation to local climatic factors using both …

Genome-Wide Analysis Of Response To Low Sulfur (Lsu) Genes In Grass Species And Expression Profiling Of Model Grass Species Brachypodium Distachyon Under S Deficiency, Hüseyi̇n Tombuloğlu, Abdugaffor Ablazov, Ertuğrul Fi̇li̇z

Turkish Journal of Biology

Sulfur (S) affects the plant life cycle and crop yield and has nutritional importance for human and animal diet. Its deficiency is one of the major problems in agriculture. However, the plant-specific LSU (response to Low Sulfur) gene family has not been extensively analyzed in major plant species such as grasses. In this study, we have performed in silico genome-wide analysis of LSU genes in 6 grass species, including Brachypodium distachyon, Sorghum bicolor, Oryza sativa, Zea mays, Triticum aestivum, and Panicum virgatum. All identified LSU genes contained one exon encoding proteins of acidic character with cytoplasmic localization. In silico analysis …

Cardiac Patch Design: Compatibility Of Nanofiber Materials Prepared Byelectrospinning Method With Stem Cells, Betül Çelebi̇ Saltik, Mustafa Özgür Öteyaka

Turkish Journal of Biology

In this article, in order to create a cardiac patch, a biocompatible polyurethane (PU) nanofiber polymer was developed with the electrospinning method. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM MSCs) were isolated from whole human bone marrow. Isolated BM MSC homogeneity was determined by flow cytometry using specific markers. BM MSC-PU interactions were studied with a WST-1 kit on the 3rd and 7th days. Cardiomyocyte differentiation was performed with 5-azacytidine. Cell survival and proliferation of cardiomyocyte-like cells that were cultured on nerve growth factor (NGF)-embedded PU were evaluated with the WST-1 kit on the 3rd and 7th days. NGF's effect on …

Cyanomargarita Gen. Nov. (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria): Convergent Evolution Resulting In A Cryptic Genus, Sergey Shalygin

Masters Theses

Two populations of Rivularia-like cyanobacteria were isolated from ecologically diverse and biogeographically distant sites. One population was from an unpolluted stream in the Kola Peninsula of Russia, whereas the other was from a wet wall in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a desert park-land in Utah. Though both were virtually indistinguishable from Rivularia in field and cultured material, they were both phylogenetically distant from Rivularia and the Rivulariaceae based on both 16S rRNA and rbcLX phylogenies. The new putative cryptic genus Cyanomargarita, with proposed type species C. melechinii sp. nov., and additional putative species C. calcarea are described herein. A …

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome Of The Shoal Chub, Macrhybopsis Hyostoma, Sarah Gaughan, Robin Johnson, Jun Wang, Michael Wachholtz, Kirk Steffensen, Timothy King, Guoqing Lu

Biology Faculty Publications

The complete mitochondrial genome of the shoal chub (Macrhybopsis hyostoma) was determined to be 16,899 bp and contained 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and 1 control region. The whole genome base composition was 30.5% A, 28.5% T, 24.9% C and 16.1 G. This complete mitochondrial genome provides essential molecular markers for resolving phylogeny and future conservation efforts.

Neuronostatin Acts Via Gpr107 To Increase Camp-Independent Pka Phosphorylation And Proglucagon Mrna Accumulation In Pancreatic Α-Cells, Mollisa M. Elrick, Willis K. Samson, John A. Corbett, Alison S. Salvatori, Lauren M. Stein, Grant R. Kolar, Aaron Naatz, Gina L.C. Yosten

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Neuronostatin (NST) is a recently described peptide that is produced from the somatostatin preprohormone in pancreatic α-cells. NST has been shown to increase glucagon secretion from primary rat pancreatic islets in low-glucose conditions. Here, we demonstrate that NST increases proglucagon message in α-cells and identify a potential mechanism for NST's cellular activities, including the phosphorylation of PKA following activation of the G protein-coupled receptor, GPR107. GPR107 is abundantly expressed in the pancreas, particularly, in rodent and human α-cells. Compromise of GPR107 in pancreatic α-cells results in failure of NST to increase PKA phosphorylation and proglucagon mRNA levels. We also demonstrate …

