Biology Commons^™

A Nutrient-Regulated Cyclic Diguanylate Phosphodiesterase Controls Clostridium Difficile Biofilm And Toxin Production During Stationary Phase, Erin B. Purcell, Robert W. Mckee, David S. Courson, Elizabeth M. Garrett, Shonna M. Mcbride, Richard E. Cheney, Rita Tamayo

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The signaling molecule cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) mediates physiological adaptation to extracellular stimuli in a wide range of bacteria. The complex metabolic pathways governing c-di-GMP synthesis and degradation are highly regulated, but the specific cues that impact c-di-GMP signaling are largely unknown. In the intestinal pathogen Clostridium difficile, c-di-GMP inhibits flagellar motility and toxin production and promotes pilus-dependent biofilm formation, but no specific biological functions have been ascribed to any of the individual c-di-GMP synthases or phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Here, we report the functional and biochemical characterization of a c-di-GMP PDE, PdcA, 1 of 37 confirmed or putative c-di-GMP metabolism proteins …

The Conservation Status Of Marine Biodiversity Of The Pacific Islands Of Oceania, H. Pippard, G. M. Ralph, M. S. Harvey, K. E. Carpenter, J. R. Buchanan, D. W. Greenfield, H. D. Harwell, H. K. Larson, A. Lawrence, C. Linardich, K. Matsuura, H. Motomura, T. A. Munroe, R. F. Myers, B. C. Russell, W. F. Smith-Vaniz, J. C. Vié, R. R. Thaman, J. T. Williams

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Pacific Islands of Oceania are small islands and atolls occurring over a vast expanse of ocean that are characterized by immense biodiversity and endemism. This project represents a major expansion of the coverage of the Pacific Islands’ marine biodiversity on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The threats to Pacific Island marine biodiversity are many. Results from IUCN Red List initiatives such as this can guide decision-making and conservation prioritization of Pacific Island governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. By shaping regional and national policies with these data in mind, priority sites for maintaining marine biodiversity …

Defining The Risk Of Zika And Chikungunya Virus Transmission In Human Population Centers Of The Eastern United States, Carrie A. Manore, Richard S. Ostfeld, Folashade B. Agusto, Holly Gaff, Shannon L. Ladeau

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The recent spread of mosquito-transmitted viruses and associated disease to the Americas motivates a new, data-driven evaluation of risk in temperate population centers. Temperate regions are generally expected to pose low risk for significant mosquito-borne disease; however, the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) across densely populated urban areas has established a new landscape of risk. We use a model informed by field data to assess the conditions likely to facilitate local transmission of chikungunya and Zika viruses from an infected traveler to Ae. albopictus and then to other humans in USA cities with variable human …

A Review Of Phage Therapy Against Bacterial Pathogens Of Aquatic And Terrestrial Organisms, Janis Doss, Kayla Culbertson, Delilah Hahn, Joanna Camacho, Nazir Barekzi

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Since the discovery of bacteriophage in the early 1900s, there have been numerous attempts to exploit their innate ability to kill bacteria. The purpose of this report is to review current findings and new developments in phage therapy with an emphasis on bacterial diseases of marine organisms, humans, and plants. The body of evidence includes data from studies investigating bacteriophage in marine and land environments as modern antimicrobial agents against harmful bacteria. The goal of this paper is to present an overview of the topic of phage therapy, the use of phage-derived protein therapy, and the hosts that bacteriophage are …

Advanced Castes At The Outset Of Eusociality In Wasps (Vespidae), Patrick Piekarski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A dominating and widespread view is that evolutionary change is gradual and waits upon mutation. Likewise, it is thought that workers and queens of eusocial insects diverged gradually and stepwise. That is, rudimentary castes preceded advanced castes. This paradigm hinges on eusociality having evolved once in Vespidae, and primitively eusocial paper wasps lacking ontogenetic caste biasing (differentiation of castes during larval development). Using a phylogenomic approach this study shows strong evidence for two origins of eusociality in vespid wasps, wherein one origin is likely characterized by the sudden appearance of castes with physiological, and perhaps even morphological, differences established before …

Go With The Flow: Patterns Of Connectivity In Low Dispersal Coral Reef Gobies (Coryphopterus Spp.) Throughout The Western Atlantic, Daniel Volk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gene flow is an integral biological process that can mediate speciation. While many consider the ocean to be an open environment, there are many barriers that limit gene flow, particularly in the western Atlantic. I analyzed data from two widespread, coral reef fishes, the bridled goby (Coryphopterus glaucofraenum) and sand-canyon goby (C. venezuelae), throughout their range in the western Atlantic. Using two genetic datasets, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and genomic SNPs, I investigated the evolutionary history of these species and inferred the location and strength of putative barriers. My results suggest that several unique lineages have genetically diverged from one another …

