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Full-Text Articles in Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology

The Relationship Between Plasma Steroid Hormone Concentrations And The Reproductive Cycle Of The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, Crotalus Oreganus, Craig Michael Lind Jun 2009

The Relationship Between Plasma Steroid Hormone Concentrations And The Reproductive Cycle Of The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, Crotalus Oreganus, Craig Michael Lind

Master's Theses

To gain a better understanding of the role of steroid hormones in vertebrate reproduction, we quantified steroid hormone concentrations in a free ranging population of the Northern Pacific rattlesnake, Crotalus oreganus. Plasma steroid hormone concentrations were quantified for both male and female snakes throughout the active season (Mar-Oct). We measured testosterone (T), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and corticosterone (B) concentrations in male and female snakes. 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) were measured in females only. We also observed breeding behaviors (e.g. consortship, courtship, and copulation) in the field and measured testis and follicle size in male and female snakes from museum collections. …


Mice Deficient In The Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase Vrk1 Are Infertile Due To A Progressive Loss Of Spermatogonia, Matthew S. Wiebe, R. Jeremy Nichols, Tyler P. Molitor, Jill K. Lindgren, Paula Traktman Jan 2009

Mice Deficient In The Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase Vrk1 Are Infertile Due To A Progressive Loss Of Spermatogonia, Matthew S. Wiebe, R. Jeremy Nichols, Tyler P. Molitor, Jill K. Lindgren, Paula Traktman

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The VRK1 protein kinase has been implicated as a proproliferative factor. Genetic analyses of mutant alleles of the Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans VRK1 homologs have revealed phenotypes ranging from embryonic lethality to mitotic and meiotic defects with resultant sterility. Herein, we describe the first genetic analysis of murine VRK1. Two lines of mice containing distinct gene-trap integrations into the Vrk1 locus were established. Insertion into intron 12 (GT12) spared VRK1 function, enabling the examination of VRK1 expression in situ. Insertion into intron 3 (GT3) disrupted VRK1 function, but incomplete splicing to the gene trap rendered this allele hypomorphic (~15% of …