Genetics Commons^™

Tiger Monitoring In Bhutan Using Non-Invasive Genetic Tools, Tashi Dhendup

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Large carnivores are one of the most threatened group of animals in the world. They suffer from prey depletion, persecution by humans, and habitat loss and fragmentation which are extensively driven by anthropogenic activities. One such species is the tiger Panthera tigris. Tigers are found in thirteen countries in Asia and are protected across the range; however, tiger numbers have declined as an after effect of habitat loss, prey depletion and poaching. Human-induced changes have reduced the tiger's historical range to about 7% in which a little more than 3900 tigers are found. Most of these individuals currently exist …

Glial Cell Mechanisms Regulate Alcohol Sedation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Kristen M. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 16 million people in America are diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) but no efficacious medical treatments exist. Alcohol-related behaviors can be studied in model organisms, and changes in these behaviors can be correlated with either (i) a risk for alcohol dependence or (ii) a symptom/feature of AUD itself. Although AUD is a disease of the central nervous system, a majority of research has focused on the neuronal underpinnings, leaving glial contributions largely undescribed. We used Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) to identify genes whose expression in glia regulates alcohol sedation. Mammals and Drosophila have conserved behavioral responses to alcohol …

A Sustainable Future In The Implementation Of Clinical Pharmacogenomics, Nicholas Keeling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The sustainability of clinical pharmacogenomics requires further study of clinical education on the topic, its effects on clinical workflow, and the responsibilities of different providers for its delivery. Tools from the discipline of implementation science were utilized herein to help achieve the purposes of the three studies. The broad purpose of this dissertation is to advance the work of clinical pharmacogenomic implementation through a more rigorous convergence with implementation science.

Methods: Three studies constitute the whole of this dissertation. The first is a scoping review that provides a broad characterization of the methods utilized in available peer-revieliterature focusing on …

Phenotypic And Genetic Variation Of The Brazilian Malaria Vector Nyssorhynchus Darlingi At Regional And Local Scales, Virginia Mildred Chu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

There have been major successes in the fight to eliminate malaria in the Americas, with 11

The Effect Of Maternal Dietary Habits During Pregnancy On Neonate Leptin Methylation Patterns And Gestational Age, Sean Fitzpatrick

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The health of a newborn baby is inextricably linked to the health status of its mother and in turn the mother’s diet during pregnancy. Leptin (LEP) is an adipokine hormone involved in metabolism regulation and has been linked fetal development through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). Prior work suggests that gestational epigenetic alterations the LEP gene may be sensitive to adverse exposures during pregnancy, which in turn could explain variation in neonate outcomes. However, no prior work has examined this possibility explicitly. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between dietary patterns of mothers during pregnancy and their …

Premature Rho-Dependent Transcription Termination In Escherichia Coli : Link To Translation And Gene Regulation, Gabriele Baniulyte

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Transcription termination factor Rho is an essential protein in Escherichia coli and related bacteria. The primary function of Rho is to clear unproductive RNA polymerases from the DNA template to minimize negative effects associated with uncontrolled transcription. Although most of the Rho termination events are constitutive, premature Rho-mediated termination was observed at 3% of all affected transcripts indicating active regulation of Rho activity. In this work, we investigated the regulatory mechanism behind premature Rho-dependent transcription termination in two unrelated genes: suhB and topAI. We show that in both cases transcription is terminated inside the coding gene as a consequence of …

Mechanisms Of Trinucleotide Repeat Instability During Dna Synthesis, Kara Y. Chan

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Genomic instability, in the form of gene mutations, insertions/deletions, and gene amplifications, is one of the hallmarks in many types of cancers and other inheritable genetic disorders. Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) disorders, such as Huntington’s disease (HD) and Myotonic dystrophy (DM) can be inherited and repeats may be extended through subsequent generations. However, it is not clear how the CAG repeats expand through generations in HD. Two possible repeat expansion mechanisms include: 1) polymerase mediated repeat extension; 2) persistent TNR hairpin structure formation persisting in the genome resulting in expansion after subsequent cell division. Recent in vitro studies suggested that a …

New Bathynellidae (Crustacea) Taxa And Their Relationships In The Fortescue Catchment Aquifers Of The Pilbara Region, Western Australia, Giulia Perina, Ana I. Camacho, Joel Huey, Pierre Horwitz, Annette Koenders