The Paths Less Traveled: Movement Of Gopher Tortoises Along Roads And Railways, Rhett Rautsaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urbanization and an expanding human population have led to a large degree of habitat destruction and fragmentation. These, in turn, reduce biodiversity and wildlife population sizes on a global scale. Transportation infrastructure, such as roads and railways, are some of the largest contributors to habitat fragmentation. Roads are well-established to negatively impact wildlife, but some studies suggest a potential use in habitat connectivity by functioning as wildlife corridors to connect distant populations. Railways are similarly known to impact wildlife by increasing mortality rates as well as provide unique risks such as electrocution and entrapment when compared to roads. However, the …

Examining Drivers Of Phenotypic Variation In The Perennial Herb Showy Milkweed (Asclepias Speciosa)., Kira I. Sussman

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Many plant species show variation in phenotypic traits, such as traits related to growth and defense against herbivores, across environmental gradients. Differences in phenotypic traits can be due to selection, leading to local adaptation, or due to the random process of genetic drift. To examine the driver of phenotypic variation, I conducted a Qst (a measure of phenotypic variation among populations) vs. Fst (a measure of genetic variation among populations) analysis for 13 populations of A. speciosa grown in a common garden, using five growth and defense traits and seven microsatellite markers. I found relatively low differentiation at the neutral …

Characterization Of The Promoter Region Of The Glycerol-3-Phosphate-O-Acyltransferase Gene In Lilium Pensylvanicum, Lijing Chen, Li Zhang, Weikang Qi, Muhammad Irfan, Jing-Wei Lin, Hui Ma, Zhi-Fu Guo, Ming Zhong, Tian-Lai Li

Turkish Journal of Biology

Cold environmental conditions influence the growth and development of plants, causing crop reduction or even plant death. Under stress conditions, cold-inducible promoters regulate cold-related gene expression as a molecular switch. Recent studies have shown that the chloroplast-expressed GPAT gene plays an important role in determining cold sensitivity. However, the mechanism of the transcriptional regulation of GPAT is ambiguous. The 5'-flanking region of GPAT with length of 1494 bp was successfully obtained by chromosome walking from Lilium pensylvanicum. The cis-elements of GPAT promoters were predicted and analyzed by a plant cis-acting regulatory DNA element database. There exist core promoter regions including …

Cell-Compatible Phb/Silk Fibroin Composite Nanofibermat For Tissue Engineering Applications, Zeynep Karahali̇loğlu

Turkish Journal of Biology

Cell compatibility is one of the prominent requirements for the fabrication of tissue engineering materials. Silk fibroin (SF) is an excellent material for biomedical applications and shows desirable properties such as good compatibility, minimal tissue reaction, and tailorable degradability. Poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) has a high percentage of crystallinity and a high melting temperature. In this study, PHB and SF were blended together to improve the mechanical properties of the SF fibrous structure and the crystallinity of PHB. Furthermore, the cell-biomaterial interaction on the PHB/SF composite scaffold was expected to be enhanced via the SF. For this purpose, PHB/SF composite scaffolds were …

Autoregulation Of The Glial Gene Reversed Polarity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Chase Suiter

Honors Theses

Autoregulation is the process where an encoded protein is able to bind to and positively or negatively regulate its own expression. Autoregulatory loops are crucial for sustained gene expression, and such loops have been demonstrated to be important for development in organisms ranging from Danio rerio to Arabidopsis thaliana and Drosophila melanogaster. The cells of the nervous system arise from progenitor cells that eventually adopt one of two fates: neuronal or glial. This decision is controlled by glial cells missing; however glial cells missing is expressed briefly at the beginning development. The glial gene repo is a gene that is …

Differences In Preservice Teachers’ Readiness To Use Ict In Education And Development Of Tpack, Erkko Sointu, Teemu Valtonen, Christine E. Cutucache, Jari Kukkonen, Matthew C. Lambert, Kati Mäkitalo‐Siegl

