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2023

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Articles 541 - 570 of 1823

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Investigating The Localization Of Foxo4 Transcription Factor In U87mg Glioblastoma Cell Line, Millat Jahan Aug 2023

Investigating The Localization Of Foxo4 Transcription Factor In U87mg Glioblastoma Cell Line, Millat Jahan

Theses and Dissertations

FOXO transcription factors perform diverse functions that have effects on significant biological processes like stem cell homeostasis, cell cycle, apoptosis, and cell fate determination. This research focuses on FOXO4 that is differentially localized in U87MG glioblastoma cells where FOXO4 is targeted to the nucleus. This research is aimed at investigating the mechanism and localization of FOXO4 in U87MG cell lines. Using chimeric fusion construct, we have mapped regions within FOXO factors that can determine specific cellular localization patterns. Finding the mechanism behind specific nuclear localization of FOXO4 can produce innovative data to better understand the distinctive subcellular localization patterns in …

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Genomic Underpinning Of Drought-Associated Phenotypes In A Keystone Shrub Species Of Western North America, Carlos Dave Contreras Dumaguit Aug 2023

Genomic Underpinning Of Drought-Associated Phenotypes In A Keystone Shrub Species Of Western North America, Carlos Dave Contreras Dumaguit

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic climate warming and habitat loss threaten species and ecosystem sustainability. Given this, it is urgent to determine whether populations can adapt at a rate sufficient to combat climate change or if human intervention is needed to preserve community ecosystem health. Assessing whether populations could adapt includes inferring whether key phenotypic traits associated to abiotic tolerance are under genetic control and therefore heritable. This thesis focused on the imperiled western North American sagebrush steppe and its widespread eponymous keystone species Artemisia tridentata, (common name, big sagebrush). To determine the adaptive capacity of any population, standing variation for phenotypic traits across …

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Seed Predation By Harvester Ants On Native Grasses And Forbs: Implications For Management In A Changing Landscape, Michaela Grossklaus Aug 2023

Seed Predation By Harvester Ants On Native Grasses And Forbs: Implications For Management In A Changing Landscape, Michaela Grossklaus

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Vegetation restoration efforts in the sagebrush steppe to date have yielded mixed results. Although many factors contribute to variation in restoration outcomes, seed predation by harvester ants may be an important yet overlooked source of seed loss. Using a selection of grass and forb seeds commonly seeded in local restoration projects, we conducted a field experiment to evaluate whether seed species and spatial arrangement (i.e., distance of seed patches from ant colonies and from each other) affected patterns of seed consumption by Owyhee harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex salinus. To further examine the ecological factors that may affect foraging by harvester …

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Impacts Of Habitat Type On Individual Prairie Falcon (Falco Mexicanus) Movement And Foraging Behavior During The Breeding Season, Eden Sunshine Ravecca Aug 2023

Impacts Of Habitat Type On Individual Prairie Falcon (Falco Mexicanus) Movement And Foraging Behavior During The Breeding Season, Eden Sunshine Ravecca

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Animal movement is a fundamental characteristic of the ecology, fitness, and evolution of species. Movement behavior can differ significantly among individuals within a population and is driven by a multitude of factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic. How and why animals differ in the way they use habitat is central to species conservation, but relying solely on population-level estimates obscures individual variation and can result in ineffective management strategies. Understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of movement and individual variation among wide-ranging aerial predators is particularly challenging, but remains imperative for conservation, given the critical role of higher trophic levels in ecosystem functioning. …

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Resolving Taxonomic Uncertainty And Clarifying Species Boundaries In The Cymopterus Terebinthinus (Apiaceae) Species Complex, Annie Taylor Aug 2023

Resolving Taxonomic Uncertainty And Clarifying Species Boundaries In The Cymopterus Terebinthinus (Apiaceae) Species Complex, Annie Taylor

