Genetics Commons^™

Amyloid Beta-42 Neurotoxicity In Drosophila Retinal Development, Shay O. Sims, Pierce Duncan, Malachi Abon, Jacob G. Smith

Create@State

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders globally. Thus far, the underlying mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of AD are innately elusive. Two hallmarks associated with the progression of AD exist, including Amyloid-Beta 42 (Aβ42) protein plaque formation and hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins in neurons. Amyloid-beta is known to concentrate with other neuronal proteins as complexes form, including the cytoskeletal protein actin. However, whether actin contributes to neuronal decline in AD is unknown. To further understand the cellular cascades associated with AD, we investigated the role of cytoskeleton dynamics in modulating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation within …

Variation In Infection Prevalence Of Splendidofilaria Pectoralis Across Alaskan Grouse Populations, Anahi Garcia Valdez, Diego Martinez

Create@State

In recent years, rapid climate change has altered species distributions worldwide and influenced parasite transmission dynamics in wildlife systems. Parasite infections play an important role in shaping patterns of disease distribution across species and populations. Understanding variation in infection prevalence across geographic regions and host demographic groups is essential for interpreting these patterns. Splendidofilaria pectoralis is a filarial nematode that infects the connective tissues of grouse (Aves: Tetraonini) in Alaska and has been moving northward as the climate warms. However, relatively little is known about the variation in prevalence of the nematode across geography and demography. This project examines variation …

Selecting For Less: How Much Methane Can We Truly Breed Away?, Sean B. Crowley

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Background

Genetic selection has potential to reduce enteric methane emissions from cattle, but a key challenge is determining how much of the genetic variation in methane traits is independent of traits already targeted in breeding programs, such as feed intake and growth.

Methods

Methane and carbon dioxide emissions were recorded in 1,700 crossbred, indoor-fed beef cattle using Greenfeed systems. Performance data included feed intake, metabolic liveweight, average daily gain, carcass weight, and ultrasound and skeletal traits. Genetic parameters and correlations among traits were estimated using animal linear mixed models to quantify the independence of methane-related genetic variation.

Results

Daily methane …

Diagnostic And Clinical Utility Of Oncoscan Microarray And Ngs-Based Sequencing In Pediatric Solid Tumors: Children’S Mercy Hospital’S Experience, Aravindh Nagarajan, Lisa Lansdon, Midhat Farooqi, Lei Zhang, Elena Repnikova

Research Days

This papers attempts to evaluate the diagnostic and clinical utility of microarray-based OS+ in detecting clinically relevant genetic alterations in FFPE solid tumor samples and to compare the yield of somatic mutation detection by WGS/WES in pediatric solid tumors at Children’s Mercy Hospital - Kansas City.

Args & Chronic Disease: How Antibiotic Resistance Genes Impact The Progression Of Type Ii Diabetes, Paige Imperato

Thinking Matters Symposium

Antibiotics are typically offered to patients with no warning of long-term consequences, though increasing evidence suggests this may not be entirely true. When antibiotics enter the body, they kill both good and bad bacterial populations in the gut - collectively known as the human microbiome. Repeated use of these drugs encourages mutations in this bacterial population [2]. This leads to the creation of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). The causal relationship between antibiotic use and bacterial resistance is well established. However, recent research suggests a newly discovered relationship between the presence of specific ARGs in the microbiome …

Transcription Factor Binding And Discovery Of Novel Gene In The Opportunistic Human Pathogen, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Alaina Westee

Symposium of Student Scholars

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is a gram-negative, ubiquitously-found bacterium that primarily causes nosocomial, or hospital-borne, infections within immunocompromised patients. Therefore, it has been deemed a critical priority pathogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), generating a need for research on its fundamental biology. The Van Dyke laboratory focuses on proteins called transcription factors, which promote or repress gene expression to regulate an organism’s functioning. We are specifically studying the cadmium-responsive transcription factor, CadR, due to the importance of metals in virulence and the lack of information on PA’s response to metal fluctuations. We intend …

