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2017

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Articles 1741 - 1770 of 1882

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Accumulation Of Phenolics In Natural And Micropropagated Plantlets Of Thymus Pseudopulegioides Klokov & Des.-Shost. With Their Antioxidant Potentials, Mustafa Günaydin, Abdul Hafeez Laghari, Ersan Bektaş, Münevver Sökmen, Atalay Sökmen Jan 2017

Accumulation Of Phenolics In Natural And Micropropagated Plantlets Of Thymus Pseudopulegioides Klokov & Des.-Shost. With Their Antioxidant Potentials, Mustafa Günaydin, Abdul Hafeez Laghari, Ersan Bektaş, Münevver Sökmen, Atalay Sökmen

Turkish Journal of Biology

Thymus pseudopulegioides plantlets were propagated in vitro via direct organogenesis by using Murashige and Skoog (MS) media containing kinetin, thidiazuron, and 6-benzyladenine (BA) individually. Methanol extracts obtained both from plantlets and wild plants were analyzed for their total phenolics and flavonoid contents, then quantified by HPLC. The highest total phenolic (8.83 mg/g as gallic acid equivalent) and total flavonoid (0.92 mg/mL as rutin equivalent) values were from the MS media supplemented with 1.0 mg/L kinetin and 0.5 mg/L BA, respectively. The plantlets grown in those media also showed remarkable antioxidant activities with an IC50 value of 4.77 \mug/mL in DPPH …


Proteomics Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dysfunction Triggered By Complex Specific Electron Transport Chain Inhibitors Reveals Common Pathways Involving Protein Misfolding In An Sh-Sy5y In Vitro Cell Model, Betül Şahi̇n, Ahmet Tarik Baykal Jan 2017

Proteomics Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dysfunction Triggered By Complex Specific Electron Transport Chain Inhibitors Reveals Common Pathways Involving Protein Misfolding In An Sh-Sy5y In Vitro Cell Model, Betül Şahi̇n, Ahmet Tarik Baykal

Turkish Journal of Biology

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been previously identified in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, Huntington disease, and Parkinson disease. Chemical inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) was shown to trigger symptoms in animal models similar to those observed in human neurodegenerative diseases. In order to understand the effect of mitochondrial dysfunction on the proteome level, LC-MSE-based bottom-up, label-free differential proteomics expression analysis was used to monitor protein level changes in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells induced by ETC-specific inhibitors (MPTP, 3-NP, sodium azide, antimycin A, and oligomycin). A total of 379 proteins were identified across the sample set and 75 of …


Interaction Of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells With Mcf-7 Cells In Vitro:A Study Emphasizing Signaling Molecule Expression And Transcriptional Changes, Qiong Wu, Chang-Xin Jin, Hui Chen, Xue-Yong Li, Yuejin Li Jan 2017

Interaction Of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells With Mcf-7 Cells In Vitro:A Study Emphasizing Signaling Molecule Expression And Transcriptional Changes, Qiong Wu, Chang-Xin Jin, Hui Chen, Xue-Yong Li, Yuejin Li

Turkish Journal of Biology

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) promote metastasis of breast cancer cells that can differentiate into carcinoma-associated cells in tumor microenvironments. However, the precise mechanism is poorly understood. This study shows that interaction of ADSCs with breast cancer MCF-7 cells changes the level of metastasis-related functional proteins in MCF-7 cells, as well as that of oncogenes in ADSCs. ADSCs were isolated from adipose tissues of patients. The interaction of ADSCs with MCF-7 cells was performed by coculturing ADSCs (or MCF-7 cells) with exosomes derived from MCF-7 cells (or ADSCs). Exosomes were labeled by DiI. In cocultures, migration-related regulators in MCF-7 cells were …


N-Acetylglucoseamine Modified Alginate Sponges As Scaffolds For Skin Tissue Engineering, Murat Demi̇rbi̇lek, Neli̇sa Türkoğlu, Selçuk Aktürk Jan 2017