Research Datasets

In the past 20 years, the number of subterranean taxa discovered in Australia, especially in the Pilbara bioregion, has considerably increased due to incidental environmental surveys often associated with mining development. Bathynellidae are an important component of stygofauna and they occur in most Australian aquifers, but their collection and identification are difficult due to their habitat, and small and fragile bodies with conservative morphology. The study of Pilbaranella ethelensis in the upper Fortescue catchment contributed to a better understanding of the group at local scale, but knowledge at larger catchment scale is still limited. Abundant material collected by different environmental …

Genome-Wide Systems Genetics Of Alcohol Consumption And Dependence, Kristin Mignogna

Theses and Dissertations

Widely effective treatment for alcohol use disorder is not yet available, because the exact biological mechanisms that underlie this disorder are not completely understood. One way to gain a better understanding of these mechanisms is to examine the genetic frameworks that contribute to the risk for developing this disorder. This dissertation examines genetic association data in combination with gene expression networks in the brain to identify functional groups of genes associated with alcohol consumption and dependence.

The first study took advantage of the behavioral complexity of human samples, and experimental capabilities provided by mouse models, by co-analyzing gene expression networks …

The Increased Frequency Of Micronuclei Seen In Women With A History Of Childhood Sexual Abuse Reflects More Numerical Than Structural Acquired Chromosomal Events: A Discordant Identical Co-Twin Study, Kaitlyn M. Dochelli

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a stressful life experience with lasting/far-reaching health and psychopathological consequences. Our laboratory recently identified a significantly increased frequency of acquired chromosomal anomalies (assessed using the cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay) in adult female twins exposed to CSA when compared to their unexposed co-twin. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate potential mechanism(s) underlying the observed increases in levels of micronuclei in an expanded group of 90 female identical twins (61 CSA+ females and 29 CSA- females [including a total of 27 MZ co-twin pairs]) using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) methodologies, with PNA probes specific …

Phenotypic Characterization Of Pnpase Mutation And Overexpression In C. Elegans, Brian J. Hur

Theses and Dissertations

PNPase, polynucleotide phosphorylase, is a multifunctional exoribonuclease protein with 3` terminal oligonucleotide polymerase activity. Coded by the PNPT1 gene, the protein is associated with mitochondrial homeostasis and functions as a possible target for cancer therapy. In this study, C. elegans was used to investigate the effect of mutation and overexpression of pnpt-1, the gene that encodes PNPase. It was determined that two specific mutations in pnpt-1 did not affect PNPase expression nor did they produce deleterious phenotypes that affected polycistronic transcript accumulation or ROS production. Creation of a stable overexpression model was achieved through Fusion PCR. However, different transgenic …

Testing For Cryptic Diversity And Inference Of Population Structure In The Cosmopolitan Hoplonemertean Emplectonema Gracile (Nemertea), Paul L. Delaney Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Emplectonema gracile (Johnston 1837) is a hoplonemertean of marine intertidal hard-bottom communities and is distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Although possessing a planktonic larval stage in its life history, the range of such cosmopolitan marine invertebrate species is often explained by cryptic speciation and anthropogenic transport. The purpose of this study is to test for possible cryptic species using mtDNA markers (COI and 16S rDNA) and to investigate population structure in E. gracile over a portion of its geographic range using mtDNA markers and ddRADseq nuclear SNP data. The results of both phylogenetic- and tree-based species delimitation revealed that E. …

Co-Localization Of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Candidate Gene Products In Human Theca Cells Suggests Novel Signaling Pathways, Rewa M. Kulkarni

Theses and Dissertations

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of anovulatory infertility and the most common endocrinopathy of women of reproductive age. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified a number of loci associated PCOS in different ethnic populations, including women with Asian and European ancestry. Replication studies have confirmed some of these associations. Among the loci identified are those located near the LH receptor gene (LHCGR), a clathrin-binding protein gene (DENND1A) that also functions as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, and the gene encoding RAB5B, a GTPase and protein involved in vesicular trafficking. The functional significance of one …

Genetic And Environmental Factors Influence Drosophila Ethanol Sedation, Rebecca E. Schmitt

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder is a global health issue that affects a significant portion of the population, with affects including both negative mental and physical consequences. Currently, there are few treatment options available to those who suffer from alcohol use disorder, alcohol abuse, or alcohol dependence. Identifying candidate genes or environmental influences would therefore improve the means for possible treatments or identification of those people at risk for alcohol use disorder. Previous studies in humans have demonstrated an inverse association between initial sensitivity and risk for alcohol abuse. This connection allows investigators, and our laboratory, to investigate genetic and environmental factors …