Enhanced Bmp Signaling Via Alk2 In Osteoclasts Decreases Bone Density In Mice, Yolanda V. Gutierrez, Hiroyuki Yamaguchi, Yuji Mishina, Yoshihiro Komatsu

Research Colloquium

Bone remodeling is a complex biological process that has been extensively studied. Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are recognized as one of the critical growth factors that coordinate bone remodeling. Previous studies have demonstrated that BMP signaling in osteoclasts has a positive effect on osteoclast function. However, little is known about how each BMP type I receptors control osteoclastogenesis. To investigate this question, we utilized the Cre-LoxP system to specifically activate BMP signaling through ALK2 in mice. We utilized Cathepsin K (Ctsk)-Cre driver to activate BMP signaling in osteoclasts in mice. Compared with aged- and gender-matched controls, gain-of-function of BMP mutant …

Identification Of Genetic Disorders Based On Phenotype And Subsequent Medical Management, Sara J. Strandlund, Jotishna Sharma, Bonnie R. Sullivan, Ashley K. Sherman, Laura A. Cross

Research Days

Many genetic disorders in the neonatal period contribute to significant morbidity and mortality. This study evaluates the indications for genetic testing based on phenotype and compares these with the diagnostic yield of symptom driven exome sequencing and chromosome microarray in the NICU. Overall, this study highlights that while there are diagnostic limitations to exome sequencing, genetic testing remains an important adjunct to clinical care.

Differential Behavioral Responses In Male And Female Mice Lacking Either Rgs2 Or Rgs4 Proteins After Acute Administration Of Antidepressants And Anxiolytics, Hiroyoshi Matsui, Sarah Seeley, Manoranjan S. D'Souza

ONU Student Research Colloquium

The overall objective of the study was to assess the acute behavioral effects of currently used antidepressants and anxiolytics in male and female mice lacking regulator of G protein-signaling (RGS) proteins 2 and 4 and their wild-type counterparts. RGS 2 and 4 proteins negatively modulate signaling pathways of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which play an important role in mediating the effects of monoamine neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These neurotransmitters in turn play an important role in the action of antidepressant and anxiolytic medications. The study was undertaken because no studies till date have systematically assessed the behavioral …

Annotation Of Hypothetical Genes In Lactococcus Lactis Ssp. Il403, Jennifer A. Tangires

Student Scholar Showcase

The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) harnesses various microbial organisms involved in almost all processes of physiological homeostasis, among these are lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These bacteria, almost all of which belong to the order Lactobacillales, are able to produce lactic acid, and play an important role in food preservation because they produce bacteriocins. Bacteriocins are antimicrobial proteins that are used to fight off related bacteria in their environment that are competing for the same resources. This study focuses on a specific LAB strain, Lactococcus lactis ssp. IL1403 where 21.9% of its predicted genes have not yet been assigned a function. …

Exploring The Role Of Calcineurin In Filamentation Across Inducing Conditions In The Fungal Pathogen Candida Albicans, Patricia Harte-Maxwell, Jill R. Blankenship

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human pathogenic fungus affecting millions of people globally; high mortality rates are possible in systemic infection. Filamentation or a filamentous growth pattern is a primary virulence mechanism of C. albicans underlying other virulent behaviour....