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Speciation processes are not well resolved or agreed upon. They are however essential to our general understanding of the evolutionary processes that lead to diversification. Determining the juncture at which a genetically and/or morphologically divergent population becomes a unique species can be challenging, especially with respect to recent divergences and closely related taxa where issues such as incomplete lineage sorting may bring about confounding results. To complicate our theoretical disagreements on species definitions, different models inferring species boundaries may accordingly lump or split species. Using multiple lines of evidence to define species boundaries can greatly improve species inference and preclude …

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Understanding The Role Of Sabp2-Interacting Protein (Sip) 428: An Nad+-Dependent Deacetylase Enzyme In Abiotic Stress Signaling Of Nicotiana Tabacum, Mariam Onabanjo Aug 2023

Understanding The Role Of Sabp2-Interacting Protein (Sip) 428: An Nad+-Dependent Deacetylase Enzyme In Abiotic Stress Signaling Of Nicotiana Tabacum, Mariam Onabanjo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abiotic stresses are constantly rising and pose a very high risk to global agricultural productivity and food security. Some plants have evolved several innate pathways for defense against these stresses. Hence, understanding stress signaling pathways can help develop crop plants with higher stress tolerance. The salicylic acid-mediated signaling pathway is important in plants experiencing biotic and abiotic stresses. In previous studies, SABP2-Interacting Protein (SIP-428) has been shown to be a negative regular of plant growth under abiotic stress. This study aimed to investigate the roles of SIP-428 in the ROS signaling of tobacco plants. We investigated transgenic RNAi-silenced lines of …

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Investigation Of The Protein Components In A Periplasmic Mechanism Regulating Bacterial Morphology, Alexandra Pulliam Aug 2023

Investigation Of The Protein Components In A Periplasmic Mechanism Regulating Bacterial Morphology, Alexandra Pulliam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Salmonella is a leading bacterial cause of foodborne illness worldwide. During a previous study investigating the enzymes responsible for regulating cyclic-di-GMP concentrations, a mutant in the cyclic-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterase STM3615 was identified that displayed a phenotype characterized by decreased survival on agar plates and a shorter bacterium length. I was able to determine that the periplasmic domain of STM3615 was responsible for this phenotype, not the enzymatic phosphodiesterase domain. Based upon a bioinformatic analysis of the protein, I then hypothesized that the periplasmic domain of STM3615 was interacting with a periplasmic protein to give rise to this phenotype. To identify this …

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Femoral Osteohistology In American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) Reveals High Variation In Growth And Facilitates Interpretation Of An Early Pliocene Alligator, Davis Gunnin Aug 2023

Femoral Osteohistology In American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) Reveals High Variation In Growth And Facilitates Interpretation Of An Early Pliocene Alligator, Davis Gunnin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Histological analysis of long bone thin sections is commonly used to infer growth rates and ecology of extinct vertebrates, particularly within Archosauria. However, most comparative neontological studies have used small samples of captive individuals, limiting the scope of variation. To fill this gap, 44 femoral thin sections of wild Alligator mississippiensis were prepared and analyzed. Comparison of slides revealed that larger individuals from cooler climates tend to show more LAGs compared to southerly A. mississippiensis of similar size, however, there is considerable variation. This pronounced variation in wild specimens emphasizes the need to use caution when interpreting paleohistological data with …

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The Old Family Clock: Exploring High Variation Of Chronotype In The Common House Spider, Parasteatoda Tepidariorum, Caitlin Jones Aug 2023

The Old Family Clock: Exploring High Variation Of Chronotype In The Common House Spider, Parasteatoda Tepidariorum, Caitlin Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Circadian rhythms are often tightly confined around a mean of 24 hours with little variation in traditional model organisms in the absence of environmental time cues. Some spider species fall well outside this normal range with mean periods of 18 hours and variation around these means of 6 hours or more. This extreme variation in circadian rhythm is not well-understood and is the focus of the current study. Using Parasteatoda tepidariorum as a model organism, we investigated whether variation in eight circadian parameters could be explained by genetic variability, environmental conditions, or an endogenous feature of the circadian system of …

