Ploidy Number For Panicum Virgatum (Switchgrass) From The Long Island Sound Coastal Lowland Compared To Upland And Lowland Cultivars., Tanisha Williams, Carol Auer

Plant Science Articles

Panicum virgatum L. (switchgrass) is a native, perennial grass in North America with important ecological function in ecoregions including the Long Island Sound Coastal Lowland in the Northeastern United States. In recent decades, switchgrass has become a model lignocellulosic bioenergy crop with a large research portfolio describing its distribution, genetics, genomics, phenology, traits, gene flow, and cultivation. Switchgrass has been divided into two ecotypes, the Lowland ecotype which is tetraploid (2n= 4x= 36 chromosomes) and the Upland ecotype which is tetraploid or octaploid (2n= 8x= 72). While most switchgrass research has focused on genotypes from the Midwest or Southeastern regions, …

An Examination Of The Phylogenetic Diversity Of Green Algae (Chlorophyceae) That Symbiose With Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Maculatum) In The Egg Stage., Crystal Xue

Honors Scholar Theses

In 1909, the species Oophila amblystomatis Lambert ex Wille was described for green algae that symbiose with salamanders in the egg stage (Wille). There are two hypotheses about the source of algae: 1) that algae enter from the surrounding water once the egg clutch is laid in a pond, and 2) that they are acquired from the maternal reproductive tract. We developed a third hypothesis developed to account for the salamander reproductive cycle. Male salamanders lay spermatophores, which are protein-filled capsules, on plant matter in and around ponds. Spermatophores are exposed to the environment before use by females in internal …

Modeling The Adaptive Immune Response To Mutation-Generated Antigens, Rory J. Geyer

University Scholar Projects

Somatic mutations may drive tumorigenesis or lead to new, immunogenic epitopes (neoantigens). The immune system is thought to represses neoplastic growths through the recognition of neoantigens presented only by tumor cells. To study mutations as well as the immune response to mutation-generated antigens, we have created a conditional knockin mouse line with a gene encoding, 5’ to 3’, yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), ovalbumin (which is processed to the immunologically recognizable peptide, SIINFEKL), and cyan fluorescent protein (CFP), or, YFP-ovalbumin-CFP. A frame shift mutation has been created at the 5’ end of the ovalbumin gene, hence YFP should always be expressed, …

Modeling The Adaptive Immune Response To Mutation-Generated Antigens, Rory J. Geyer

Honors Scholar Theses

Somatic mutations may drive tumorigenesis or lead to new, immunogenic epitopes (neoantigens). The immune system is thought to represses neoplastic growths through the recognition of neoantigens presented only by tumor cells. To study mutations as well as the immune response to mutation-generated antigens, we have created a conditional knockin mouse line with a gene encoding, 5’ to 3’, yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), ovalbumin (which is processed to the immunologically recognizable peptide, SIINFEKL), and cyan fluorescent protein (CFP), or, YFP-ovalbumin-CFP. A frame shift mutation has been created at the 5’ end of the ovalbumin gene, hence YFP should always be expressed, …

Detection Of Genomic Inversion From Single End Read, Pankaj Ghimire

Master's Theses

Structural Variations (SVs) are genomic rearrangements that include both copy-number variants,such as insertion,deletions, duplications and balanced variants like inversion and translocations. These SVs are getting more attentions for research and investigation because of their role on human phenotype, genetic diseases and genomic rearrangements. Evolution of Next-generation Sequencing has provided golden opportunities to investigate these variants and make their wider and clear spectrum in human genome. This investigation includes identification of type of SVs and their breakpoints at base pair level. For their effective identification and breakpoint resolution, many techniques are devised mainly based on paired end read. With relatively low …

Examination Of The Chromatin Structure Of Xlr3b Using The Chromosome Conformation Capture Assay, Sarah Elise Conderino

Honors Scholar Theses

Imprinted genes contain epigenetic modifications that influence expression patterns based on parent-of-origin. Recent studies have shown that imprinted genes contribute to numerous human diseases and disorders. Xlr3b, an imprinted gene on the X chromosome, has been implicated in social and behavioral deficits characteristic of disorders such as Turner syndrome and autism. The imprinting mechanism of this gene is still unknown, and this study analyzed the native chromatin structure of Xlr3b through the chromosome conformation capture assay to determine if there are any long-range interactions that regulate the expression of this gene. Brain tissue from a mouse model of Turner …

Desert Hedgehog Is A Mammal-Specific Gene Expressed During Testicular And Ovarian Development In A Marsupial, William A. O'Hara

Master's Theses

Desert hedgehog (DHH) belongs to the hedgehog gene family that act as secreted intercellular signal transducers. DHH is an essential morphogen for normal testicular development and function in both mice and humans but is not present in the avian lineage. Like other hedgehog proteins, DHH signals through the patched (PTCH) receptors 1 and 2. Here we examine the expression and protein distribution of DHH, PTCH1 and PTCH2 in the developing testes of a marsupial mammal (the tammar wallaby) to determine whether DHH signalling is a conserved factor in gonadal development in all therian mammals.