Biology Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Education for the 21st century society requires the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. This presents challenges for preservice teacher education. Thus, more cognate understanding about preservice teachers’ readiness to use ICT in education, coupled with knowledge related to ICT in education, is needed. Furthermore, it is important to understand that preservice teachers have various levels of readiness to use ICT in education, thereby creating a demand to investigate sub-groups within preservice teachers. This study focuses on differences of readiness and development of knowledge between preservice teachers’ based on two theoretical constructs: Theory of Planned Behavior and …

How Do Former Undergraduate Mentors Evaluate Their Mentoring Experience 3-Years Post-Mentoring: A Phenomenological Study, Kari L. Nelson, Christine E. Cutucache

Biology Faculty Publications

This phenomenological study involves a unique, longitudinal assessment of the lived experiences of former undergraduate mentors (n=7) in light of their current experiences (i.e., career or advanced schooling). The objective of a phenomenological study is to engage in in-depth probing of a representative number of participants. Specifically, we followed up with graduates of the Nebraska STEM 4U (NE STEM 4U) intervention 3 years post-program, with the overall goal of describing the mentors’ experiences using the lens of their current experiences. This type of longitudinal perspective of mentoring is greatly lacking in the current literature. At the time of the interviews, …

Seed Dispersal For The Unusual Inflated Berries Of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae), Diana Gamba, N. Maguiña, Camilo Calderón-Acevedo, Karina Torres, Nathan Muchhala

Biology Department Faculty Works

Examining dispersal is critical for understanding the diversity of Andean-centered plant lineages, like Burmeistera (Campanulaceae). One-third of its species present an unusual inflated berry. Unlike the bright colors of non-inflated fruits in the genus, these fruits are typically dull-green; however, the fact that the seeds are loosely held in the placenta and easily removed when touched seems to suggest adaptation to animal dispersal. We studied two inflated-baccate species, Burmeistera glabrata and B. borjensis, with the aim of testing the non-exclusive hypotheses that their seeds are dispersed by (1) small mammals, (2) slugs, or (3) adult flies that develop inside the …

Exploring The Interaction Of Drosophila Tdp-43 And The Type Ii Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel, Cacophony, In Regulating Motor Function And Behavior, Kayly M. Lembke, David B. Morton

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult onset motor neurodegenerative disease. The cause of the disease remains obscure, and as such there is no effective treatment or cure. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases are frequently characterized by dysfunction of the RNA-binding protein, TDP-43. Using model systems to understand the mechanisms underlying TDP-43 dysfunction should accelerate identification of therapeutic targets. A recent report has shown that motor defects caused by the deletion of the Drosophila TDP-43 ortholog, tbph, are not driven by changes in the physiology at the neuromuscular junction. Rather, defective motor burst rhythmicity and coordination, …

Characterization Of A Large Vertebrate Genome And Homomorphic Sex Chromosomes In The Axolotl, Ambystoma Mexicanum, Melissa Keinath

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Changes in the structure, content and morphology of chromosomes accumulate over evolutionary time and contribute to cell, developmental and organismal biology. The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an important model for studying these changes because: 1) it provides important phylogenetic perspective for reconstructing the evolution of vertebrate genomes and amphibian karyotypes, 2) its genome has evolved to a large size (~10X larger than human) but has maintained gene orders, and 3) it possesses potentially young sex chromosomes that have not undergone extensive differentiation in the structure that is typical of many other vertebrate sex chromosomes (e.g. mammalian XY chromosomes …

The Effects Of Linoleic Acid On Rubidium Uptake By Sodium Potassium Pumps In Rat Myocardial Cells, Mohammed Ahmed Gaafarelkhalifa

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Congestive Heart failure is amongst the leading causes of death in the United States. It is treated through a variety of different therapeutic targets including the inhibition of sodium potassium pumps. Drugs currently used in this pathway of treatment such as Digitalis have adverse toxic effects. This study examines the inhibitory effects of linoleic acid (L.A) on sodium potassium pumps in isolated rat cardiomyocytes using the incorporation of rubidium detected by SEM/EDS technology as the index for sodium-potassium pump activity. Isolated heart cells were incubated in the following treatments: Rb-Krebs buffer without treatment (negative control), Ouabain+ Rb-Krebs buffer (positive control), …

Designing A Luminescence Assay To Measure In Vitro Binding Of The Fibronectin Attachment Protein (Fap) Of Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis To Fibronectin, Sirri Ngwa