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Microsporidian Spores And The Integrin Binding Loop Of The Madam Protein Are Important For Integrin Signaling And Attachment To Host Cells, Cindy L. Barrett Aug 2023

Microsporidian Spores And The Integrin Binding Loop Of The Madam Protein Are Important For Integrin Signaling And Attachment To Host Cells, Cindy L. Barrett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microsporidia are a distant fungal pathogen that have severe clinical consequences for the immunocompromised. Previous work identified a microsporidian pathogen protein termed Microsporidian ADAM or MADAM. This protein has close sequence homology to other ADAM proteins (A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase) in two microsporidian species, Encephalitozoon intestinalis and E. cuniculi. ADAM proteins have a wide range of functions, including binding to integrins and host signaling. It is known that many pathogens manipulate integrins to invade host cells, and it is predicted that microsporidia are also exploiting this host target. Previous work with the MADAM protein demonstrated that this protein has a …

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Co-Flowering Community Effects On The Relative Contribution Of Pollen Quantity And Quality Limitation To The Reproductive Success Of Four Clarkia Species, Emma Moore Aug 2023

Co-Flowering Community Effects On The Relative Contribution Of Pollen Quantity And Quality Limitation To The Reproductive Success Of Four Clarkia Species, Emma Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More than 60% of plant populations experience low pollen availability which limits seed production (pollen limitation). Pollen limitation occurs due to low quantity or quality of pollen delivered to stigmas. Despite its ubiquity in nature, to date we still have limited understanding of the drivers of pollen limitation in plant communities. Plants typically occur in diverse communities where pollinator sharing is common and can influence quality and quantity aspects of pollen limitation. Co-flowering species can attract larger numbers of pollinators or they can compete for pollinators affecting pollen loads on stigmas. Pollinator competition may also lead to higher rates of …

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Mapping The Binding Site Within Integrin D2 For Carboxyethylpyrrole (Cep)-Modified Proteins, Afia Prema Aug 2023

Mapping The Binding Site Within Integrin D2 For Carboxyethylpyrrole (Cep)-Modified Proteins, Afia Prema

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neutrophils and macrophages accumulate at sites of inflammation and cause chronic inflammation leading to various diseases. Therefore, to better understand chronic disease pathways it is important to investigate the properties of macrophage accumulation in inflamed tissues. The I-domain of the macrophage receptor integrin aDb2 plays a vital role in macrophage retention by binding to CEP (carboxyethyl pyrrole), a ligand available at inflammatory sites. This thesis mainly focuses on evaluating the binding site within integrin aDb2 that binds carboxyethyl pyrrole (CEP)-modified proteins. So, a recombinant plasmid construct containing the integrin I-domain was developed. Seven non-conserved …

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Heterogeneity Among Harveyi Clade-Specific Virulence Genes And Attribution Of These Genes To Possible Environmental Carriers, Cameron Brown Aug 2023

Heterogeneity Among Harveyi Clade-Specific Virulence Genes And Attribution Of These Genes To Possible Environmental Carriers, Cameron Brown

Biology Theses

In the face of global warming, waterborne pathogens are evolving rapidly and expanding geographically. The Vibrio Harveyi clade encompasses a number of human and aquatic organism pathogens, and due to their physiology, they may benefit from ongoing changes in the temperature, pH, and salinity of the global Ocean. With this, the Southeastern United States might become an accommodating environment for Harveyi clade species, and it is imperative to monitor for their abundance and distribution in the environment. A qPCR assay was developed for the detection and quantification of clade-specific virulence genes toxRvh, hly, toxR, luxR, srp, vhha, vhh, and vhp …

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Genetic Analysis Of Crossover Defective Mouse Spermatocytes Reveals Discrete Crossover Precursor Intermediates, Tolkappiyan Prem Kumar Aug 2023

Genetic Analysis Of Crossover Defective Mouse Spermatocytes Reveals Discrete Crossover Precursor Intermediates, Tolkappiyan Prem Kumar