Genetic Regulation Of The Elicitation Of Glyceollin Biosynthesis In Soybean, Md. Asraful Jahan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Glyceollin phytoalexins are the pathogen-elicited defense metabolites that belong to the isoflavonoid family of molecules of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr). Phytophthora root and stem rot of soybean caused by Phytophthora sojae is a destructive disease throughout the soybean-growing regions worldwide causing devastating economic damages (globally $1-2 billion and over $250 million in the USA) every year. Engineering soybean plants that produce higher levels of glyceollins could confer resistance against this pathogen. Glyceollins also show anticancer and neuroprotective activities in mammals, therefore they are important for agriculture and medical research. Firstly, we were interested in understanding how biotic and …

Exploring The Efficacy Of Natural Products In Alleviating Alzheimer’S Disease Using Animal Models, Prajakta Deshpande, Neha Gogia, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (hereafter AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system. There are multiple factors that cause AD, viz., accumulation of extracellular Amyloid-beta 42 plaques, intracellular hyper-phosphorylated Tau tangles, generation of reactive oxygen species due to mitochondrial dysfunction and genetic mutations. The plaques and tau tangles trigger aberrant signaling, which eventually cause cell death of the neurons. As a result, there is shrinkage of brain, cognitive defects, behavioral and psychological problems. To date, there is no direct cure for AD. Thus, scientists have been testing various strategies like screening for the small inhibitor molecule library …

A Genome Wide Survey Of The Insertion Sequences In Halanaerobium Hydrogeniformans, A Haloalkaliphilic Anaerobic Bacterium, Kody Austin Bassett

Masters Theses

"Insertion sequences (IS) are the smallest prokaryotic transposable elements. These mobile genes are highly diverse in size and structure, making them difficult to study. The transposition activity of insertion sequences has a significant role in evolution by enabling genomic plasticity via genome rearrangements. Insertion sequences are largely uncharacterized and thus methods to improve the ability to accurately identify, annotate, and infer genomic impact of insertion sequences is limited. A sequential set of methods using readily available genomic and bioinformatic tools was developed to accurately identify insertion sequences. This method was used to perform an entire genome survey of Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans …

Characterization Of Chromosomal Translocations In A Group Of Killifish Species By Using Genome-Wide High-Density Snp Mapping Approach, Naznin Sultana Remex

Masters Theses

"The role of chromosomal rearrangements in reproductive isolation and introgression between species is poorly understood. In heterozygous form, rearrangements may directly interrupt meiotic progression leading to partial sterility/subfertility (underdominance) or may suppress local meiotic segregation (recombination suppression). Such unbalanced meiotic segregation may also result in reproductive isolation and play roles as a driving force of speciation. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the pattern of chromosomal rearrangements in two closely related killifish species in the genus Fundulus (F. notatus, and F. olivaceus) by constructing genetic linkage maps using high-resolution single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) …

Application Of Short Tandem Target Mimic (Sttm) Technique For Functional Analysis Of Micro-Rna396 In Transgenic Poplar Trees, Surattana Boonsai

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTM) is a commonly technique used for functional studies of a number of genes in several plant model systems. However, very little is known about application of STTM technique in tree species. In this study, STTM was applied to knock down microRNA396 (miR396) in transgenic poplar trees for the first time. STTM396 expression resulted in dramatic decrease in miR396 expression levels leading to taller plants with larger leaves and larger leaf cell size. Additionally, an expression analysis of growth regulating factor genes (GRFs) that are members of miR396 target gene family showed up-regulation of GRF07 gene …

Investigating Neurogenesis As A Veritable Epigenetic Endophenotype For Alzheimer's Disease, Layne Wells

Scripps Senior Theses

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, characterized by progressive amyloid plaque aggregation, neurofibrillary tangles, and cortical tissue death. As the prevalence of AD is projected to climb in coming years, there is a vested interest in identifying endophenotypes by which to improve diagnostics and direct clinical interventions. The risk for complex disorders, such as AD, is influenced by multiple genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Significant strides have been made in identifying genetic variants linked to AD through the genome-wide association study (GWAS). It has been estimated in more recent years, however, that GWAS-identified variants account for limited …

Application And Refinement Of Molecular Ecology Techniques For Amphibian Conservation, Stephanie Marie Burgess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wildlife conservation has become increasingly difficult due to habitat loss habitat fragmentation and land use change. Thus conservationists have embraced advances in molecular ecology such as landscape genetics and microbial bioinformatics that employ genetic techniques to further understand the relationship between individuals and their environment. In landscape genetics model inferences can be used to identify features that facilitate or resist gene flow providing a framework for anticipating the impacts of land use changes on a species’ ability to disperse. However the factors that affect the transferability of landscape genetics inferences are poorly understood and little is known about the effect …