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The attachment and penetration of epithelial cells by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) requires a bacterial fibronectin (FN) attachment protein FAP-P, which facilitates binding of FN by MAP. The region of FAP-P that interacts with FN is known, however, the region of FN that is bound by FAP-P is to be determined. Identification of the region of FN to which FAP-P binds would enable the synthesis of a competing peptide that could prevent FN binding by MAP. The first step toward locating this binding site is the design of a reliable FN binding assay. The purpose of this investigation was …

Expression Of Fam171b Protein In Mouse Brain Tissue, Quan Tran

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are inherited fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by expansion of trinucleotide cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats, encoding abnormally long glutamine tracts in respective disease proteins. Currently, there are nine polyQ diseases- including Huntington’s disease and a number of Spinocerebellar ataxias. Interestingly, expanded polyQ proteins are prone to aggregate, and this aggregation may underlie neurodegeneration. In this study, we investigate the expression and localization of FAM171B (a novel polyQ protein) in the brain. Western blotting reveals that FAM171B protein is indeed expressed in the developing and adult mouse brain. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analyses suggests widespread localization of FAM171B to many brain regions …

Prediction Of Local Quality Of Protein Structure Models Considering Spatial Neighbors In Graphical Models., Woong Hee Shin, Xuejiao Kang, Jian Zhang, Daisuke Kihara

Department of Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Protein tertiary structure prediction methods have matured in recent years. However, some proteins defy accurate prediction due to factors such as inadequate template structures. While existing model quality assessment methods predict global model quality relatively well, there is substantial room for improvement in local quality assessment, i.e. assessment of the error at each residue position in a model. Local quality is a very important information for practical applications of structure models such as interpreting/designing site-directed mutagenesis of proteins. We have developed a novel local quality assessment method for protein tertiary structure models. The method, named Graph-based Model Quality assessment method …

Fret-Based Characterization Of K264a, D345a, And Y335amutants In The Human Dopamine Transporter, Oya Orun, Pinar Mega Ti̇ber

Turkish Journal of Biology

The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays a role in the termination of dopaminergic neurotransmission; thereby it is accepted as the primary target of various psychostimulants. N-terminal phosphorylation of DAT has been proposed as a regulator in different DAT functions, such as amphetamine-induced efflux or PKC/PKA-mediated responses. To understand the role of N-terminal conformational changes in dopamine transporter structure and function, the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) method was applied to various DAT constructs fluorescently labeled at the N-terminus and substrate-induced conformational changes were determined using rhodamine-labeled cocaine analog JHC1-64 in three DAT mutants. The results indicated that the construct with YFP …

Production And Characterization Of Polyclonal Antibodies To Human Recombinant Domain B-Free Antihemophilic Factor Viii, Artem Tykhomyrov, Victor Nedzvetsky, Sergiy Shemet, Can Ali̇ Ağca

Turkish Journal of Biology

Moroctocog alpha is a human B-domain deleted recombinant factor VIII (BDDrFVIII), which represents a new generation of pure antihemophilic products. We describe here an optimized procedure for polyclonal anti-FVIII-antibody production with the use of BDDrFVIII as an immunogen. The main immunochemical characteristics of the produced antibodies and their potential biomedical applications are also reported. Rabbits were immunized with BDDrFVIII as an emulsion with Freund's adjuvant or with antigen immobilized in polyacrylamide gel (PAAG). Antibody titers in immune sera were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IgG purification was performed by affine chromatography on protein A-sepharose. Immune sera and IgG were …

The Influence Of Native Woody Species, Combretum Glutinosum And Piliostigma Reticulatum, On Soil Fertility In Dialacoto, Senegal, Gwen Jacobson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In the low-fertility soils of Senegal, West Africa, management of woody species in agricultural fields has the potential to improve soil fertility and crop production. However, optimal species for this purpose have not been clearly defined. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the potential for two native woody species, Combretum glutinosum and Piliostigma reticulatum, to improve soil fertility. Soil samples were collected from beneath tree crowns of P. reticulatum and C. glutinosum and compared with fertilizer-amended and non-amended soil from adjacent open fields in a bioassay experiment. Two common crops, millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and maize (Zea mays), …

The Effect Of The Chromoshadow Domains Of Hhp1, Hpl1, And Hpl2 On Heterochromatin Protein Localization In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Claire Bagnani

Scripps Senior Theses

In the nucleus, post-translational modifications on histone N-terminal tails can determine how local DNA is packaged. In one case, T. thermophila proteins Hhp1, Hpl1, and Hpl2, all related to the Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) family, are associated with heterochromatin and thus gene silencing. They may do this by binding to trimethylated lysine 9 and lysine 27, located on the tail of histone H3. One distinct region of these proteins, the chromodomain (CD), may bind these marks, while another region, the chromoshadow domain (CSD) homodimerizes to interact with other proteins. This study explores what effect, if any, the CSD has on …

