Biology Commons^™

Does Scale Matter? A Systematic Review Of Incorporating Biological Realism When Predicting Changes In Species Distributions, Sydne Record, Angela Strecker, Mao-Ning Tuanmu, Phoebe Zarnetske, Jonathan Belmaker, Beth Gerstner

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Background

There is ample evidence that biotic factors, such as biotic interactions and dispersal capacity, can affect species distributions and influence species’ responses to climate change. However, little is known about how these factors affect predictions from species distribution models (SDMs) with respect to spatial grain and extent of the models.

Objectives

Understanding how spatial scale influences the effects of biological processes in SDMs is important because SDMs are one of the primary tools used by conservation biologists to assess biodiversity impacts of climate change.

Data sources and study eligibility criteria

We systematically reviewed SDM studies published from 2003–2015 using …

Identifying Foundation Species In North American Forests Using Long‐Term Data On Ant Assemblage Structure, Sydne Record, Tempest Mccabe, Benjamin Baiser, Aaron M. Ellison

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Foundation species are locally abundant and uniquely control associated biodiversity, whereas dominant species are locally abundant but are thought to be replaceable in ecological systems. It is important to distinguish foundation from dominant species to direct conservation efforts. Long‐term studies that remove abundant species while measuring community dynamics have the potential to (1) aid in the identification of foundation vs. dominant species and, (2) once a foundation species is identified, determine how long its effects persist within a community after its loss. Long‐term data on ant assemblages within two canopy‐manipulation experiments—the Harvard Forest Hemlock Removal Experiment (HF‐HeRE) and the Black …

Nutrient Conservation Trait Responses Of Low Resource Adapted Chaparral Shrubs To Increased Resource Availability, Reina Lee Nielsen

Masters Theses

Traits that increase mean nutrient retention times are essential to plant performance in low resource environments, where multiple stressors (low water and nutrients) are present. Although physiological responses to either water or nutrient stress are well understood, fewer studies have investigated the interaction of these stressors from a phylogenetically-controlled, whole-plant perspective. This research focused on three, phylogenetically-controlled pairs of shrubby evergreen species from the California chaparral that either grow on or off serpentine soils, which differ in nutrient availability. Using greenhouse and field studies, the responses of these plants to altered water and nutrient availability were evaluated. The greenhouse study …

Environmental Effects On Drosophila Brain Development And Learning, Xia Wang, Amei Amei, J. Steven De Belle, Stephen P. Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Brain development and behavior are sensitive to a variety of environmental influences including social interactions and physicochemical stressors. Sensory input in situ is a mosaic of both enrichment and stress, yet little is known about how multiple environmental factors interact to affect brain anatomical structures, circuits and cognitive function. In this study, we addressed these issues by testing the individual and combined effects of sub-adult thermal stress, larval density and early-adult living spatial enrichment on brain anatomy and olfactory associative learning in adult Drosophila melanogaster. In response to heat stress, the mushroom bodies (MBs) were the most volumetrically impaired among …

Hemolytic And Non-Hemolytic Group B Streptococcus Strains’ Impact On Infection And Inflammation In Human Placental And Immune Cells, Olivia S. Harlow, Natalie Anumolu, Shannon Manning, Erica Boldenow

Summer Research

• Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonizes 10-30% of women.
• GBS remains the leading cause of infectious neonatal morbidity and mortality1
• GBS is defined as being β-hemolytic, but about 3% of strains are non-hemolytic.
• Recent data suggest that non-hemolytic strains also pose health risks to infants2.
• Previous data from our lab demonstrated that GB37 is non-hemolytic when grown on blood agar, but is hemolytic when grown in suspension with red blood cells.

The Roles Of Inter- And Intra-Sexual Selection In Behavioral Isolation Between Native And Invasive Pupfishes, Cory Becher, Jennifer M. Gumm

Faculty Publications

Male-male competition and female mate choice may both play important roles in driving and maintaining reproductive isolation between species. When previously allopatric species come into secondary contact with each other due to introductions, they provide an opportunity to evaluate the identity and strength of reproductive isolating mechanisms. If reproductive isolation is not maintained, hybridization may occur. We examined how reproductive isolating mechanisms mediate hybridization between endemic populations of the Red River pupfish Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis and the recently introduced sheepshead minnow C. variegatus. In lab-based dominance trials, males of both species won the same number of competitions. However, male C. rubrofluviatilis …