N-Acetylglucoseamine Modified Alginate Sponges As Scaffolds For Skin Tissue Engineering, Murat Demi̇rbi̇lek, Neli̇sa Türkoğlu, Selçuk Aktürk

Turkish Journal of Biology

In the treatment of dermal wounds, wound-dressing materials prepared from natural mucopolysaccharides are widely used because of their advantages such as nonirritation, nontoxicity, and ease in topical application. In the present study, alginate hydrogels modified with N-acetyl glucose amine (NAG) were prepared as wound-dressing material. Physical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the hydrogels were studied. Cytotoxicity of the hydrogels on endothelial (HUVEC) and keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells were examined. Anti- and proinflammatory cytokine levels of human monocyte-macrophage cells (THP-1) stimulated with hydrogels were determined. According to the results, increasing the NAG concentration led to an increase in the swelling and …


Effect Of Nutrient Media And Initial Biomass On Growth Rate And Nutrient Uptake Of Sargassum Spinuligerum (Sargassaceae, Phaeophyta), Tin Cong Hoang, Ravi Fotedar, Michael O'Leary Jan 2017

Effect Of Nutrient Media And Initial Biomass On Growth Rate And Nutrient Uptake Of Sargassum Spinuligerum (Sargassaceae, Phaeophyta), Tin Cong Hoang, Ravi Fotedar, Michael O'Leary

Turkish Journal of Biology

The Sargassum species are prospective candidates for marine culture, but there are a limited number of reports on their nutrient requirements and optimum initial stocking biomass, and nothing is published for Sargassum spinuligerum. This study investigated the effects of three commercially available fertilizers (Hortico, Seasol, and Aquasol) and four initial stocking biomass levels of S. spinuligerum on the growth rate and nutrient uptake capacities for 7 weeks. The results showed that S. spinuligerum could be grown under outdoor conditions with the optimum initial stocking biomass of 15.35 g per 113 L. The different commercial fertilizers significantly influenced the specific growth …


Effects Of Celecoxib And L-Name On Apoptosis And Cell Cycle Ofmcf-7 Cd44+/Cd24-/Low Subpopulation, Maryam Majdzadeh, Shima Aliebrahimi, Melody Vatankhah, Seyed Nasser Ostad Jan 2017

Effects Of Celecoxib And L-Name On Apoptosis And Cell Cycle Ofmcf-7 Cd44+/Cd24-/Low Subpopulation, Maryam Majdzadeh, Shima Aliebrahimi, Melody Vatankhah, Seyed Nasser Ostad

Turkish Journal of Biology

Recent studies have reported that cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a pivotal role in treatment failure, causing cancer recurrence. Here, we investigated the effects of L-NAME (an iNOS inhibitor) and celecoxib (a selective COX-2 inhibitor) on CSC-like cells (CSC-LCs) and their parental cells. Breast CSC-LCs derived from the MCF-7 cell line were sorted and characterized with the CD44+/CD24-/low phenotype. After isolation, the percentage of the subpopulation expressing CD44+/CD24-/low biomarkers increased considerably from 0.96% to 28.6%. Use of L-NAME and celecoxib showed antiproliferative activity towards both MCF-7 and CSC-LCs. Although celecoxib enhanced apoptotic cell death, the CSC-LC population was more resistant …


Effect Of Mutation In Active Site Residue Trp209 To Val, Leu, Ile And Pro On The Catalytic Activity And Affinity For Some Benzenesulfonamides Of Human Carbonic Anhydrase Ii, Deryanur Kiliç, Orhan Erdoğan, Ömer İrfan Küfrevi̇oğlu Jan 2017

Effect Of Mutation In Active Site Residue Trp209 To Val, Leu, Ile And Pro On The Catalytic Activity And Affinity For Some Benzenesulfonamides Of Human Carbonic Anhydrase Ii, Deryanur Kiliç, Orhan Erdoğan, Ömer İrfan Küfrevi̇oğlu

