Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Genetics Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year

Articles 31 - 40 of 40

Full-Text Articles in Genetics

Ancient Dna Identification Of Early 20th Century Simian T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1, Sebastien Calvignac, Jean-Michel Terme, Shannon M. Hensley, Pierre Jalinot, Alex D. Greenwood, Catherine Hanni Jan 2008

Ancient Dna Identification Of Early 20th Century Simian T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1, Sebastien Calvignac, Jean-Michel Terme, Shannon M. Hensley, Pierre Jalinot, Alex D. Greenwood, Catherine Hanni

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The molecular identification of proviruses from ancient tissues (and particularly from bones) remains a contentious issue. It can be expected that the copy number of proviruses will be low, which magnifies the risk of contamination with retroviruses from exogenous sources. To assess the feasibility of paleoretrovirological studies, we attempted to identify proviruses from early 20th century bones of museum specimens while following a strict ancient DNA methodology. Simian T-cell leukemia virus type 1 sequences were successfully obtained and authenticated from a Chlorocebus pygerythrus specimen. This represents the first clear evidence that it will be possible to use museum specimens to …


Sequence And The Developmental And Tissue-Specific Regulation Of The First Complete Vitellogenin Message From Ticks, Deborah M. Thompson, Sayed M.S. Khalil, Laura A. Jeffers, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Robert D. Mitchell, Christopher J. Osgood, R. Michael Roe Jan 2007

Sequence And The Developmental And Tissue-Specific Regulation Of The First Complete Vitellogenin Message From Ticks, Deborah M. Thompson, Sayed M.S. Khalil, Laura A. Jeffers, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Robert D. Mitchell, Christopher J. Osgood, R. Michael Roe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The first full-length mRNA for vitellogenin (Vg) from ticks was sequenced. This also represents the first complete sequence of Vg from the Chelicerata and of a heme binding Vg. The Vg cDNA from the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis was 5744nt in length (GenBank Accession number AY885250), which coded for a protein of 1843aa with a calculated molecular weight of 208kD. This protein had an 18 aa signal sequence, a single RXXR cleavage signal that would generate two subunits (49.5 and 157K in molecular weight) and lipoprotein N-terminal and carboxy von Willebrand factor type D domains. Tryptic digest MS analysis …


Tissue And Life Stage Distribution Of A Defensin-Like Gene In The Lone Star Tick Amblyomma Americanum, S. Michelle Todd, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Wayne L. Hynes Jan 2007

Tissue And Life Stage Distribution Of A Defensin-Like Gene In The Lone Star Tick Amblyomma Americanum, S. Michelle Todd, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Wayne L. Hynes

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The transcript sequence of the Amblyomma americanum Linnaeus (Acari: Ixodidae) defensin, termed amercin (amn), was ascertained and a 219-bp amn coding region identified. The gene encodes a 72-amino acid prepropeptide with a putative 37-amino acid mature peptide. This gene shows little similarity to either of the defensins from Amblyomma hebraeum Koch, the only other Amblyomma species for which a defensin has been described. Sequence comparisons with other tick defensins reveal amn to be shorter (6 bp or 2 amino acids) than the Ixodes scapularis Linnaeus (Acari: Ixodidae) and Dermacentor variabilis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae) defensin sequences. The amercin prepropeptide …


Sensory Genes And Mate Choice: Evidence That Duplications, Mutations, And Adaptive Evolution Alter Variation In Mating Cue Genes And Their Receptors, Lisa Horth Jan 2007

Sensory Genes And Mate Choice: Evidence That Duplications, Mutations, And Adaptive Evolution Alter Variation In Mating Cue Genes And Their Receptors, Lisa Horth

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Fascinating new data, revealed through gene sequencing, comparative genomics, and genetic engineering, precisely establish which genes are involved in mate choice and mating activity—behaviors that are surprisingly understudied from a genetic perspective. Discussed here are some of the recently identified visual and chemosensory genes that are involved in mate choice and mating behavior. These genes’ products are involved in the production, transmission, and receipt of crucial sensory mate-choice cues that affect fitness. This review exposes newfound evidence that alternative splicing, gene-expression pattern changes, and molecular genetic variation in sensory genes are crucial for both intra- and interspecific mate choice and …


A Sex-Linked Allele, Autosomal Modifiers And Temperature-Dependence Appear To Regulate Melanism In Male Mosquitofish (Gambusia Holbrooki), Lisa Horth Dec 2006

A Sex-Linked Allele, Autosomal Modifiers And Temperature-Dependence Appear To Regulate Melanism In Male Mosquitofish (Gambusia Holbrooki), Lisa Horth

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

About 1% of male mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) express melanic (mottled-black) body coloration, which differs dramatically from the wild-type, silvery-gray coloration. Here, I report on the genetic inheritance pattern of melanic coloration, which indicates Y-linkage, and at least one autosomal modifier. Phenotypic expression of melanism is also affected by temperature. Expression is constitutive ( temperature insensitive) in some populations, inducible ( temperature sensitive) in others. Constitutive and inducible expression occur among geographically proximal populations. However, males from any single population demonstrate the same constitutive or inducible expression pattern as one another. The F1 males from inter-population crosses demonstrate temperature-related …


The Genetics Of Ray Pattern Variation In Caenorhabditis Briggsae, Scott Everet Baird, Cynthia R. Davidson, Justin C. Bohrer Jan 2005