The Effects Of Ultraviolet Light On Anthocyanin Accumulation In The Adventitious Roots Of Sedum Wrightii (Crassulaceae), Lila D. Kerr, Dennis A. Gravatt, Robert J. Wiggers

Faculty Publications

Several studies have supported the idea that anthocyanin accumulation may be a possible protection mechanism in plants against DNA damage caused by ultraviolet radiation (UV). This study explored the accumulation of anthocyanins in the adventitious root tips of Sedum wrightii using the following treatments: UVA, UVA+low UVB, and UVA+high UVB. Following exposure to UV radiation, samples were analyzed for anthocyanin accumulation using an ethanol extraction procedure. Using ELISA, additional root samples were analyzed for indicators of DNA damage: cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone dimers (6-4 PPs). The anthocyanin concentrations were significantly higher in the UVA + high …

Sequestered Alkaloid Defenses In The Dendrobatid Poison Frog Oophaga Pumilio Provide Variable Protection From Microbial Pathogens, K. J. Hovey, E. M. Seiter, Erin E. Johnson, Ralph Saporito

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Most amphibians produce their own defensive chemicals; however, poison frogs sequester their alkaloid-based defenses from dietary arthropods. Alkaloids function as a defense against predators, and certain types appear to inhibit microbial growth. Alkaloid defenses vary considerably among populations of poison frogs, reflecting geographic differences in availability of dietary arthropods. Consequently, environmentally driven differences in frog defenses may have significant implications regarding their protection against pathogens. While natural alkaloid mixtures in dendrobatid poison frogs have recently been shown to inhibit growth of non-pathogenic microbes, no studies have examined the effectiveness of alkaloids against microbes that infect these frogs. Herein, we examined …

Molecular Characterization Of Geitleria Appalachiana Sp. Nov. (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) And Formation Of Geitleriaceae Fam. Nov., Chase Kilgore, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Truc Mai, Tomáš Hauer, Dale A. Casamata, Christopher Sheil

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Geitleria was described from a limestone cave in Israel, and subsequently reported from caves of France, Romania, Spain, Florida, Costa Rica, and Cook Islands. It is morphologically unusual in that it has true branching, but no heterocytes. A morphologically distinct species of Geitleria was recently collected from a limestone cave in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, and is herein described as G. appalachiana sp. nov. Sequence data for 16S rRNA and rpoC1 loci for the species were obtained from field material using single filament PCR. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Geitleria does not belong to any family in the Nostocales …

Biodiversity Of Terrestrial Cyanobacteria Of The South Ural Region, Lira A. Gaysina, Markéta Bohunicka, Václava Hazukova, Jeffrey R. Johansen

2018 Faculty Bibliography

South Ural is a territory with a unique geographical position and heterogeneous natural conditions. Unexplored biodiversity of the terrestrial cyanobacteria of this territory is very high. We undertook a floristic study covering all botanical-geographical zones of the Bashkiria and Bredinskiy district of the Chelyabinsk region. In a total of 85 soil samples collected, 56 species of cyanobacteria were identified. The number of cyanobacteria was highest in the boreal-forest zone (39 species) and notably lower in the other zones (18, 29, and 24 species for broad-leaved forest, forest steppe and steppe regions, respectively). Leptolyngbya voronichiniana, Leptolyngbya foveolarum, cf. Trichocoleus hospitus, Pseudophormidium …

Chroakolemma Gen. Nov. (Leptolyngbyaceae, Cyanobacteria) From Soil Biocrusts In The Semi-Desert Central Region Of Mexico, Itzael Becerra-Absalon, Jeffrey R. Johansen, M. Angeles Munoz-Martin, Gustavo Montejano

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Twelve strains of Leptolyngbya-like filaments were isolated from biological soil crust samples from two localities in the Central Region of Mexico. The strains were morphologically distinguished from most Synechococcalean species by the obligate presence of a blackish sheath. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence placed all strains into a strongly supported single clade sister to Scytolyngbya. The genetic identity between our strains and all other Synechococcales, including Scytolyngbya, was less than 95%, and the strains were further distinguished by morphology and terrestrial ecology. The conserved domains of the 16S-23S ITS region had secondary structures distinct from all other …

Behavioural Preference For Low Levels Of Uv-B Radiation In Two Neotropical Frog Species From Costa Rica, Joseph A. Demarchi*, Andrew Britton**, Kaylee O'Donnell**, Ralph Saporito