Examining Cetp Gene Associated With Ad-Related Diseases Of The Hispanic Population In The Rio Grande Valley., Erika Guajardo, Luis Aguillon, Daniela Ollervides-Charles, Kesheng Wang, Gladys Maestre, J. Garza, Chun Xu

Research Symposium

Background: There are currently about 6 million people in the United States that suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease related dementia (ADRD). It is a progressive disease beginning with mild memory loss and possibly leading to loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment. Over time, these conditions can cause many different health issues that decrease the quality of life. In addition, Hispanic people are twice as likely to develop AD or AD related dementia than non-Hispanic White people. In our study, we are investigating a known gene, CETP, that directly corresponds …

A Machine Learning Model Of Perturb-Seq Data For Use In Space Flight Gene Expression Profile Analysis, Liam F. Johnson, James Casaletto, Lauren Sanders, Sylvain Costes

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

The genetic perturbations caused by spaceflight on biological systems tend to have a system-wide effect which is often difficult to deconvolute it into individual signals with specific points of origin. Single cell multi-omic data can provide a profile of the perturbational effects, but does not necessarily indicate the initial point of interference within the network. The objective of this project is to take advantage of large scale and genome-wide perturbational datasets by using them to train a tuned machine learning model that is capable of predicting the effects of unseen perturbations in new data. Perturb-Seq datasets are large libraries of …

Impact Of Breeding For Dairy Traits On Beef Production, Shauna Mulhall

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Background

In recent years, there has been a large expansion in the dairy herd, accompanied by a reduction in the beef herd. Consequently, there has been a growing proportion of beef originating from the dairy herd. This study aims to investigate the impact of the current dairy cow breeding program on beef merit.

Methods

Following data edits, this study analysed 53,358 records of cow live weights and body condition scores, as well as slaughter records for 58,151 cows and 156,522 prime animals. Covariance components were estimated between various cow traits (BCS, live weight, carcass weight, conformation and fat score). Additionally, …

The Detection Of Putative Recessive Lethal Haplotypes In Irish Sheep Populations, Rory Mcauley

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

In livestock populations, recessive lethal alleles are a known contributor to poor reproductive performance due to embryonic death in homozygous individuals. Despite their lethal effect in the recessive form, these alleles may be maintained at high frequencies among carrier animals because of their positive pleiotropic effects on economically important traits. Although several such recessive alleles have been identified in cattle and pig populations, limited studies have been completed in sheep, and none within Irish sheep populations. Genotype data for 69,034 animals from five major Irish sheep breeds genotyped on a variety of panels was available for this study. Only animals …

Genetic Evaluation Of Enteric Methane For Sustainable Irish Beef Cattle, Clodagh Ryan

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Background:

Globally, livestock agriculture significantly contributes to human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, particularly through methane production. A potential approach to effectively, durably, and progressively reduce enteric methane emissions at a reasonable cost is through animal breeding.

Methods:

Individual animal methane records were available from 1,508 multi-breed growing beef cattle using GreenFeed Emission Monitoring systems. The objective of this study was to derive genetic parameters for a series of definitions of enteric methane, carbon dioxide, and dry matter intake (DMI). Estimated breeding values (EBVs) were generated for nine alternative definitions of enteric methane and EBVs were validated against phenotypic performance (adjusted for …

Whole Genome Sequence Data Implicate Rbfox1 In Epilepsy Risk In Baboons, Mark Z. Kos, Melanie A. Carless, Lucy Blondell, Mary M. Leland, Koyle D. Knape, Harald H. H. Goring, Charles A. Szabo

Research Symposium

Background: Baboons exhibit a genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) that resembles juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and may represent a suitable genetic model for human epilepsy. The genetic underpinnings of epilepsy were investigated in a baboon colony at the Southwest National Primate Research Center (San Antonio, TX) through the analysis of whole-genome sequence (WGS) data.