Expression Analysis Of The Imprinted Gene Transketolase-Like 1 In Mouse And Human, Amy F. Friss

Master's Theses

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon resulting in differential gene expression based on parental origin. Recently, transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1) has been identified as an X-linked imprinted gene. TKTL1 functions in the nonoxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), which maintains glutathione in a reduced state through the generation of NADPH. Previous studies on transaldolase, the other critical enzyme in the nonoxidative branch of the PPP, suggest that TKTL1 may affect the cell’s ability to reduce glutathione. This study provides evidence that TKTL1 overexpression inhibits glutathione reduction. Intriguingly, aberrant glutathione levels are associated with autism. Additionally, studies involving …

Assessing The Phylogenetic Utility Of Dna Barcoding Using The New Zealand Cicada Genus Kikihia, Megan Ribak

Honors Scholar Theses

DNA Barcoding (Hebert et al. 2003) has the potential to revolutionize the process of identifying and cataloguing biodiversity; however, significant controversy surrounds some of the proposed applications. In the seven years since DNA barcoding was introduced, the Web of Science records more than 600 studies that have weighed the pros and cons of this procedure. Unfortunately, the scientific community has been unable to come to any consensus on what threshold to use to differentiate species or even whether the barcoding region provides enough information to serve as an accurate species identification tool. The purpose of my thesis is to analyze …

Dna, Red Tide And The Sea: A New Exhibit At Mystic Aquarium & Ife, Margaret (Peg) A. Van_Patten

Wrack Lines

DNA, Red Tide and the Sea is a new exhibit at Mystic Aquarium & IFE. It was developed by UConn Marine Sciences Professor Senjie Lin, and Mystic Aquarium. Children can extract DNA from fruit and learn about genetic codes and red tides in the ocean.

"Genetics In Geographically Structured Populations: Defining, Estimating And Interpreting Fst.", Kent E. Holsinger, Bruce S. Weir

EEB Articles

Wright's F-statistics, and especially F(ST), provide important insights into the evolutionary processes that influence the structure of genetic variation within and among populations, and they are among the most widely used descriptive statistics in population and evolutionary genetics. Estimates of F(ST) can identify regions of the genome that have been the target of selection, and comparisons of F(ST) from different parts of the genome can provide insights into the demographic history of populations. For these reasons and others, F(ST) has a central role in population and evolutionary genetics and has wide applications in fields that range from disease association mapping …

Genetic Code Supports Targeted Insertion Of Two Amino Acids By One Codon, Lawrence A. Klobutcher

UCHC Articles - Research

Strict one-to-one correspondence between codons and amino acids is thought to be an essential feature of the genetic code. However, here we report that one codon can code for two different amino acids with the choice of the inserted amino acid determined by a specific 3′-UTR structure and location of the dual-function codon within the mRNA. We found that UGA specifies insertion of selenocysteine and cysteine in the ciliate Euplotes crassus, that the dual use of this codon can occur even within the same gene, and that the structural arrangements of Euplotes mRNA preserve location-dependent dual function of UGA when …

A Regulator Of Dscam Mutually Exclusive Splicing Fidelity, Sara Olson, Yiannis Savva, Jung Park, Brenton R. Graveley

UCHC Articles - Research

The Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) gene has essential roles in neural wiring and pathogen recognition in Drosophila melanogaster. Dscam encodes 38,016 distinct isoforms via extensive alternative splicing. The 95 alternative exons in Dscam are organized into clusters that are spliced in a mutually exclusive manner. The exon 6 cluster contains 48 variable exons and uses a complex system of competing RNA structures to ensure that only one variable exon is included. Here we show that the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein hrp36 acts specifically within, and throughout, the exon 6 cluster to prevent the inclusion of multiple exons. Moreover, hrp36 …

In Vitro Expression And Purification Of Class I Mhc Molecules, Loi Cheng

Honors Scholar Theses

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a gene family responsible for many critical functions of the immune system in most vertebrates. The MHC consists of three classes differentiated by their structure and function, and MHC class I encodes antigen binding proteins as well as chaperone and accessory proteins such as tapasin. The purpose of this project is to reconstitute several human MHC class I molecules in their peptide-filled and peptide-deficient forms, and to purify these proteins for biochemical study. The expressed proteins include wild type and mutant variants of the fusion protein human leukocyte antigen HLA-B*0801-fos, and human beta-2-microglobulin (β2m). …

International Registry Of Poultry Genetic Stocks, Ralph G. Somes Jr.

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

No abstract provided.

Subject And Author Index For Bulletins Of The Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station, Mohini Mundkur

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin #453, 68 pages.

Research For Connecticut By The Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

No abstract provided.