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Tropical frogs experience damaging effects from exposure to UV-B radiation, and some diurnally active, con- spicuous species exhibit avoidance behaviours to high levels of UV-B. To determine if similar behaviours are present in

other diurnal frogs, we experimentally compared UV-B avoidance in two common species of neotropical diurnal frogs – Oophaga pumilio, an aposematic poison frog and Craugastor bransfordii, a cryptic leaf-litter frog – in response to different levels of UV-B. Wild-caught frogs were tested in experimental arenas fitted with filters that permitted two different levels of UV-B (low: 14% vs. high: 84% UV-B). Both species spent significantly more time …

Male Mate Preference As An Agent Of Fecundity Selection In A Polymorphic Salamander, Kortney E. Jaworski, Matthew S. Lattanzio, Cari-Ann M. Hickerson, Carl D. Anthony

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Color polymorphisms are associated with variation in other traits which may affect individual fitness, and these color‐trait associations are expected to contribute to nonrandom mating in polymorphic species. The red‐backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) exhibits a polymorphism in dorsal pattern: striped and unstriped, and previous studies have suggested that they may mate nonrandomly. However, the mechanism(s) contributing to this behavior remain unclear. Here we consider the role that male preference may have in driving mating behavior in P. cinereus. We limit our focus to striped individuals because this morph is most likely to be choosy given their dominant, aggressive behavioral profiles …

Phytobiome And Transcriptional Adaptation Of Populus Deltoides To Acute Progressive Drought And Cyclic Drought, Benjamin Garcia, Jessy Labbé, Piet Jones, Piet Jones, Paul Abraham, Ian Hodge, Ian Hodge, Sharlee Climer, Sara Jawdy, Lee Gunter, Gerald Tuskan, Xiaohan Yang, Timothy Tschaplinski, Daniel Jacobson, Daniel Jacobson

Computer Science Faculty Works

Plant drought stress causes systematic changes to photosynthesis, metabolism, growth, and potentially the phytobiome. Additionally, drought affects plants in both a species-specific and water-deficit-driven manner, causing the response to drought to be dependent both on how drought is being experienced and on any adaptation to prior drought exposure. Thus, understanding the effect of drought on plants requires assessing drought response in multiple conditions, such as progressive acute drought and recurrent cyclic drought, and at different levels of severity. In this study, we have utilized RNA sequencing to identify changes to the plant transcriptome and the phytobiome during both acute progressive …

Ontogenetic Colour Change In Oreophryne Ezra (Anura: Microhylidae) Reflects An Unusual Shift From Conspicuousness To Crypsis But Not In Toxicity, M. W. Bulbert, T. E. White, Ralph Saporito, F. Kraus

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Ontogenetic colour change (OCC) may signal a switch in defensive strategies across development. Commonly, juveniles use cryptic colours and transition to conspicuous coloration as adults. Extensive theoretical and empirical work suggest such a transition is more likely than the converse. Oreophryne ezra, a newly discovered frog from New Guinea, however, undergoes OCC that belies expectations. We investigated the notion juveniles are aposematic while the adults use crypsis. We quantified the extent of conspicuousness of O. ezra across life stages using spectrophotometry and models of avian vision; and analysed skin extracts for the presence of toxic alkaloids. As predicted, the juvenile …

An Empirical Test Indicates Only Qualitatively Honest Aposematic Signaling Within A Population Of Vertebrates, Adam M.M. Stuckert, Ralph Saporito, Kyle Summers

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Signaling is an important part of intraspecific and interspecific interactions. Theoretical work examining honest signaling in aposematic species (e.g., those with conspicuous colors and secondary defenses) has focused primarily on discerning the patterns between conspicuousness and defense within populations. Most empirical work, however, has investigated these patterns across populations or species. Here, we test for honest signaling across individuals within a population of the aposematic poison frog, Ranitomeya imitator. We find no evidence that increasing levels of the aposematic signal are correlated with increasing levels of defense in this species, indicating that our study population does not signal in a …

Nunduva, A New Marine Genus Of Rivulariaceae (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) From Marine Rocky Shores, Laura Gonzales-Resendiz, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Luisa Alba-Lois, Claudia Segal–Kischinevzky, Viviana Escobar–Sánchez, Luis F. Jimenez Garcia4, Tomáš Hauer, Hilda León–Tejera