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In healthy, non-replicating somatic cells of diploid organisms, like humans and mice, there are two copies of each chromosome, one from each parent. However, the germ cells of these organisms, the oocytes, and the sperm, have only one copy of each chromosome, thus ensuring that when haploid oocytes and sperm fuse to form a zygote, a diploid number of chromosomes is restored. The reduction of a diploid number of chromosomes to a haploid number of chromosomes takes place during meiosis. The meiotic cell cycle consists of two rounds of cell division, Meiosis I and Meiosis II. Meiosis I create haploid …

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Therapeutic Potential Of Prmt5 And Mat2a As Synthetic Lethal Targets In Mtap-Deficient Gbm Tumors, Yasaman Barekatain Aug 2023

Therapeutic Potential Of Prmt5 And Mat2a As Synthetic Lethal Targets In Mtap-Deficient Gbm Tumors, Yasaman Barekatain

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Homozygous deletion of methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) is a frequent genetic alteration found in approximately 15% of all human cancers, including glioblastoma, pancreatic cancer, mesothelioma, urothelial bladder carcinoma, and lung squamous cell carcinoma. MTAP is a critical metabolic enzyme in the methionine salvage pathway responsible for the breakdown of methylthioadenosine (MTA). As a result, MTAP-deleted cells cannot metabolize MTA, leading to the accumulation of MTA. High levels of MTA in MTAP-deleted cells partially inhibit the activity of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), making these cells sensitive to PRMT5 and MAT2A inhibition. Although elevated levels of MTA in …

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Lsd1-Mediated Epigenetic Reprogramming Driving Prostate Cancer Progression, Zifeng Wang Aug 2023

Lsd1-Mediated Epigenetic Reprogramming Driving Prostate Cancer Progression, Zifeng Wang

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide. Alterations in epigenetic regulation of gene expression have emerged as key contributors to PCa development, treatment resistance and disease progression. My thesis focuses on investigating the role of lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), a critical histone modifier, in mediating epigenetic reprogramming that drives PCa progression. The dissertation comprises three projects that elucidate the mechanisms by which LSD1 can regulate PCa progression. The first project shows that LSD1 can activate the PI3K/AKT pathway in PCa cells independent of its well-established androgen receptor (AR) coactivator function. The study identifies the …

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The Effects Of Caffeine On Activity Levels And Motor Behaviors In The Honeybee, Apis Mellifera, Johana Castro Aug 2023

The Effects Of Caffeine On Activity Levels And Motor Behaviors In The Honeybee, Apis Mellifera, Johana Castro

Theses and Dissertations

Caffeine is produced by plants as a defense mechanism against herbivores and pathogens. However, caffeine was found in floral nectar, which contradicts nectar's role in attracting pollinators. Interestingly, low concentrations of caffeine were shown to increase alertness and locomotion in mammals and invertebrates, indicating it may enhance the productivity of pollinators. This investigation examined how caffeine affects activity levels and motor behaviors in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. To test overall activity, forager bees were collected and fed 1 M sucrose to satiation. The following day, bees received 10 µl of 1.0 M sucrose alone or with caffeine ranging from …

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Immunoreactivity Of The Serotonin-Like And Fmrf-Amide-Like Nervous Systems Of Four Gnesiotrochan Rotifers, Robert Neil Walsmith Aug 2023

Immunoreactivity Of The Serotonin-Like And Fmrf-Amide-Like Nervous Systems Of Four Gnesiotrochan Rotifers, Robert Neil Walsmith

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Reorganization of the nervous system during metamorphosis is a common phenomenon across taxa (species through phyla). In phylum Rotifera, sessile species belonging to the superorder Gnesiotrocha metamorphose from free-swimming larvae into sessile adults. Once mature, gnesiotrochan rotifers display an intricate corona or infundibulum associated with lifestyle modalities and feeding behaviors. Here, I examine serotonin-like immunoreactivity (SLIR) and FMRF-amide-like immunoreactivity (FLIR) of the gnesiotrochans Lacinularia flosculosa, Collotheca ferox, and Acyclus inquietus with a focus on life stage and sex. Based on previous research, I hypothesize that 1) innervation of the larval nervous system will vary according to the lifestyle constraints observed …