Turkish Journal of Biology

Human carbonic anhydrase II (hCA II) enzyme was firstly expressed using a pET-SUMO expression vector in Escherichia coli and the recombinant enzyme was purified using nickel (Ni2+) affinity chromatography. The substitutions of Trp 209 with four amino acid (Val, Leu, Ile, and Pro) in the hydrophobic pocket of hCA II were conducted using site-directed mutagenesis. The p-nitrophenyl esterase activity of hCA II variants correlates with the hydrophobicity and size of residue, suggesting that the hydrophobic character of this residue is important for catalysis. The Trp 209 was forecast as an important residue and was exposed to computational mutagenesis. This forecast …


Extracellular Presence/Release Of Galectins From Htr-8/Svneo Extravillous Trophoblast Cells*, Danica Cujic, Maja Kosanovic, Milica Jovanovic Krivokuca, Ljiljana Vicovac, Miroslava Jankovic Jan 2017

Extracellular Presence/Release Of Galectins From Htr-8/Svneo Extravillous Trophoblast Cells*, Danica Cujic, Maja Kosanovic, Milica Jovanovic Krivokuca, Ljiljana Vicovac, Miroslava Jankovic

Turkish Journal of Biology

Galectins (gals) are ß-galactoside binding lectins, involved in many processes at the fetomaternal interface where they can exert their roles both in and out of cells. The aim of this work was to explore the extracellular presence/release of HTR-8/SVneo extravillous trophoblast cell line galectins. To that end, conditioned medium (CM) from HTR-8/SVneo cell culture was fractionated into a high molecular mass fraction (HMF) and low molecular mass fraction (LMF) using 100 kDa cut-off concentrators. In addition, extracellular vesicles (EVs) were isolated from CM by ultracentrifugation. Size and shape of the EVs were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and their galectin …


Effect Of Calprotectin Subunit S100a9 On The Expression And Methylation Of Ocln In Human Melanoma Cell Line A-375, Mostafa Najafi, Safar Ali Alizadeh, Mehdi Azad, Taghi Naserpour Farivar, Farzad Rajaei, Kourosh Hotam Sorouri, Babak Rahmani, Nematollah Gheibi Jan 2017

Effect Of Calprotectin Subunit S100a9 On The Expression And Methylation Of Ocln In Human Melanoma Cell Line A-375, Mostafa Najafi, Safar Ali Alizadeh, Mehdi Azad, Taghi Naserpour Farivar, Farzad Rajaei, Kourosh Hotam Sorouri, Babak Rahmani, Nematollah Gheibi

Turkish Journal of Biology

Increased levels of calprotectin subunits S100A8 and S100A9 have been detected in human cancers. Melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer, and its treatment is challenging because of its brain metastasis. OCLN encodes occludin, which plays a major role in the formation and regulation of tight junctions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the methylation status of the OCLN promoter and its expression in A-375 melanoma cells treated with or without various concentrations of S100A9 for 24, 48, and 72 h. Total RNA was extracted, and synthesized cDNA was assessed by performing real-time PCR. MSP-PCR was …


Mg Deficiency Changes The Isoenzyme Pattern Of Reactive Oxygen Species-Relatedenzymes And Regulates Nadph-Oxidase-Mediated Ros Signaling In Cotton, Rengi̇n Özgür Uzi̇lday, Bariş Uzi̇lday, Tolga Yalçinkaya, İsmai̇l Türkan Jan 2017

Mg Deficiency Changes The Isoenzyme Pattern Of Reactive Oxygen Species-Relatedenzymes And Regulates Nadph-Oxidase-Mediated Ros Signaling In Cotton, Rengi̇n Özgür Uzi̇lday, Bariş Uzi̇lday, Tolga Yalçinkaya, İsmai̇l Türkan

Turkish Journal of Biology

The aim of this work was to investigate changes in isoenzyme patterns of enzymes related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in cotton under Mg deficiency. Moreover, we aimed to elucidate how a ROS producer, NADPH oxidase (NOX), responds to changing Mg levels. Cotton plants were grown with different concentrations of MgSO4 in hydroponic medium to create nutrient deficiency (0, 75, 150, 1000 μM Mg). Gradual decreases in growth and photosynthetic rates were observed with declining Mg concentrations and 0, 75, and …