Examining The Persistence Of Enviromental Dna In Caves, Abby Guillemette

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

An In Silico Analysis Of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Lauren Elam

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Spatial Genetic Structure And Local Adaptation Within And Among Foxtail Pine (Pinus Balfouriana Subsp. Balfouriana) Populations Located In The Klamath Mountains, California, Rebecca D. Piri

Theses and Dissertations

Foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana) is a subalpine conifer endemic to California, notably separated into two disjunct subspecies. Previous studies have described the northern subspecies,Pinus balfouriana subsp. balfouriana,as having an uncommonly high level of genetic differentiation and no discernible spatial patterns in phenotypic variation. This study seeks to characterize the spatial genetic structure and patterns of selection of the northern subspecies (Pinus balfouriana subsp. balfouriana) using genome-wide data and to identify the influence of ecology and environment on the unique genetic patterns. I show that genetic differentiation among populations is much less than previously estimated …

Multigenerational Genomic And Epigenetic Effects Of Manufactured Silver Nanomaterials In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Anye Wamucho

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

There has been an increase in the incorporation of silver nanomaterials into consumer products due to their antimicrobial properties. Therefore there is potential for silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) to leach out into the environment during different life-cycle stages of these nanomaterial-containing products. Concern about the toxicity of Ag-NPs has led to investigations into their toxic effects on a variety of organisms mainly using acute and sub-chronic, single-generation exposures. The focus of this project was to understand the effects of long-term continuous multigenerational exposure to AgNO₃ and Ag-NPs in both pristine and environmentally transformed forms, on the model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans …

Impact Of Seasonal And Host-Related Factors On The Intestinal Microbiome And Cestode Community Of Sorex Cinereus And Sorex Monticola, Katelyn D. Cranmer

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The intestinal microbiome of mammals plays a significant role in host health and response to environmental stimuli and can include both beneficial native bacteria as well as parasitic worms. In this study, I examined the intestinal cestode and bacterial communities of two closely related species of shrew, Sorex monticola and Sorex cinereus, over a six month period in 2016. Specimens were collected approximately every three weeks from May to October from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Cowles, New Mexico. A total of 79 shrews were prepared with the gastrointestinal tracts removed and flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen. An additional …

Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms Knowledge And Breast Cancer In Texas, Ejike Roland Egwuekwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is a world health problem and is a leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the United States. However, breast cancer risks were reported to be reduced through exposure to Vitamin D through its Receptors identified as the p53 target gene. The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between VDR gene polymorphisms knowledge/awareness and decisions to reduce breast cancer risks and likelihood of mammogram screening among women in Texas. Data from survey were used. Roy adaptation model was the theoretical framework that guided this quasi- experimental, quantitative research. The dependent variables were decisions to …

The Effect Of Bovine Galectin-1, A Conceptus Secretory Protein, On The Endometrial Transcriptome, Lindsay Faye Grose

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Early embryonic loss in cattle is detrimental to reproduction thus, the profitability of both the beef and dairy industries. Therefore, an important aspect of study is to find techniques that beef or dairy producers could use to decrease early embryonic loss Galectin-1, the protein that was investigated in this research is important in modulating the maternal immune system in rodent and human early pregnancies by promoting fetomaternal immune tolerance. The role of galectin-1 within the reproductive tissues has not been thoroughly investigated in cattle. Galectin-1 is located in the caruncular and intercaruncular regions of the bovine endometrium, specifically the maternal …

Population Health Of Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Maculatum) In Created Vernal Pools: An Integrative Approach, Alice R. Millikin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Habitat creation is an important tool for conservation to counteract habitat loss and degradation. Vernal pools are susceptible to destruction due to limited detection, protection, and regulation. These wetlands provide fishless breeding habitat for many amphibian species including spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in eastern North America. Determining whether created vernal pool habitat is successful is often determined by demographic data of colonizing populations. I suggest that hormone levels, population genetics, and disease prevalence can improve our understanding of population health in created habitat. The goal of this dissertation was to assess the health of spotted salamander larvae in …

Association Genetics And Local Adaptation Of Populus Trichocarpa Torr. & Gray, Hari Bahadur Chhetri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A major goal in plant science is overcoming the recalcitrance of plant biomass to cellulose extraction, to enable efficient production of cellulosic biofuel. We have started to understand the genetic basis of some important traits such as cell wall chemistry, but we do not know anything about the key structural and functional traits such as wood anatomy that greatly affect plant biomass recalcitrance. Furthermore, biofuel feedstocks have to be adapted to varied environmental conditions to ensure high productivity in plantations, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying local adaptation. With the advancement in sequencing and genotyping technologies, association …