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Not All Cities Are The Same: Variation In Animal Phenotypes Across Cities Within Urban Ecology Studies, Javier Delbarco-Trillo, Breanna J. Putman Aug 2023

Not All Cities Are The Same: Variation In Animal Phenotypes Across Cities Within Urban Ecology Studies, Javier Delbarco-Trillo, Breanna J. Putman

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The sustained expansion of urban environments has been paralleled by an increase in the number of studies investigating the phenotypic changes of animals driven by urbanization. Most of these studies have been confined to only one urban center. However, as the types and strength of anthropogenic stressors differ across cities, a generalizable understanding of the effects of urbanization on urban-dwelling species can only be reached by comparing the responses of urban populations from the same species across more than one city. We conducted phylogenetic meta-analyses on data for animal species (including both invertebrates and vertebrates) for which measures about any …

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Maternal Provisioning Interacts With Incubation Temperature To Affect Hatchling Mercury Exposure In An Oviparous Reptile, Josiah M Johnson, Christopher R Smaga, Samantha L Bock, Benjamin B Parrott Aug 2023

Maternal Provisioning Interacts With Incubation Temperature To Affect Hatchling Mercury Exposure In An Oviparous Reptile, Josiah M Johnson, Christopher R Smaga, Samantha L Bock, Benjamin B Parrott

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The thermal environment experienced by developing embryos can influence the utilization of maternally provisioned resources. Despite being particularly consequential for oviparous ectotherms, these dynamics are largely unexplored within ecotoxicological frameworks. Here, we test if incubation temperature interacts with maternally transferred mercury to affect subsequent body burdens and tissue distributions of mercury in hatchling American alligators (

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Understanding The Environmental And Genetic Influence On Fluctuating Asymmetry And Developmental Instability In Primates, Ashly N. Romero Aug 2023

Understanding The Environmental And Genetic Influence On Fluctuating Asymmetry And Developmental Instability In Primates, Ashly N. Romero

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the impact of environmental factors on the development and perpetuation of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and sought to understand the role evolution may play in the FA exhibited in two primate populations: the free-ranging Cayo Santiago rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and the Southwest National Primate Research Center olive baboons (Papio hamadryas anubis). Demographic, ontogenetic, secular, external, and genetic factors were examined. Specifically, this dissertation investigated FA over all ontogenetic stages, across decades, between sexes, in association with ecological catastrophes, and with tooth pathology to try and tease apart factors that may influence FA and developmental instability. This dissertation …

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Functional Morphology Of The Platyrrhine Humerus And Talus: Implications For Inferring Locomotor Behavior In Extinct Primates, Liam Michael Zachary Aug 2023

Functional Morphology Of The Platyrrhine Humerus And Talus: Implications For Inferring Locomotor Behavior In Extinct Primates, Liam Michael Zachary

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Platyrrhines are a diverse radiation of primates that exhibit a range of locomotor adaptations. The relationships between extant primate locomotor behavior and variation in postcranial morphology are often used to make functional interpretations of skeletal anatomy in extinct primates. However, a comparative baseline of form-function relationships in the extant platyrrhine postcranium is lacking compared to other primates, which limits understanding of platyrrhine locomotor evolution. The humerus and talus are two of the best represented skeletal elements in the platyrrhine fossil record and are informative of locomotor behavior. Therefore, quantification of morphological variation in extant platyrrhine tali and humeri can provide …

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Variable Rates Of Hybridization Among Contact Zones Between A Pair Of Topminnow Species, Fundulus Notatus And F. Olivaceus, David D. Duvernell, Naznin S. Remex, Jeffrey T. Miller, Jacob F. Schaefer Aug 2023