Melatonin Diminishes Oxidative Damage In Sperm Cells,Improving Assisted Reproductive Techniques, Fabián Monllor, Javier Espino, Ana María Marchena, Águeda Ortiz, Graciela Lozano, Juan Francisco García, Jose A. Pariente, Ana B. Rodriguez, Ignacio Bejarano Jan 2017

Melatonin Diminishes Oxidative Damage In Sperm Cells,Improving Assisted Reproductive Techniques, Fabián Monllor, Javier Espino, Ana María Marchena, Águeda Ortiz, Graciela Lozano, Juan Francisco García, Jose A. Pariente, Ana B. Rodriguez, Ignacio Bejarano

Turkish Journal of Biology

Sperm preparation procedures are a potential generator of oxidative stress-induced DNA damage, which leads to a dramatic drop in fertility. An increasing number of studies suggest that melatonin reduces the oxidative stress induced by manipulation. However, very little is known about the preservative role of melatonin in sperm preparation medium during assisted reproduction procedures. For this aim to be achieved, semen was divided into two fractions and preincubated with and without 1 mM melatonin. Afterwards, both fractions were divided into two subfractions to perform swim-up in the presence and absence of 1 mM melatonin. Labeling with anti-CD46 and antiactive caspase-3 …


Screening Of Yeast Isolates From Flowers For Effective Ethanol Production, Asma Chaudhary, Shuichi Karita Jan 2017

Screening Of Yeast Isolates From Flowers For Effective Ethanol Production, Asma Chaudhary, Shuichi Karita

Turkish Journal of Biology

The use of alternative substrates to produce biofuel is a striking option nowadays. This study aimed to screen bioethanol-producing yeast strains. From different flowers, 65 yeasts were isolated. Twelve isolates assimilated glucose by liberation of CO2 anaerobically. Out of these, only 5 yeast isolates fermented glucose in medium consisting of 0.8 g/L Mg2+ ions to produce 2.05 $\pm$ 0.03% ethanol. The selected five strains were identified as members of the genera Metschnikowia or Meyerozyma based on molecular characterization. Selected yeast strains were used for conversion of rice into bioethanol following dilute acid hydrolysis and fermentation. Consistent ethanol production was 1.80 …


Determining Expression Of Mirnas That Potentially Regulatestat5a And 5b In Dasatinib-Sensitive K562 Cells, Asu Fergün Yilmaz, Burçi̇n Kaymaz, Çağdaş Aktan, Nur Soyer, Buket Kosova, Ajda Güneş, Fahri̇ Şahi̇n, Melda Özkan, Güray Saydam, Fi̇li̇z Vural Jan 2017

Determining Expression Of Mirnas That Potentially Regulatestat5a And 5b In Dasatinib-Sensitive K562 Cells, Asu Fergün Yilmaz, Burçi̇n Kaymaz, Çağdaş Aktan, Nur Soyer, Buket Kosova, Ajda Güneş, Fahri̇ Şahi̇n, Melda Özkan, Güray Saydam, Fi̇li̇z Vural

Turkish Journal of Biology

In the era of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, resistance still constitutes a problem in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients; thus, new pathway-specific inhibitors like miRNAs have become important in the treatment of refractory patients. There are no satisfying data regarding the miRNAs and anti-miRNA treatment targeting STAT5A and 5B. In this study, we first researched the effect of dasatinib on apoptosis in the CML cell line K562. The expressions of miRNAs possibly targeting both STAT5A and 5B were then determined. The down- and upregulation of the miRNAs were compared using the ΔΔCT method. At the last stage of the study, we …


Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Sba-15 Loaded With Emodin Upregulate The Antioxidative Defense Of Euproctis Chrysorrhoea (L.) Larvae, Milena Jankovic-Tomanic, Dajana Todorovic, Zoran Stanivukovic, Vesna Peric Mataruga, Ludger Wessjohann, Goran Kaludjerovic Jan 2017

