Biology Commons^™

Lifelines Winter 2018, Southern Adventist University

Lifelines - Biology Department Newsletter

The Winter 2018 issue of Lifelines features articles on student missions in Peru, an alumni spotlight, and a pictorial directory of the 2018 biology and allied health graduates.

Effects Of Cold Acclimation On Rectal Macromorphology, Ultrastructure, And Cytoskeletal Stability In Gryllus Pennsylvanicus Crickets., Lauren E Des Marteaux, Joseph R Stinziano, Brent J Sinclair

Biology Publications

Cold-acclimated insects maintain ion and water balance in the cold, potentially by reducing permeability or increasing diffusion distance across ionoregulatory epithelia such as the rectum. We explored whether cold acclimation induces structural modifications that minimize water and ion diffusion across the rectum and maintain rectal cell integrity. We investigated rectal structure and cytoskeletal stability in chill-susceptible adult Gryllus pennsylvanicus crickets acclimated for one week to either warm (25 °C) or cold (12 °C) conditions. After acclimation, we used light and transmission electron microscopy to examine rectal macromorphology and rectal pad paracellular ultrastructure. We also used fluorescence microscopy and a filamentous-actin …

Seasonal Shifts In The Insect Gut Microbiome Are Concurrent With Changes In Cold Tolerance And Immunity, Laura V. Ferguson, Pranav Dhakal, Jacqueline E. Lebenzon, David E. Heinrichs, Carol Bucking, Brent Sinclair

Biology Publications

1. Seasonal changes in the environment, such as varying temperature, have the potential to change the functional relationship between ectothermic animals, such as insects, and their microbiomes. Our objectives were to determine: (a) whether seasonal changes in temperature shift the composition of the insect gut microbiome, and (b) whether changes in the microbiome are concomitant with changes in the physiology of the host, including the immune system and response to cold.
2. We exposed laboratory populations of the spring field cricket, Gryllus veletis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), to simulated overwintering conditions in both a laboratory microcosm and a field‐like microcosm containing soil and leaves. …

A Synthesis Platform For Temperature Responsive Star Polymers, Schmitt J. Richard Jr.

ETD Archive

Star polymers are a class of branched polymers comprised of several polymer chains extending from a central point. Star polymers have applications in biopharmaceuticals where they have been proposed to be suitable drug delivery vehicles. Star polymers have traditionally been synthesized through chemical synthesis with added functionality provided by grafting on the arms. This complex synthesis can be simplified by using a biosynthetic approach which enables precise control of molecular weight and composition. This approach is demonstrated using star polymers with arms composed of a temperature responsive protein-based polymer termed elastin-like polypeptide (ELP). Star polymers are characterized based on the …

Stabilization Of Hypoxia Inducible Factor By Cobalt Chloride Can Alter Renal Transepithelial, Subhra Sankar Nag

ETD Archive

Kidney cyst expansion, stagnant fluid accumulation, and insufficient vascular supply can result in localized chronic ischemia-hypoxia in kidney cysts, as well as in normal renal epithelia adjacent to a cyst. We hypothesize that in normal epithelia near a cyst, the stabilization of Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1a (HIF1a), a major regulator of cellular response to hypoxia, can cause altered paracellular and transcellular transport, transforming a normal absorptive phenotype to a secretory and paracellularly leaky phenotype, leading to cyst expansion. Using 100 µmol/L cobalt chloride (CoCl2), HIF1a was stabilized in cellular nucleus of a mouse cortical collecting duct cell line (mCCD 1296 …

The Naked Mole Rat Possesses A Differently Phased Core Clock System Along With A Different Glucose Handling And Mtor Systems Compared To The Common Lab Mouse, Soumyaditya Ghosh

ETD Archive

INTRODUCTION The Naked Mole Rat [ Heterocephalus glaber] is a type of rodent -with the highest average lifespan-30 years-among all the rodent species. It lives underground in sealed burrow systems with little to no exposure to day-night transitions on the surface. It shows polyphasic round the clock activity within its subterranean burrow system. The activity and physiology of most animals are governed by the biological circadian clock. The biological circadian clock is a system that oscillates with a rough periodicity of 24 hours. Environmental zeitgebers regulate the entrainment of the circadian clock to the 24-hour day-night cycle and light is …

Multiple Signaling Functions Of Song In A Polymorphic Species With Alternative Reproductive Strategies, M. L. Grunst, A. S. Grunst, Vincent A. Formica, R. A. Gonser, E. M. Tuttle

Biology Faculty Works

Vocal traits can be sexually selected to reflect male quality, but may also evolve to serve additional signaling functions. We used a long-term dataset to examine the signaling potential of song in dimorphic white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis). We investigated whether song conveys multifaceted information about the vocalizing individual, including fitness, species identity, individual identity, and morph. We also evaluated whether song traits correlate differently with fitness in the two morphs, as the more promiscuous strategy of white, relative to tan, morph males might impose stronger sexual selection. Males with high song rates achieved higher lifetime reproductive success, and this pattern …