Variable Rates Of Hybridization Among Contact Zones Between A Pair Of Topminnow Species, Fundulus Notatus And F. Olivaceus, David D. Duvernell, Naznin S. Remex, Jeffrey T. Miller, Jacob F. Schaefer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Pairs of species that exhibit broadly overlapping distributions, and multiple geographically isolated contact zones, provide opportunities to investigate the mechanisms of reproductive isolation. Such naturally replicated systems have demonstrated that hybridization rates can vary substantially among populations, raising important questions about the genetic basis of reproductive isolation. The topminnows, Fundulus notatus and F. olivaceus, are reciprocally monophyletic, and co-occur in drainages throughout much of the central and southern United States. Hybridization rates vary substantially among populations in isolated drainage systems. We employed genome-wide sampling to investigate geographic variation in hybridization, and to assess the possible importance of chromosome fusions to …

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Occupancy And Activity Patterns Of Nine-Banded Armadillos (Dasypus Novemcinctus) In A Suburban Environment, Brett Degregorio, Matthew R. Mcelroy, Emily P. Johansson Aug 2023

Occupancy And Activity Patterns Of Nine-Banded Armadillos (Dasypus Novemcinctus) In A Suburban Environment, Brett Degregorio, Matthew R. Mcelroy, Emily P. Johansson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The geographic range of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) has rapidly been expanding within the United States for the last 150 years. One of the factors contributing to this astounding range expansion is the species’ ability to survive in and colonize human-dominated areas. Despite the fact that armadillos live alongside humans in numerous towns and cities across the Southeastern, Southcentral, and now Midwestern United States, we know relatively little about the behavior and ecology of armadillos in human-developed areas. Here, we used motion-triggered game cameras in over 115 residential yards in the rapidly developing Northwest corner of Arkansas …

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Population Physiology, Demography, And Genetics Of Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana) Residing In Urban And Natural Environments, Spencer B. Hudson Aug 2023

Population Physiology, Demography, And Genetics Of Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana) Residing In Urban And Natural Environments, Spencer B. Hudson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wildlife populations across the globe are poised to lose their natural habitat to urbanization, yet there is limited information on how different species handle living in cities. Animals in urban environments are often susceptible to novel stressors, which can threaten their individual health and population viability. The physiological characteristics of animals, such as those related to metabolic hormones, oxidative stress, and immunity, are expected to be important for survival in this context. If so, animals persisting in urban areas may demonstrate physiological differences from their natural counterparts, perhaps due to evolutionary change. These potential outcomes have been documented in birds …

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Cellular Heat Responses Of Desert Mammals Promote Survival In Extreme Conditions, Janessa Montenegro Aug 2023

Cellular Heat Responses Of Desert Mammals Promote Survival In Extreme Conditions, Janessa Montenegro

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Increasing temperatures with the potential for heat stress is among the future threats facing many mammals. Cellular mechanisms to maintain homeostasis in the face of heat stress likely differ across species based on naturally tolerated intracellular variability. In some mammals, the homeostatic set point in cells has a narrow range. Other species tolerate more varied intracellular conditions, including in temperature. Heat stress responses of cultured dermal fibroblasts from several mammals were compared to detect cell proliferation and cellular death (chapter 2). Cells from heat- tolerant species (13-lined ground squirrel, dromedary camel, round-tailed ground squirrel, and white-tailed antelope squirrel) were compared …

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Mob Family Proteins And Tricornered Kinase Are Required To Form Dorsal Appendages Of The Drosophila Eggshell, Keala H. D. Watson Aug 2023

Mob Family Proteins And Tricornered Kinase Are Required To Form Dorsal Appendages Of The Drosophila Eggshell, Keala H. D. Watson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