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Sba-15 Loaded With Emodin Upregulate The Antioxidative Defense Of Euproctis Chrysorrhoea (L.) Larvae, Milena Jankovic-Tomanic, Dajana Todorovic, Zoran Stanivukovic, Vesna Peric Mataruga, Ludger Wessjohann, Goran Kaludjerovic

Turkish Journal of Biology

The study presented here aims to elucidate the effects of emodin (EO = 1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) in its free form and when loaded into a mesoporous silica nanocarrier SBA-15 (→ SBA-15 EO) on the activities of the main antioxidative enzymes, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione reductase, in larvae of a polyphagous insect pest, the browntail moth Euproctis chrysorrhoea (L.). The results show that only SBA-15 EO upregulates the activities of the tested antioxidative enzymes. These results point to significant differences in the effectiveness of the compound in the free versus the loaded form.


Synergistic Effect Of 24-Epibrassinolide And Salicylic Acid On Photosynthetic Efficiency And Gene Expression In Brassica Juncea L. Under Pb Stress, Sukhmeen Kaur Kohli, Neha Handa, Anket Sharma, Vinod Kumar, Parminder Kaur, Renu Bhardwaj Jan 2017

Synergistic Effect Of 24-Epibrassinolide And Salicylic Acid On Photosynthetic Efficiency And Gene Expression In Brassica Juncea L. Under Pb Stress, Sukhmeen Kaur Kohli, Neha Handa, Anket Sharma, Vinod Kumar, Parminder Kaur, Renu Bhardwaj

Turkish Journal of Biology

Lead (Pb) has wide-ranging effects on various essential physiological processes in plants including seed germination, root/shoot growth, photosynthetic efficiency, water status, and activities of enzymes. The effect of combined treatment of 24-epibrassinolide (10-7 M, EBL) and salicylic acid (1 mM, SA) on growth, photosynthetic attributes, and phenolic compounds in 30-, 60-, and 90-day-old plants of Brassica juncea L. under Pb stress (0.25 mM, 0.50 mM, and 0.75 mM) were studied. It was observed that Pb toxicity resulted in lowered growth and photosynthetic efficiency. The expressions of CHLASE, PSY, CHS, and PAL genes were altered. Presoaking treatment with the combination of …


Optimizations Needed For Lateral Flow Assay For Rapid Detection Of Pathogenic E. Coli, Di̇lek Çam, Hüseyi̇n Avni̇ Öktem Jan 2017

Optimizations Needed For Lateral Flow Assay For Rapid Detection Of Pathogenic E. Coli, Di̇lek Çam, Hüseyi̇n Avni̇ Öktem

Turkish Journal of Biology

Lateral flow assay (LFA), or the immunochromatographic strip test, is popular to use for rapid and sensitive immunoassays. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs), due to tunable optical characteristics and easy manipulation of size or shape, represent an attractive approach for LFA technology. Since most enterohemorrhagic infections result from water and food contaminations of Escherichia coli O157:H7, selective and rapid detection of this organism in environmental and biological complexes is necessary. In this study, optimized parameters of antibody (Ab)-based LFA for rapid detection of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 are described. GNPs were used as visualizing agents. The measuring parameters include the Ab concentration …


Gelatin Positively Regulates The Immunosuppressive Capabilitiesof Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Imdad Ullah Khan, Yongseok Yoon, Wan Hee Kim, Oh-Kyeong Kweon Jan 2017

Gelatin Positively Regulates The Immunosuppressive Capabilitiesof Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Imdad Ullah Khan, Yongseok Yoon, Wan Hee Kim, Oh-Kyeong Kweon

Turkish Journal of Biology

The characteristics of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs) can be selectively enhanced by altering the culture environment. We evaluated the effects of gelatin on Ad-MSCs when used in combination with culture media. Ad-MSCs were initially cultured in 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4% gelatin in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) to evaluate cell proliferation. The expression of inflammatory, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and osteogenic markers was then assessed by rtPCR in Ad-MSCs cultured in 0.5% gelatin in DMEM (GMSCs), and without gelatin (MSCs), for 5 and 10 days. We found that 0.5% gelatin significantly increased the proliferation rate of Ad-MSCs after 24 …