Rethinking Parts And Wholes, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

S-Plot2: Rapid Visual And Statistical Analysis Of Genomic Sequences, Laurynas Kalensinskas, Evan Cudone, Yuriy Fofanov, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

With the daily release of data from whole genome sequencing projects, tools to facilitate comparative studies are hard-pressed to keep pace. Graphical software solutions can readily recognize synteny by measuring similarities between sequences. Nevertheless, regions of dissimilarity can prove to be equally informative; these regions may harbor genes acquired via lateral gene transfer (LGT), signify gene loss or gain, or include coding regions under strong selection. Previously, we developed the software S-plot. This tool employed an alignment-free approach for comparing bacterial genomes and generated a heatmap representing the genomes’ similarities and dissimilarities in nucleotide usage. In prior studies, this tool …

Growth Rate And Hatch Date Of Age-0 Fishes On Leech Lake, Minnesota Before Zebra Mussel Establishment, Kayla Morey, Emily Larson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The introduction of an invasive species to an ecosystem is considered a very severe environmental problem. Zebra Mussel veligers Dreissena polymorpha have recently been found in Leech Lake, Minnesota, and are likely going to have a large influence on this ecosystem. Zebra Mussels are filter-feeders that rely on phytoplankton and zooplankton as their main source of energy. A shift in populations of plankton due to Zebra Mussels may affect the growth rates of larval fish. Median hatch dates and growth rates were estimated from four age-0 fish species (Yellow Perch Perca flavescens, Walleye Sander vitreus, Smallmouth Bass Micropterus …

Standing Dead Trees Are A Conduit For The Atmospheric Flux Of Ch4 And Co2 From Wetlands, Mary Jane Carmichael, Ashley M. Helton, Joseph C. White, William K. Smith

Biology Faculty Scholarship

In vegetated wetland ecosystems, plants can be a dominant pathway in the atmospheric flux of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Although the roles of herbaceous vegetation and live woody vegetation in this flux have been established, the role of dead woody vegetation is not yet known. In a restored wetland of North Carolina’s coastal plain, static flux chambers were deployed at two heights on standing dead trees to determine if these structures acted as a conduit for methane emissions. Methane fluxes to the atmosphere were measured in five of the chambers, with a mean flux of 0.4±0.1 mg m-2 h-1. …

De-Extinction And The Conception Of Species, Leonard Finkelman

Faculty Publications

Developments in genetic engineering may soon allow biologists to clone organisms from extinct species. The process, dubbed “de-extinction,” has been publicized as a means to bring extinct species back to life. For theorists and philosophers of biology, the process also suggests a thought experiment for the ongoing “species problem”: given a species concept, would a clone be classified in the extinct species? Previous analyses have answered this question in the context of specific de-extinction technologies or particular species concepts. The thought experiment is given more comprehensive treatment here. Given the products of three de-extinction technologies, twenty-two species concepts are “tested” …

Modeling The Disappearance Of The Neanderthals Using Concepts Of Population Dynamics And Ecology, Michael F. Roberts, Stephen E. Bricher

Faculty Publications

Current hypotheses regarding the disappearance of Neanderthals (NEA) in Europe fall into two main categories: climate change, and competition. Here we review current research and existing mathematical models that deal with this question, and we propose an approach that incorporates and permits the investigation of the current hypotheses. We have developed a set of differential equations that model population dynamics of anatomically modern humans (AMH) and NEA, their ecological relations to prey species, and their mutual interactions. The model allows investigators to explore each of the two main categories or combinations of both, as well as various forms of competition …

Rest Upregulates Gremlin To Modulate Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma Vasculature, Shavali Shaik, Bridget Kennis, Shinji Maegawa, Keri Schadler, Yang Yanwen, Javad Nazarian, +Several Additional Authors

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a highly aggressive glial tumor that occurs in children. The extremely poor median and 5-year survival in children afflicted with DIPG highlights the need for novel biology-driven therapeutics. Here, we have implicated the chromatin remodeler and regulator of brain development called RE1 Silencing Transcription Factor (REST), in DIPG pathology. We show that REST protein is aberrantly elevated in at least 21% of DIPG tumors compared to normal controls. Its knockdown in DIPG cell lines diminished cell growth and decreased their tumorigenicity in mouse intracranial models. DIPGs are vascularized tumors and interestingly, REST loss in …

A Multi-Domain Approach To Prevention And Reversal Of Cognitive Decline, Chanah Oberlander