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Several populations of a non–tapering and tapering, fasciculated, single and geminate false branch- ing heterocytous cyanobacterium were collected from rocky shores in the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The populations were provisionally placed in Brasilonema based on morphology, but upon sequencing of both environmental and culture material it was discovered that the populations/cultures belonged to the Rivulariaceae, in a marine subclade of the family containing Kyrtuthrix huatulcensis. In culture, the taxon exhibited tapering in isopolar filaments, providing further evidence that it was a member of the rivulariacean clade. Based on molecular data for other cyanobacteria within the rivulariacean clade, …

Revision Of The Synechococcales (Cyanobacteria) Through Recognition Of Four Families Including Oculatellaceae Fam. Nov. And Trichocoleaceae Fam. Nov. And Six New Genera Containing 14 Species, Truc Mai, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Nicole Pietrasiak, Marketa Bohunicka, Michael P. Martin

2018 Faculty Bibliography

A total of 48 strains of thin, filamentous cyanobacteria in Synechococcales were studied by sequencing 16S rRNA and rpo C1 sequence fragments. We also carefully characterized a subset of these by morphology. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene data using Bayesian inference of a large Synechococcales alignment (345 OTU’s) was in agreement with the phylogeny based on the rpo C1 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. Oculatellaceae fam. …

Investigating The Effects Of Antibiotics Perturbation On Lactobacillus Species Metabolomics Profiles, Sophia Lee, Kundi Yang, Jiangjiang (Chris) Zhu

Summer Research

Our gut microbiota contains a vast array of cells that influence human physiology, metabolism, nutrition and immune function. Lactobacillus is a group of Gram-positive, lactic acid bacteria that is naturally present in the human gastrointestinal tract. Some species are probiotics that provide beneficial health effects to humans. Many studies have investigated and noted their various health benefits to their human host, including prevention of certain diseases such as colon cancer, breaking down of food, and absorption of nutrients. Maintaining the balance of our normal flora is essential - even small perturbations to the microbiota can have significant health effects. It …

Itching For A Reason: Understanding Mechanisms Of Itch, Andrea K. Lapira

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

This poster for the Natural Sciences Poster Session at Parkland College introduces theories regarding why we itch (intensity, labeled line and selectivity) and identifies the two distinct pathways to transmit itch signals: histaminergic and non-histaminergic.

Plant Algae Ecosystems, Arturo Hernandez

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

This poster for the Natural Sciences Poster Session at Parkland College reports on the student's experiment with algae found in a terrarium and the different effects that light can have on it.

A Tangled Web: Origins Of Reproductive Parasitism, Joseph J. Gillespie, Timothy P. Driscoll, Victoria I. Verhoeve, Mohammed Sayeedur Rahman, Kevin R. Macaluso

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

While typically a flea parasite and opportunistic human pathogen, the presence of Rickettsia felis (strain LSU-Lb) in the non-blood- feeding, parthenogenetically reproducing booklouse, Liposcelis bostrychophila, provides a system to ascertain factors governing not only host transitions but also obligate reproductive parasitism (RP). Analysis of plasmid pLbAR, unique to R. felis str. LSU-Lb, revealed a toxin–antitoxin module with similar features to prophage-encoded toxin–antitoxin modules utilized by parasitic Wolbachia strains to induce another form of RP, cytoplasmic incompatibility, in their arthropod hosts. Curiously, multiple deubiquitinase and nuclease domains of the large (3,841 aa) pLbAR toxin, as well the entire antitoxin, facilitated the …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Meghan Mcgill

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the role of competition in food webs, and more specifically, in trophic cascades induced by biodiversity loss. Trophic cascades are food web disturbances that result from the removal of an important species, often a predator, and lead to dramatic changes in herbivore and plant populations. It is critical to understand the mechanisms that drive and mitigate trophic cascades, because global biodiversity loss is increasing. Previous research suggests that biodiversity, specifically intraguild biodiversity with members in the same trophic level, is an important factor in reducing the negative effects of trophic cascades. …

Deciphering The Origin, Evolution, And Physiological Function Of The Subtelomeric Arylalcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Family In The Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Dong Dong Yang, Gustavo M. De Billerbeck, Jin Jing Zhang, Frank Rosenzweig, Jean Marie Francois