Efficient Polyhydroxybutyrate Production From Bacillus Thuringiensis Using Sugarcane Juice Substrate, Anon Thammasittirong, Sudarat Saechow, Sutticha Na-Ranong Thammasittirong Jan 2017

Efficient Polyhydroxybutyrate Production From Bacillus Thuringiensis Using Sugarcane Juice Substrate, Anon Thammasittirong, Sudarat Saechow, Sutticha Na-Ranong Thammasittirong

Turkish Journal of Biology

The present study focused on the screening and optimization of biopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by Bacillus spp. using cost-effective substrates. Among 602 local Bacillus isolates, Bacillus thuringiensis B417-5 produced the highest amount of PHB (2.278 g/L, 60.07% of dry cell weight, DCW). 1H NMR and FTIR analyses of the extracted polymer revealed the characteristic peaks of PHB. The optimization results showed that the highest PHB accumulation (2.768 g/L, 72.08% of DCW) was achieved when culturing B. thuringiensis B417-5 in a nitrogen-deficient medium containing 1% total sugar from sugarcane juice and 0.5% yeast extract, with a pH of 7.0 and an …


Improved Insulin-Secreting Properties Of Pancreatic Islet Mesenchymalstem Cells By Constitutive Expression Of Pax4 And Mafa, Ayşegül Açiksari, Gökhan Duruksu, Erdal Karaöz Jan 2017

Improved Insulin-Secreting Properties Of Pancreatic Islet Mesenchymalstem Cells By Constitutive Expression Of Pax4 And Mafa, Ayşegül Açiksari, Gökhan Duruksu, Erdal Karaöz

Turkish Journal of Biology

For long-term treatment of diabetes type 1, transplantation of insulin-producing beta cells may be a promising method, but the limited number of islets for transplantation requires the development of different approaches. In this study, we aimed to generate beta-like insulin-producing cells. For this purpose, MafA, Pax4, and Ngn3 genes were transferred into pancreatic islet-derived mesenchymal stem cells, and the effect of their ectopic expressions on differentiation efficiency was examined. Stemness properties of pancreatic islet stem cells were characterized. The 3 genes were transfected by electroporation and expressed constitutively. The transfected cells were further stimulated to differentiate by using chemical induction. …


Overexpression Of The Ibor Gene From Sweet Potato (Ipomea Batatas `Hoang Long') In Maize Increases Total Carotenoid And Ss-Carotene Contents, Thi Luong Tran, Thi Huong Ho, Duc Thanh Nguyen Jan 2017

Overexpression Of The Ibor Gene From Sweet Potato (Ipomea Batatas `Hoang Long') In Maize Increases Total Carotenoid And Ss-Carotene Contents, Thi Luong Tran, Thi Huong Ho, Duc Thanh Nguyen

Turkish Journal of Biology

Nutritional quality of most maize varieties is very low due to the lack of lysine and tryptophan and extremely low provitamin A carotenoids including ß-carotene, Α-carotene, and ß-cryptoxanthin. In this study, we report the successful overexpression of the IbOr gene in H145 and H95 inbred maize lines under the control of maize seed-specific promoter globulin 1 (Glo1) for the purpose of improving ß-carotene in maize. The results showed that the total carotenoid and ß-carotene content of all analyzed transgenic maize plants were significantly higher than those of wild-type lines. For H145-IbOr transgenic maize, in the best line (H145-IbOr.10), the total …


Molecular Evolution Of Major Epidermal Structure Genes And An Integrative Transcriptome Analysis Of Chicken Epidermal Embryogenesis, Weier Bao Jan 2017

Molecular Evolution Of Major Epidermal Structure Genes And An Integrative Transcriptome Analysis Of Chicken Epidermal Embryogenesis, Weier Bao