To understand how complex tissues are formed, we need to understand how cells communicate with other cells to build structures. In Drosophila melanogaster, epithelial cells form tubular structures to shape the dorsal appendages on the eggshells. One signaling pathway needed for this event is the Hippo-like kinase intracellular pathway. I focus on two key components in this pathway: the NDR kinase Tricornered (Trc) and Mob proteins. In eukaryotes, Mob proteins are known to interact with NDR kinases to promote their activation. The Hippo- like pathway involves the NDR kinase Trc; however, the specific Mob protein(s) that interact with Trc …

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Tmbim6 Deficiency Leads To Bone Loss By Accelerating Osteoclastogenesis, Sun-Ju Yi, You-Jee Jang, Seokchan Lee, Sung-Jin Cho, Kyuho Kang, Jae-Il Park, Han-Jung Chae, Hyung-Ryong Kim, Kyunghwan Kim Aug 2023

Tmbim6 Deficiency Leads To Bone Loss By Accelerating Osteoclastogenesis, Sun-Ju Yi, You-Jee Jang, Seokchan Lee, Sung-Jin Cho, Kyuho Kang, Jae-Il Park, Han-Jung Chae, Hyung-Ryong Kim, Kyunghwan Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

TMBIM6 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein that modulates various physiological and pathological processes, including metabolism and cancer. However, its involvement in bone remodeling has not been investigated. In this study, we demonstrate that TMBIM6 serves as a crucial negative regulator of osteoclast differentiation, a process essential for bone remodeling. Our investigation of Tmbim6-knockout mice revealed an osteoporotic phenotype, and knockdown of Tmbim6 inhibited the formation of multinucleated tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive cells, which are characteristic of osteoclasts. Transcriptome and immunoblot analyses uncovered that TMBIM6 exerts its inhibitory effect on osteoclastogenesis by scavenging reactive oxygen species and preventing p65 nuclear localization. …

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Western Pearlshell (Margaritifera Falcata) Extirpation In The Smith River, Montana, With A Possible Link To Warming Water Temperatures, David M. Stagliano Aug 2023

Western Pearlshell (Margaritifera Falcata) Extirpation In The Smith River, Montana, With A Possible Link To Warming Water Temperatures, David M. Stagliano

Western North American Naturalist

Western pearlshell (Margaritifera falcata) populations are in decline across the species’ range in western North America. In 2008, Montana categorized the western pearlshell as an imperiled species of concern (S2) based on reduced detections at historically occupied sites and few viable populations. Between 2004 and 2014, we surveyed 24 Smith River reaches (61 total sites in the watershed) for the presence of western pearlshell populations. Despite historical and anecdotal descriptions of abundant western pearlshell in the Smith River, intensive structured surveys between 2004 and 2007 documented only 4 sections with low-density, nonviable western pearlshell populations (<10 individuals, large size classes [average total length = 70 mm], with no signs of recruitment). In 2014, we revisited these occupied sites to repeat surveys (expending significantly more search time) and observed no live individuals. This was surprising given that, although those populations would certainly die out without recruitment, older individuals can oftentimes persist for decades. Therefore, we consider the western pearlshell mussel extirpated from the Smith River watershed. We reviewed long-term USGS gage discharge and temperature data near the western pearlshell populations to evaluate the potential causal factors for, and timing of, the extirpation. From 3 July to 3 August 2007, water temperatures were at or above the thermal stress levels of the western pearlshell (>25 °C, …

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Understanding The Distribution And Abundance Of Asclepias Prostrata In South Texas, Elizabeth Ann Gonzalez Aug 2023

Understanding The Distribution And Abundance Of Asclepias Prostrata In South Texas, Elizabeth Ann Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Asclepias prostrata, commonly referred to as prostrate milkweed, is a rare South Texas native plant species. In February of 2023, A. prostrata was listed as a federally endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Due to the limited available observations and literature for A. prostrata, this study was completed to bring new information that could be utilized for future restorative efforts. This study includes multiple field observations of the plant’s morphology, plant-insect interactions, extraction and transplanting of the species, and a seed viability study. Results indicate that although A. prostrata has many pressures that limit its …

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