Hypothalamic Action Of Phoenixin To Control Reproductive Hormone Secretion In Females: Importance Of The Orphan G Protein-Coupled Receptor Gpr173, Lauren M. Stein, Chloe W. Tullock, Stacy K. Mathews, David Garcia-Galiano, Carol F. Elias, Willis K. Samson, Gina L.C. Yosten

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sexual maturation and maintenance of reproductive function are regulated by neurohormonal communication between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonads (referred to as the HPG axis). Phoenixin (PNX) is a newly identified, endogenous peptide abundantly produced in the hypothalamus and shown to be an important mediator of ovarian cyclicity. However, the underlying mechanisms by which phoenixin functions within the HPG axis are unknown. Previous in vitro studies demonstrated a direct action of PNX on gonadotrophs to potentiate gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) induced luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Therefore, we hypothesized that centrally derived phoenixin regulates the preovulatory LH surge required for ovarian cyclicity. We …

Indicators Of Climate Change And Social Vulnerability In Fishing Dependent Communities Along The Eastern And Gulf Coasts Of The U.S. Marine Policy, Lisa Colburn, Michael Jepson, Changhua Weng, Tarsila Seara, Jeremy Weiss

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Changing climatic conditions are affecting the relationship between fishing communities and the marine resources they depend on. This shift will require an adaptive response on the part of policy makers and fishery managers. In the U.S., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established, in its fisheries agency (NOAA Fisheries), a set of social indicators of fishing community vulnerability and resilience to evaluate the impacts of changes in fishery management regimes. These indicators enhance the analytical capabilities within NOAA Fisheries for conducting fisheries social impact assessments and informing ecosystem-based fishery management. Building on the existing Community Social Vulnerability Indicators (CSVIs), …

Skeletal Muscle Mass And Composition During Mammalian Hibernation, Clark J. Cotton

Biology Faculty Publications

Hibernation is characterized by prolonged periods of inactivity with concomitantly low nutrient intake, conditions that would typically result in muscle atrophy combined with a loss of oxidative fibers. Yet, hibernators consistently emerge from winter with very little atrophy, frequently accompanied by a slight shift in fiber ratios to more oxidative fiber types. Preservation of muscle morphology is combined with down-regulation of glycolytic pathways and increased reliance on lipid metabolism instead. Furthermore, while rates of protein synthesis are reduced during hibernation, balance is maintained by correspondingly low rates of protein degradation. Proposed mechanisms include a number of signaling pathways and transcription …

Cloning Of Two Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor Genes From Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum Tataricum) And Their Expression Under Abiotic Stress, Xiao-Peng Luo, Hai-Xia Zhao, Jun Xue, Cheng-Lei Li, Hui Chen, Sang-Un Park, Qi Wu

Turkish Journal of Biology

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are one of the most important transcription factors involved in abiotic stress tolerance in Tartary buckwheat. In this study, we successfully isolated two bHLH transcription factor genes, designated as FtbHLH1 and FtbHLH2, from Tartary buckwheat. Their encoding proteins were found to have a motif to interact with R2R3-MYB at the N-terminus and a typical bHLH motif at the C-terminus. Yeast one-hybrid assay proved that the two bHLH proteins exhibited obvious transcriptional activation activities. The abiotic stresses indicated that FtbHLH1 expression would be mainly affected by drought and UV-B, whereas FtbHLH2 expression would present a sensitive …

Parasite Assemblages Infecting Native Versus An Introduced Population Of Yellow Bass, Rick Klann

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The parasite assemblage infecting yellow bass (Morone mississippiensis) inhabiting their native range was compared to the assemblage infecting an introduced population. The gills and alimentary canal of 47 yellow bass collected from the Mississippi River (native) and 41 yellow bass collected from Otter Creek Lake in Tama County, Iowa, (introduced) were examined for metazoan parasites. Species richness was higher in the sample from the native population compared to the introduced sample (8 versus 3, respectively). Yellow bass from the introduced sample hosted species that were generalist fish parasites, and these infections were at low intensities. On the other …