Measuring Bacterial Growth Using A 3d-Printable Spectrometer, Samuel R. Bunting

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Visible light spectroscopy is a commonly used technique for measuring the growth of bacterial cultures, and growth curves provide broadly important data. However, the equipment and resources required for these experiments has been restricted to higher education and industry due to high cost and sophistication. We have previously reported on an inexpensive, 3D-printable photospectrometer called the SpecPhone. This device utilizes an iPhone as the camera, along with several other, inexpensive additions to make a fully functional spectrometer. Here, the application of the SpecPhone is expanded to the quantification of actively dividing E. coli cultures. Two protocols have been developed; one …

Differential Requirements For Myeloid Leukemia Ifn-Γ Conditioning Determine Graft-Versus-Leukemio Resistance And Sensitivity, Catherine Matte-Martone, Jinling Liu, Meng Zhou, Maria Chikina, Douglas R. Green, John T. Harty, Warren D. Shlomchik

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is potent against chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CP-CML), but blast crisis CML (BC-CML) and acute myeloid leukemias (AML) are GVL resistant. To understand GVL resistance, we studied GVL against mouse models of CP-CML, BC-CML, and AML generated by the transduction of mouse BM with fusion cDNAs derived from human leukemias. Prior work has shown that CD4+ T cell-mediated GVL against CP-CML and BC-CML required intact leukemia MHCII; however, stem cells from both leukemias were MHCII negative. Here, we show that CP-CML, BC-CML, and AML stem cells upregulate MHCII …

Variation In Cranial Morphology Of Polymorphic Populations Of The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander, Plethodon Cinereus, Marissa Ganzfried

Masters Theses

Differences in cranial morphology among species of plethodontid salamanders have been linked to variations in diet and behavior. Individuals that consume smaller prey have larger jaw to posterior-cranium ratios. Elongation and expansion of the jaw, coupled with expansion of the posterior of the cranium (defined as robustness) are positively associated with individuals that exhibit increased levels of aggression. The bulk of previous research has focused on the effects of interspecific competition on cranial morphology; however, polymorphic populations of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, represent a unique opportunity to examine the role of cranial morphology in ecological divergence among individuals …

Validating Non-Motivated Methods And Equipment For Studying Mouse Olfactory Behavior, Michael Andrew Dryden

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Mouse olfactory behavior has traditionally been difficult to assess due, in part, to the expensive nature of behavioral equipment and the lengthy process of training animals. The present study aims to validate a new behavioral paradigm requiring no prior animal training using existing liquid dilution behavioral olfactometers. We also aim to validate Triton-100x, a detergent, as a new anosmia inducing agent, as well as self-built, Do-it-yourself (DIY) behavioral olfactometers. Equipment and methods were tested using a variety of common-discrimination and detectionthreshold assays. Difficulties maintaining stimulus control arose during testing as mice routinely detected volume-to-volume concentrations of amyl acetate diluted in …

Biology News, Winter 2017, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

--Greetings From the Department of Biology
--Department of Biology Alumni
--Kelly Bahl Interns at Epcot in Disney World
--Former Student, Susann Ahrabi-Fard, Working With the Zika Virus
--Department News
--Study Abroad Course to the Galapagos
--UNI Maintains Strength in Undergraduate Research
--Biology Faculty Incorporate Their Artistic Skills Into the Classroom and Publications
--Faculty Retirement
--Alumni In Residence
--University of Northern Iowa Awarded Grant Through the Roy J. Carver Foundation
--Reconnect With the Department of Biology
--You Can Make a Difference
--Scholarships and Funding

Uncovering Candidate Cold Tolerance Genes In Maize (Zea Mays), Raeann N. Goering

Departmental Honors Projects

With booming populations soon to overwhelm the world's food production capabilities, studying what makes crop organisms, like maize, efficient is crucial to ensure that the demand for food is met. Planting earlier in the spring would lengthen the crop season and produce larger yields provided the crop is tolerant to early spring’s low temperatures. Plants can adjust to abiotic stresses through biochemical changes controlled by transcription of genes. Trained plants can be produced by pre-exposing them to a lesser stress, allowing them to recover, then exposing them to a greater, longer stress. It is hypothesized that trained plants will tolerate …