The Genetics Of Ray Pattern Variation In Caenorhabditis Briggsae, Scott Everet Baird, Cynthia R. Davidson, Justin C. Bohrer

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: How does intraspecific variation relate to macroevolutionary change in morphology? This question can be addressed in species in which derived characters are present but not fixed. In rhabditid nematodes, the arrangement of the nine bilateral pairs of peripheral sense organs (rays) in tails of males is often the most highly divergent character between species. The development of ray pattern involves inputs from hometic gene expression patterns, TGFβ signalling, Wnt signalling, and other genetic pathways. In Caenorhabditis briggsae, strain-specific variation in ray pattern has provided an entrée into the evolution of ray pattern. Some strains were fixed for a derived …


A Defensin-Like Gene Expressed In The Black-Legged Tick, Ixodes Scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), Wayne L. Hynes, S. M. Ceraul, S. M. Todd, K. C. Seguin, Daniel E. Sonenshine Jan 2005

A Defensin-Like Gene Expressed In The Black-Legged Tick, Ixodes Scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), Wayne L. Hynes, S. M. Ceraul, S. M. Todd, K. C. Seguin, Daniel E. Sonenshine

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The black-legged tick Ixodes scapularis linnaeus (Acari: Ixodidae) is an important vector of microbial pathogens. Knowledge of the tick's innate immune response, particularly defensin and other antimicrobial peptides, is important for understanding how microbes survive in this tick. A defensin gene (slnA) from I. scapularis was obtained by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using mRNA extracted from tissues of female ticks. RT-PCR indicated the gene was expressed in the midgut, haemocytes, and fat-body, although no evidence of a peptide was found. Sequencing a cloned cDNA fragment revealed a 225 bp open reading frame encoding a 74 amino acid pre-prodefensin, including …


Multiple Transporters Associated With Malaria Parasite Responses To Chloroquine And Quinine, Jianbing Mu, Michael T. Ferdig, Xiaorong Feng, Deirdre A. Joy, Junhui Duan, Tetsuya Furuya, G. Subramanian, L. Aravind, Roland A. Cooper, John C. Wootton, Momia Xiong, Xin-Zhuan Su Jan 2003

Multiple Transporters Associated With Malaria Parasite Responses To Chloroquine And Quinine, Jianbing Mu, Michael T. Ferdig, Xiaorong Feng, Deirdre A. Joy, Junhui Duan, Tetsuya Furuya, G. Subramanian, L. Aravind, Roland A. Cooper, John C. Wootton, Momia Xiong, Xin-Zhuan Su

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mutations and/or overexpression of various transporters are known to confer drug resistance in a variety of organisms. In the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, a homologue of P-glycoprotein, PfMDR1, has been implicated in responses to chloroquine (CO), quinine (ON) and other drugs, and a putative transporter, PfCRT, was recently demonstrated to be the key molecule in CO resistance. However, other unknown molecules are probably involved, as different parasite clones carrying the same pfcrt and pfmdr1 alleles show a wide range of quantitative responses to CO and ON. Such molecules may contribute to increasing incidences of ON treatment failure, the molecular basis …


Micronuclear Genome Organization In Euplotes Crassus: A Transposonlike Element Is Removed During Macronuclear Development, Scott Everet Baird, Gina M. Fino, Susan L. Tausta, Lawrence A. Klobutcher Sep 1989

Micronuclear Genome Organization In Euplotes Crassus: A Transposonlike Element Is Removed During Macronuclear Development, Scott Everet Baird, Gina M. Fino, Susan L. Tausta, Lawrence A. Klobutcher

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

After mating, hypotrichous ciliated protozoa transform a set of their micronuclear chromosomes into thousands of short, linear DNA molecules that form the macronuclear genome. To examine micronuclear genome organization in the hypotrich Euplotes crassus, we have analyzed two cloned segments of micronuclear DNA as well as the macronuclear DNA molecules that are derived from them. E. crassus was found to display a number of features characteristic of other hypotrich genomes, including (i) clustering and close spacing of the precursors of macronuclear DNA molecules, (ii) the frequent occurrence of internal eliminated sequences within macronuclear precursors, (iii) overlapping macronuclear precursors, (iv) lack …


Characterization Of Chromosome Fragmentation In Two Protozoans And Identification Of A Candidate Fragmentation Sequence In Euplotes Crassus, Scott Everet Baird, Lawrence A. Klobutcher Jan 1989

Characterization Of Chromosome Fragmentation In Two Protozoans And Identification Of A Candidate Fragmentation Sequence In Euplotes Crassus, Scott Everet Baird, Lawrence A. Klobutcher

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Following the sexual cycle, hypotrichous ciliated protozoans fragment a set of their micronuclear chromosomes to generate the thousands of short, linear DNA molecules present in the transcriptionally active macronucleus. We have used a hybrid selection procedure to examine macronuclear DNA molecules for subtelomeric length heterogeneity to determine whether chromosome fragmentation occurs at unique or multiple sites. The results suggest that multiple, but closely spaced, chromosome fragmentation sites are used by Oxytricha nova. In contrast, Euplotes crassus uses unique chromosome fragmentation sites in a reproducible manner to generate the ends of macronuclear DNA molecules. Additional studies compared DNA sequences in …