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Incidence of dementia has been on the rise over the last few decades and it is projected that more than 130 million people will be affected by dementia worldwide by 2050. The underlying cause remains incompletely determined, and despite numerous clinical trials, no drug to date has proven effective in preventing or reversing symptoms of cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease. The amyloid hypothesis as a basis for drug development of Alzheimer’s disease has thus far proven to be ineffective, suggesting that perhaps a new approach is required. New studies have shown the efficacy of a multi-domain approach which targets …

Exercise Can Potentially Cure Parkinson’S Disease: A Comprehensive Review, Ilana Tokarsky

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease that negatively affects many American lives. It is characterized by the degeneration of dopamine-secreting neurons in the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta (SNpc). Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease lack motor coordination and experience severe motor impairments. Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment method available that can successfully cure the disease. In fact, all of the mainstream available treatments only eliminate some PD symptoms, and they cause many negative side effects. Although nontraditional, exercise is a side effect free treatment method that can potentially slow the progression of the disease and alleviate some symptoms. …

48839 (Gmr19b04), Neha Gogia, Ankita Sarkar, Amit Singh

Dpp Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dpp enhancer - 48839

• Id - GMR19B04,
• Location - 2L:2432214,2435785
• Base pairs – 3571 bp

47472 (Gmr16g02), Neha Gogia, Ankita Sarkar, Amit Singh

Dpp Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dpp enhancer - 47472

• Id - GMR16G02
• Location 2L:2425041, 2428154
• Base pairs – 3113 bp

48770 (Gmr17e04), Neha Gogia, Ankita Sarkar, Amit Singh

Dpp Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dpp enhancer - 48770

• Id - GMR17E04
• Location 2L: 2428913..2432834
• Base pairs – 3921 bp

Infection Dynamics Of Herpesvirus In Gopher Tortoises, Joanne Saldanha

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Gopherus polyphemus, commonly known as the Gopher Tortoise, is a dryland reptile native to the southeastern United States. It is commonly a resident of longleaf pine and dry oak sand hill habitats. It is considered a keystone species because they dig deep burrows that provide shelter to them as well as many other animals. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and disease are major threats and have caused this species to be federally listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Disease is a major threat to the gopher tortoise’s survival, and with declining populations, the need to investigate …

Mechanical Properties Of The Skeleton Of Acropora Cervicornis, Bridget Masa

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research explores the instantaneous mechanical behavior of the skeleton of the critically endangered staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis. Both bleached and sanded skeletons were used in this experiment. The Raman spectroscopy test showed that there was no significant change in the Raman shift between the three branches tested. The shifts were nearly identical to Raman shifts of calcium carbonate. Vickers hardness test found that 1 Bleached had the average hardness of 3.44 GPa with a standard deviation of 0.12 GPa. The sanded sample also had a similar value of 3.54 GPa with a standard deviation of 0.13 GPa. Samples from …

Investigation Into The Role Of Manganese In The Growth Of The Opportunistic Pathogen Streptococcus Sanguinis, Brittany Spivey

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

While Streptococcus sanguinis plays a beneficial role in the oral cavity as a competitor of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, the bacteria that produce dental caries, it can cause deadly infective endocarditis if given the opportunity to colonize the vegetations that form over damaged endocardial tissue. Pre-existing heart conditions, surgery, and intravenous drug use predispose individuals to endocarditis. S. sanguinis growth and consequential virulence is significantly impeded by restriction to manganese. This is due to the resulting overwhelming oxidative stress and formation of reactive oxygen species which damage DNA and other cellular components. Manganese is essential for S. sanguinis proteins …

A Review Of The Serica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) Of Mexico, Canada, And The Western United States, Reese John Worthington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Twenty-two species and subspecies of Serica occur in Mexico. Serica ensenada Saylor, 1948 is recognized as a junior synonym of Serica pilifera Horn, 1894. Two new species, Serica ascia Lago & Worthington and Serica fenestra Lago & Worthington are described from Mexico. Three genera of Sericini are recorded from Canada, Maladera castanea (Arrow), Nipponoserica peregrina (Chapin), and twelve species of Serica. Seventy-seven species and subspecies of Serica occur in the contiguous United States west of the 100th meridian. Eleven new species, Serica berriani Lago & Worthington, Serica cuneiverpa Lago & Worthington, Serica desolaterra Lago & Worthington, Serica katelinae Lago & …

A Comparison Of Two Methods Of Quantifying Mating Success In Low Density Gypsy Moth (Lymantria Dispar) Populations, Alexandra Barry, Hannah Byrne, Derek M. Johnson

UROP Posters

The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) is a defoliating pest native to Europe and invasive to North America. The gypsy moth is subject to depressed mating success in low density populations, which may restrict spread of the forest pest. Research focusing on gypsy moth density as it relates to mating behavior has often used counts of males caught in pheromone-baited delta traps as a proxy to estimate the probability of female mating success. The purpose of this project was to determine whether pheromone trap counts provide accurate estimates of female mating success probability, by comparing data gathered from pheromone-baited …