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Homology searches indicate that Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain BY4741 contains seven redundant genes that encode putative aryl-alcohol dehydrogenases (AAD). Yeast AAD genes are located in subtelomeric regions of different chromosomes, and their functional role(s) remain enigmatic. Here, we show that two of these genes, AAD4 and AAD14, encode functional enzymes that reduce aliphatic and aryl-aldehydes concomitant with the oxidation of cofactor NADPH, and that Aad4p and Aad14p exhibit different substrate preference patterns. Other yeast AAD genes are undergoing pseudogenization. The 5' sequence of AAD15 has been deleted from the genome. Repair of an AAD3 missense mutation at the catalytically essential Tyr73 …

Identification Of Novel Mites (Miniature Inverted-Repeat Transposable Elements) In Coxiella Burnetii: Implications For Protein And Small Rna Evolution, Shaun Wachter, Rahul Raghavan, Jenny Wachter, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Coxiella burnetii is a Gram-negative gammaproteobacterium and zoonotic agent of Q fever. C. burnetii’s genome contains an abundance of pseudogenes and numerous selfish genetic elements. MITEs (miniature invertedrepeat transposable elements) are non-autonomous transposons that occur in all domains of life and are thought to be insertion sequences (ISs) that have lost their transposase function. Like most transposable elements (TEs), MITEs are thought to play an active role in evolution by altering gene function and expression through insertion and deletion activities. However, information regarding bacterial MITEs is limited.

Results: We describe two MITE families discovered during research on small non-coding …

Crystal Structure Of The Major Quadruplex Formed In The Promoter Region Of The Human C-Myc Oncogene, Sascha Stump, Tung-Chung Mou, Stephen R. Sprang, Nicholas R. Natale, Howard D. Beall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The c-MYC oncogene mediates multiple tumor cell survival pathways and is dysregulated or overexpressed in the majority of human cancers. The NHE III1 region of the c-MYC promoter forms a DNA quadruplex. Stabilization of this structure with small molecules has been shown to reduce expression of c-MYC, and targeting the c-MYC quadruplex has become an emerging strategy for development of antitumor compounds. Previous solution NMR studies of the c-MYC quadruplex have assigned the major conformer and topology of this important target, however, regions outside the G-quartet core were not as well-defined. Here, we report a high-resolution crystal structure (2.35 Å) …

What Drives Species Richness In Colorado's Alpine Tundra, Michael Kintgen

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Despite years of research, drivers of vascular plant species richness in Colorado’s alpine tundra habitats are largely unknown. Factors such as slope aspect, Pleistocene glaciation, nutrient levels, latitude and longitude, snow depth, and disturbance have been studied. Despite this research, few patterns have emerged. Research in Colorado has been conducted on a few well studied mountains. Aridity is one factor that has not been well studied but shows promise in explaining species richness. In Patagonia and the Swiss Alps, increasing aridity correlates with higher species richness. Here, a full species assessment was conducted on nine mountains previously under researched or …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Annamaria Marcel

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Due to the worldwide decline of biodiversity, protected nature reserves are necessary for species facing extinction. Many frog species have been experiencing rapid population decline and extinction due to the threat of the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which inflicts the highly transmittable and deadly disease chytridiomycosis. Chytridiomycosis causes increased skin tissue growth which disrupts respiration and the maintenance of water balance, which can ultimately lead to death. Certain ecological and geographical characteristics have been studied in order to assess their influence on Bd’s prevalence. Specifically, it is hypothesized that high elevations, lotic habitats, and low species richness have a positive …

The Association Between Type Of Fat And The Risk Of Developing Cardiovascular Diseases, Dovid Leib Glassner

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Objective: To determine the significance of various types of dietary fat in the progression of atherosclerosis leading to heart disease. Methods: Study inclusion criteria constituted relevance to the discussion topic and peer reviewed literature. Age of the published material was taken into account as well, with greater preference being given to more recent research as the topic of nutrition and its relation to chronic disease remains an emerging science. Results: This research review found an overall significant relationship between the type (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans-fat) of dietary fat intake and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. While earlier research identified …

Unearthing The Past And Present Of A Semi-Fossorial Lizard: Conservation Genetics, Phylogeography, And Taxonomy Of Plestiodon Egregius., Kathryn Mercier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Characterizing an organism's evolutionary history and population structure as well as understanding the forces shaping that divergence is crucial to conservation biology. A clear understanding of the patterns of diversity and divergence are imperative for the best management of the organism, while an awareness of what drives these patterns can lead to better predictions of how organisms will respond to future climate change. Historical climate changes and associated sea level change are among the main forces driving divergence in many species. To examine how effects of climate changes may have driven patterns of intraspecific divergence, I examined Mole Skinks, Plestiodon …