Theses and Dissertations

Αlpha (α) and beta (β) keratins are the major structural proteins found in vertebrate epidermis and the β-keratins are only found in reptiles and birds. With the recent published 48 avian genomes, we searched and studied the molecular evolution of these gene families. We discovered that the expansion and contraction of different α- and β- keratins among the 48 phylogenetically diverse birds supports the importance of their role in the evolution of the feathers and the adaptation of birds to different ecological niches. Using a customized 44K microarray, we also performed transcriptome analysis on different epidermal regions (scutate scale, dorsal …


A Method For Measuring The Attachment Strength Of The Cestode Hymenolepis Diminuta To The Rat Intestine, Wanchuan Xie, Gábor R. Rácz, Benjamin S. Terry, Scott Lyell Gardner Jan 2017

A Method For Measuring The Attachment Strength Of The Cestode Hymenolepis Diminuta To The Rat Intestine, Wanchuan Xie, Gábor R. Rácz, Benjamin S. Terry, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

A unique adaptation of many internal parasites of mammals is their ability to stay in the intestine for extended periods of time and resist the normal peristaltic movements and forces that push and expel material. To better understand parasite adhesion behavior and replicate their attachment method in medical devices, an experiment was designed and performed using the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta. The experiment employed a tensile test machine and a digital scale and was designed to calculate the attachment strength of the scolex to the mucosa through the change of the value of the digital scale during the tensile …


Online Dictionary Of Invertebrate Zoology: Complete Work, Mary Ann Basinger Maggenti, Armand R. Maggenti, Scott L. Gardner (Editor) Jan 2017

Online Dictionary Of Invertebrate Zoology: Complete Work, Mary Ann Basinger Maggenti, Armand R. Maggenti, Scott L. Gardner (Editor)

Armand R. Maggenti Online Dictionary of Invertebrate Zoology

An exhaustive dictionary of over 13,000 terms relating to invertebrate zoology, including etymologies, word derivations and taxonomic classification. Entries cover parasitology, nematology, marine invertebrates, insects, anatomy, biology, and reproductive processes for the following phyla: Acanthocephala, Annelida, Arthropoda, Brachiopoda, Bryozoa, Chaetognatha, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Echinodermata, Echiura, Entoprocta, Gastrotricha, Gnathostomulida, Kinorhyncha, Loricifera, Mesozoa, Mollusca, Nematoda, Nematomorpha, Nemertea, Onychophora, Pentastoma, Phoronida, Placozoa, Platyhelminthes, Pogonophora, Porifera, Priapula, Rotifera, Sipuncula, and Tardigrada.


Climate Change And The Evolution Of Insect Immune Function, Danae Perry Jan 2017

Climate Change And The Evolution Of Insect Immune Function, Danae Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Insects are ectothermic organisms that have physiological, behavioral and life-history traits directly influenced by their environment. Investigations have shown that many insects use melanin to permanently darken their cuticles in cooler or drier climates to improve thermoregulation and desiccation resistance. Melanin is a major component of pathogen defense in insects. This suggests that environmentally driven adaptive changes in cuticular melanin may non-adaptively shape insect immune function. This hypothesis has been referred to as climate-related Cuticle Dependent Immune Investment (climate-related CDII). Climate-related CDII also suggests that a warming climate could lead to the evolution of a weakened melanin-based immune response due …


Defining The Relationship Between Maternal Care Behavior And Hearing Development In Wistar Rats, Jingyun Qiu Jan 2017

Defining The Relationship Between Maternal Care Behavior And Hearing Development In Wistar Rats, Jingyun Qiu

Dissertations and Theses

Previous studies in rodents have demonstrated the profound effects that variations in maternal care play during the postnatal development of the brain. However, much less is known about how maternal care affects hearing development. Recently, manipulations of maternal care have been investigated to accelerate hearing onset. We hypothesized that accelerated hearing development results from changes in maternal care behavior. To test this hypothesis, we used a selection model in which natural variations in maternal care were identified in a large cohort of dams by measuring the frequency of different behaviors including LG followed by selection of dams with LG scores …


Spatial Sequestration And Oligomer Remodeling During De Novo [Psi+] Formation, Douglas Lyke, Anita L. Manogaran Jan 2017