The Coastal Monitor: Fall 2017/ Spring 2018, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

As I sat there in the Members Lounge at the Explorers Club; the world center for exploration, getting ready for our first Spring Saturday Science for Students @the EC lecture, I was putting together some notes on the accomplishments of our science students and CERCOM over the last few months since our last newsletter. Our visit to the Galapagos, a spectacular academic experience for our Molloy College students was at the top of my list! This was certainly not an epiphany but as I accumulated the items on this list, I was impressed not only with what we have conducted …

Preliminary Understanding Of Complexities In Swimming Performance Of Common Minnow (Cyprinidae) Taxa, Crystal Nichols, Austin Smith, Stephen Huelsman, Cara Schemmel, Jason C. Doll, Stephen J. Jacquemin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding swimming performance of native freshwater fishes has implications for ecology, conservation, and management. In particular, this type of information has practical importance for improving the understanding of fish dispersal, occurrence, migration, and invasive potential. The objective of this study was to characterize swimming performance of 2 taxa from the comparatively understudied minnow family (Cyprinidae) and test for potential drivers as a function of total length, sex, habitat, morphology, or some combination. The study assessed Spotfin Shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera; n = 66) and Bluntnose Minnow (Pimephales notatus; n = 24) populations from an ontogenic range of male and …

Upregulation Of Functional Kv11.1a Isoform Expression By Modified U1 Small Nuclear Rna, Qiuming Gong, Matthew R. Stump, Zhengfeng Zhou

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

The KCNH2 or human ether-a go-go-related gene (hERG) encodes the Kv11.1 potassium channel that conducts the rapidly activating delayed rectifier potassium current in the heart. The expression of Kv11.1 C-terminal isoforms is directed by the alternative splicing and polyadenylation of intron 9. Splicing of intron 9 leads to the formation of a functional, full-length Kv11.1a isoform and polyadenylation of intron 9 results in the production of a non-functional, C-terminally truncated Kv11.1a-USO isoform. The relative expression of Kv11.1a and Kv11.1a-USO plays an important role in regulating Kv11.1 channel function. In the heart, only one-third of KCNH2 pre-mRNA is processed to Kv11.1a …

Energetic Consequences For A Northern, Range-Edge Lizard Population, Sean D. Powers, Matthew R. Mcternan, Donald R. Powers, Roger A. Anderson

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Lizards at the northern, cool edge of their geographic range in the northern hemisphere should encounter environmental conditions that differ from those living near the core of their range. To better understand how modest climate differences affect lizard energetics, we compared daily feeding and metabolism rates of individual Sceloporus occidentalis in two populations during mid-summer. Chuckanut Beach (CB) was a cool, maritime climate in northern Washington State, and Sondino Ranch (SR) was a warmer, drier climate in southern, inland Washington. We found no difference between populations in daily energy expenditure (DEE), as calculated from doubly labeled water estimates. The CB …

Integrating Morphology And Kinematics In The Scaling Of Hummingbird Hovering Metabolic Rate And Efficiency, Derrick J. E. Groom, M. Cecilia B. Toledo, Donald R. Powers, Bret W. Tobalske, Kenneth C. Welch Jr.

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Wing kinematics and morphology are influential upon the aerodynamics of flight. However, there is a lack of studies linking these variables to metabolic costs, particularly in the context of morphological adaptation to body size. Furthermore, the conversion efficiency from chemical energy into movement by the muscles (mechanochemical efficiency) scales with mass in terrestrial quadrupeds, but this scaling relationship has not been demonstrated within flying vertebrates. Positive scaling of efficiency with body size may reduce the metabolic costs of flight for relatively larger species. Here, we assembled a dataset of morphological, kinematic, and metabolic data on hovering hummingbirds to explore the …

Drosophila Exo70 Is Essential For Neurite Extension And Survival Under Thermal Stress, Alex Chun Koon, Zhefan Stephan Chen, Shaohong Peng, Joyce Man See Fung, Xiaoman Zhang, Kayly M. Lembke, Hoi Kin Chow, C. Andrew Frank, Liwen Jiang, Kwok-Fai Lau, Ho Yin Edwin Chan

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

The octomeric exocyst complex governs the final step of exocytosis in both plants and animals. Its roles, however, extend beyond exocytosis and include organelle biogenesis, ciliogenesis, cell migration, and cell growth. Exo70 is a conserved component of the exocyst whose function in Drosophila is unclear. In this study, we characterized two mutant alleles of Drosophila exo70. exo70 mutants exhibit reduced synaptic growth, locomotor activity, glutamate receptor density, and mEPSP amplitude. We found that presynaptic Exo70 is necessary for normal synaptic growth at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). At the neuromuscular junction, exo70 genetically interacts with the small GTPase ralA to regulate …