Methods: Baboon WGS data were obtained for 38 cases and 19 healthy controls from the NCBI Sequence Read Archive and, after standard QC filtering, two subsets of variants were examined: (1) 20,881 SNPs from baboon homologs of 19 candidate GGE genes; and (2) 36,169 protein-altering SNPs. Association tests …

Antp Transcriptional Activity Is Modulated By The Formation Of The Trimeric Antp-Tbp Complexes With Tfiieβ, Exd And Bip2, Norma C. Hernández Bautista, Gustavo Jiménez Mejía, Claudia Altamirano Torres, Diana Reséndez Pérez

Research Symposium

Homeoproteins are transcriptional factors that bind to DNA through a highly conserved binding domain known as the homeodomain (HD) which recognizes short regions rich in AT to control the development of the body appendages of organisms. However, their structural and recognition similarities make it difficult to explain how homeoproteins are capable of carrying out their function. Previous results have shown that Antp homeoprotein can establish dimeric interactions with TBP, TFIIEβ, Exd, BIP2 and more recently through BiFC-FRET we confirmed that Antp and TBP can form trimeric complexes with TFIIEβ/Exd/BIP2. Therefore, is important to show how these trimeric complexes modulate Antp …

How Accurately Structure Can Identify Hybrids When Comparing Different Numbers Of Species And Marker Types And Numbers, Chloe Hendrikse

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Hybridization is a common problem in conservation. It can be difficult to identify hybrid individuals but doing so is often necessary in order to make conservation recommendations. For example, botanical gardens and seed banks want to identify if individuals are hybrids of two or more species to determine if offspring could be used for conservation or restoration, and to analyze the risk of possible extinction via introgression. Our project looks at how well the program STRUCTURE can detect and cluster hybrids, their parent species, and other pure species, which we created using simulations. We build on past studies, which typically …

Qtl Analysis Of Body Size And Development Time In Dendroctonus Ponderosae, Camille M. Pushman

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

The mountain pine beetle (MPB, Dendroctonus ponderosae) is a pest species found in western Norh America that attacks and kills Pinus host trees. Previous studies have identified genetic divergence between populations and variation in life-history traits (body size and development time) that are likely important in local adaptation. To understand the underlying genetic architecture of MPB adaptation and divergence, we performed an F₁ intercross between two distinct populations (Utah & Arizona) and performed a QTL analysis. We analyzed double digest RAD sequencing data from 181 F2 individuals. Our final dataset consists of 986 SNPs and we were able to …

Margalefidinium Polykrikoides Cyst Resuspension In The Lafayette River, A Sub-Tributary Of The Chesapeake Bay, Gabrielle Greaney, Eduardo Perez Vega, Katherine Crider, Dreux Chappell, Kimberly Powell, Richard Hale, Peter Bernhardt, Margaret Mulholland

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Harmful Algal Blooms are a collection of algae in a body of water that can cause serious environmental issues and health problems in both people and aquatic organisms. Dinoflagellates are microscopic, unicellular, and eukaryotic organisms that are well known for forming harmful algal blooms because of eutrophication. Coastal Virginia suffers from HABs in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. A common species of dinoflagellate, known as Margalefidinium polykrikoides exists in the Chesapeake Bay. The purpose of this study is to determine if sediment resuspension produced by wind generated surface gravity waves cause cysts (dinoflagellate resting stages) to be suspended into …

Identifying Non-Traditional Slippery Sequences Associated With Translational Frameshifts, Aaron J. Gin, Kari Lynn Clase

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Genetic frameshifts are a mutation in which
a nucleotide skip leads to a shift in the
reading frame. In viruses, these frameshifts
can be programmed using a slippery
sequence to bypass the stop codon
associated with the initial protein. This
allows for variable control of protein
expression. In bacteriophages, translational
frameshifts have been identified but only a
few have been proven experimentally. Using
experimental data and comparative
genomics, non-traditional slippery
sequences can be identified as assisting in
controlling the protein coding throughout
viruses. Novel slippery sequences can aid in
the understanding of protein expression in
biological environments and further the …

Intellectual Disability Related To De Novo Germline Loss Of The Distal End Of The P-Arm Of Chromosome 17: A Case Report, Eden Pope, Matthew Huertas, Amar Paul, Braden Cunningham, Matthew Jennings, Ryan Perry, Stephanie Chavez, John A. Kriak, Kyle B. Bills, David W. Sant

Annual Research Symposium

Hypothesis/Purpose: In this report we present a case of a 20-year-old female with congenital intellectual disability, stunted growth, and hypothyroidism. Competitive genetic hybridization (CHG) revealed a loss of 17p13.3, and the deletion was not present in either parent. This deletion has not previously been characterized, but mutations on the p-arm of chromosome 17 are responsible for Miller-Dieker Syndrome and Isolated Lissencephaly Sequence, both of which share symptoms in common with the patient.