Broome County Inventory Database, Julian Shepherd

Biological Sciences Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Review Of "Eye Of Newt And Toe Of Frog, Adder’S Fork And Lizards’ Leg, The Lore And Mythology Of Amphibians And Reptiles", Kay Etheridge

Biology Faculty Publications

A review of Marty Crump's book on the folklore surrounding reptiles and amphibians. Crump's book is a collection of tales and myths both ancient and contemporary, and a fascinating analysis of how humans perceive and sometimes revere snakes, frogs and other "loathsome" creatures.

Insights From Wildfire Science: A Resource For Fire Policy Discussions, Tania Schoennagel, Penny Morgan, Jennifer Balch, Philip Dennison, Brian Harvey, Richard L. Hutto, Meg Krawchuk, Max A. Moritz, Ray Rasker, Cathy Whitlock

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Record blazes swept across parts of the US in 2015, burning more than 10 million acres. The four biggest fire seasons since 1960 have all occurred in the last 10 years, leading to fears of a ‘new normal’ for wildfire. Fire fighters and forest managers are overwhelmed, and it is clear that the policy and management approaches of the past will not suffice under this new era of western wildfires. In recent decades, state and federal policymakers, tribes, and others are confronting longer fire seasons (Jolly et al. 2015), more large fires (Dennison et al. 2014), a tripling of homes …

The Intervening Sequence Of Coxiella Burnetii: Characterization And Evolution, Indu Warrier, Mathias C. Walter, Dimitrios Frangoulidis, Rahul Raghavan, Linda D. Hicks, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The intervening sequence (IVS) of Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever, is a 428-nt selfish genetic element located in helix 45 of the precursor 23S rRNA. The IVS element, in turn, contains an ORF that encodes a hypothetical ribosomal S23 protein (S23p). Although S23p can be synthesized in vitro in the presence of an engineered E. coli promoter and ribosome binding site, results suggest that the protein is not synthesized in vivo. In spite of a high degree of IVS conservation among different strains of C. burnetii, the region immediately upstream of the S23p start codon is prone to …

Enhanced Salt Tolerance Of Transgenic Tobacco Expressing A Wheat Salt Tolerance Gene, Musa Kavas, Mehmet Cengi̇z Baloğlu, Ayşe Meral Yücel, Hüseyi̇n Avni̇ Öktem

Turkish Journal of Biology

Soil salinity is one of the most important limiting factors of agricultural productivity in the world. The Triticum aestivum salt tolerance-related gene (TaSTRG) possesses a functional response to salt and drought stress conditions. A variety of stress factors, such as salt, drought, abscisic acid, and cold, may induce the expression of TaSTRG in wheat. In this study, the TaSTRG gene was transferred to tobacco via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Overexpression of TaSTRG in transgenic tobacco plants indicated higher salt tolerance and mediated more vigorous growth than in wild-type plants. Under salt stress conditions, the transgenic tobacco plants had higher germination and survival …

Role Of Glucose Repression In The Oxidative Stress Response Ofschizosaccharomyces Pombe: Analysis Of Transcript Levels Of Fbp1, Hxk2, Sod1and Ctt1 Genes In Sty1, Atf1 And Pap1 Knock-Out Mutants, Bedi̇a Palabiyik, Farinaz Jafari Ghods, Semi̇an Karaer Uzuner

Turkish Journal of Biology

Previously we reported that the glucose sensing/signaling pathway affected the oxidative stress response of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, based on studies of glucose-repression and oxidative-stress-resistant mutants including ird5. sty1, encoding a protein kinase, and aft1 and pap1, encoding transcription factors, are important components of the oxidative stress response in S. Pombe. To analyze the relationship between the glucose sensing/signaling pathway and the oxidative stress response, we generated sty1, aft1, and pap1 knock-out mutants in ird5 and wild-type backgrounds. We evaluated the survival rates of the ird5 double mutants (5A, 5P, and 5S) and wild-type single mutants (9A, 9P, and 9S) under mild …