Spatial Sequestration And Oligomer Remodeling During De Novo [Psi+] Formation, Douglas Lyke, Anita L. Manogaran

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Prions are misfolded, aggregated, infectious proteins found in a range of organisms from mammals to bacteria. In mammals, prion formation is difficult to study because misfolding and aggregation take place prior to symptom presentation. The study of the yeast prion [PSI+], which is the misfolded infectious form of Sup35p, provides a tractable system to monitor prion formation in real time. Recently, we showed that the de novo formation of prion aggregates begins with the appearance of highly mobile cytoplasmic foci, called early foci, which assemble into larger ring or dot structures. We also observed SDS-resistant oligomers during …


Expression Of Matrix Metalloproteinases In Naegleria Fowleri And Their Role In Degradation Of The Extracellular Matrix, Charlton Lam Jan 2017

Expression Of Matrix Metalloproteinases In Naegleria Fowleri And Their Role In Degradation Of The Extracellular Matrix, Charlton Lam

Theses and Dissertations

Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba found in freshwater lakes and ponds that is the causative agent of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been described in protozoa, such as Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma brucei, and Balamuthia mandrillaris, and have been linked to their increased motility and invasive capability by degrading components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In addition, MMPs are often upregulated in tumorigenic cells and have been attributed as responsible for the metastasis of certain cancers. In the present study, in vitro experiments indicated that MMPs are linked functionally to the ECM degradation process. …


Moderate Severity Disturbance Has Similar Effects On The Production Of Three Forests Nested Within The Upper Great Lakes Landscape, Benjamin Tai Sagara Jan 2017

Moderate Severity Disturbance Has Similar Effects On The Production Of Three Forests Nested Within The Upper Great Lakes Landscape, Benjamin Tai Sagara

Theses and Dissertations

Moderate severity disturbances, which only kill a subset of canopy trees (e.g., via insects, pathogens, and windthrow), are increasingly widespread, and can alter forest structure and production. Whether moderate severity disturbance similarly affects the net primary production (NPP) of different forest stands within inherently heterogeneous landscapes, however, is unknown. We experimentally disturbed three, 2-ha stands varying in forest structure and primary production, reducing stand basal area 38 to 66 % by stem girdling all mature early successional aspen (Populus) and birch (Betula). For nearly a decade, we examined how the forest stands restructured and recovered, and linked post-recovery physical and …


Effect Of Temperature And Genetic Structure On Adaptive Evolution At A Dynamic Range Edge In The North American Gypsy Moth (Lymantria Dispar L.), Trevor M. Faske Jan 2017

Effect Of Temperature And Genetic Structure On Adaptive Evolution At A Dynamic Range Edge In The North American Gypsy Moth (Lymantria Dispar L.), Trevor M. Faske

Theses and Dissertations

The study of biological invasions is not only essential to regulate their vast potential for ecological and economical harm, they offer a unique opportunity to study adaptive evolution in the context of recent range expansions into novel environments. The North American invasion of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L., since its introduction in 1869 to Massachusetts, has expanded westward to Minnesota, northward to Canada, and southward to North Carolina. Fluctuating range dynamics at the southern invasive edge are heavily influenced by heat exposure over their optimal (supraoptimal) during the larval stage of development. We coupled genomic sequencing with reciprocal …


Characterizing The Role Of Key Planar Cell Polarity Pathway Components In Axon Guidance, Grayland W. Godfrey Ii Jan 2017

Characterizing The Role Of Key Planar Cell Polarity Pathway Components In Axon Guidance, Grayland W. Godfrey Ii

Theses and Dissertations

An essential process to the development of the neural network of the nervous system is axon guidance. The noncanonical Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity pathway has been identified as an integral component in controlling the projection of axons during axon guidance. Prickle, ROR1 and ROR2 are PCP related proteins that do not have clearly defined roles in the process. This study aims to use zebrafish CoPA neurons as a model to study the roles of Prickle, ROR1, and ROR2 in axon guidance. Using in situ hybridization, morpholino knockdown, and CRISPR/Cas9 loss of function experiments were able to identify ror1, ror2 and …