Methods: Peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were used for karyotyping and competitive genetic hybridization (CHG). Bioinformatic analysis was carried out using the Genome Data Viewer (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/gdv).

Results: Karyotype was …

Determination Of Feasibility And Plausibility Of Using Various Biological Samples For Remote Genetic Testing, Cole Farnsworth, Molly Henley, Walker Kay, Varos Victer Manukyan, Jonathon Reynolds, John A. Kriak, Kyle B. Bills, David W. Sant

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Post-Translational Histone Modifications On Transcription Rate, Aaron Bohn

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Presentation Of Paired P- And Q-Arm Mosaic Deletions On Chromosome 18 Associated With Neuropsychiatric Symptoms, Jackson Nielsen, Laura Minor, John Dougherty Jr., Paige Moore, Kailee Edwards, Brandon Burrell, Jameson Williams, John A. Kriak, David W. Sant, Kyle B. Bills

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Exploring Microbes At Wind Cave As An Analog For Exobiological Environments Off Earth, Abby K. Sliwiniski, Emma W. Pellegrino, Nicole Geerdes, Marek K. Sliwinski

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Subterranean environments on Earth serve as an analog for the study of microbes on other planets. This has become an active area of research with the discovery of exoplanets. To learn about the microbial species living in Wind Cave, we are comparing methods to sample environmental DNA because most microbes cannot be cultivated using standard laboratory methods. We are then probing the environmental DNA with broad primers that are designed to amplify most life and narrower primers such as those specific to the domain Archaea. Of the methods compared, the Qiagen DNeasy Powerbiofilm kit produced the purest template as measured …

Evaluation Of Methods To Extract Genetic Material From Wild Bees, Brody Jack, Mila Haynes, Ai Wen Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Genetic studies on bees are essential to the understanding of the genetic and species diversity of bees, as well as general prairie health. Diversification of species and genetics are in decline, this means a decline in overall prairie health is inevitable. The University of Northern Iowa has ongoing studies looking into the health of prairies as well as the bee population, with a need for an understanding of how to properly store and extract genetic material from wild bees. We examined the concentration of DNA and fragment size shown in a gel from the bees that were killed using two …

Using Environmental Dna (Edna) To Assess Pollinator Communities In Cedar Valley, Mila Haynes, Brody Jack, Ai Wen Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Tracking biological activity in Iowa prairies can prove difficult with such high levels of biodiversity. However, using environmental DNA (eDNA) collected from prairie flowers can provide integral information about the insects that pollinate various plants.

When bees land on flowers, they shed cells and leave trace amounts of their DNA behind. After extracting the DNA from these flowers using the Qiagen DNeasy Extraction method, the samples are then mixed with B10 primer. This primer allows only the bee DNA to be targeted once the samples are put through a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

The purpose of this study is to …

Clearing The Air Between Methane And Commercial Beef Cattle In Ireland, Clodagh V. Ryan

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Background

Rumen methanogenesis is the single most significant source of anthropogenic methane (CH₄) emissions. This research aimed to analyse CH₄ data recorded by GreenFeed systems by assessing the repeatability of such phenotypic measures, estimating the heritability of CH₄, and generating CH₄ estimated breeding values (EBVs) for inclusion in the national breeding index_.

Methods

CH₄ measurements were recorded on 979 cattle for 20 to 83 days using GreenFeed machines, resulting in 211,136 individual CH₄ observations. The phenotypic repeatability of CH₄ was estimated for six different averaging periods using a linear mixed …