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Full-Text Articles in Animal Experimentation and Research

The Role Of Wt1 In Müllerian Duct Development, Jace Aloway Dec 2024

The Role Of Wt1 In Müllerian Duct Development, Jace Aloway

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

WT1 is a zinc finger transcription factor widely expressed in the urogenital system. Human mutations of WT1 lead to pediatric nephroblastoma as well as frequent differences of sex development (DSDs). Previous studies have suggested that WT1 acts as an activator for Amhr2, a necessary component of typical male differentiation. We used the mouse as a model to investigate the role of WT1 in sex development, where we deleted Wt1 in the Müllerian duct (MD) mesenchyme using a novel conditional null reporter allele, Wt1 flox-RFP. This allele utilizes the Cre-lox system to delete exons 8 and 9 of Wt1 …


Cis-Regulatory Mechanisms Through Stages Of Erythroid Regenration, Yichao Zhou May 2024

Cis-Regulatory Mechanisms Through Stages Of Erythroid Regenration, Yichao Zhou

Theses & Dissertations

Produced by steady state erythropoiesis, erythrocytes serve as vital regulators of metabolism and life by delivering oxygen to all the cells and tissues. Under acute anemia, steady state erythropoiesis is not sufficient to produce enough erythrocytes, leading to distinct mechanisms needed to regenerate large numbers of mature erythrocytes rapidly. Erythroid regeneration occurs in four stages: activation, expansion and differentiation, resolution, and post-resolution, according to the dynamics of erythrocyte numbers and progenitor activity. Erythroid regeneration throughout this timeline requires some critical extracellular cues, but the intrinsic molecular mechanisms needed to accelerate and decelerate the activity of erythroid progenitors in anemia and …


Reverse Genetics: Downregulating Chk-1 And Fasn-1 In The Gonads Of C. Elegans, Sam Thompson May 2023

Reverse Genetics: Downregulating Chk-1 And Fasn-1 In The Gonads Of C. Elegans, Sam Thompson

Undergraduate Theses

Despite its widespread use in research, the model organism C. elegans has several biological processes like gonadal development with potentially unexplored genetic regulators. Previous transcriptome analysis has identified several genes that are upregulated in a specific tissue or sex during the development of the somatic gonad in C. elegans (Kroetz et al. 2015) that have not been previously connected to this process. Of these genes, this research is concerned with chk-1 and fasn-1. Abrogating the expression of these genes in gonadal tissue during gonadogenesis could cause a change in phenotype for affected C. elegans that would aid in understanding these …


Targeting Metabolic Alterations Associated With Smooth Muscle Α-Actin Pathogenic Variant Attenuates Moyamoya-Like Cerebrovascular Disease, Anita Kaw May 2023

Targeting Metabolic Alterations Associated With Smooth Muscle Α-Actin Pathogenic Variant Attenuates Moyamoya-Like Cerebrovascular Disease, Anita Kaw

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Heterozygous pathogenic variants in ACTA2, encoding smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA), predispose to thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. De novo missense variants disrupting ACTA2 arginine 179 (p.Arg179) cause a multisystemic disease termed smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome (SMDS), which is characterized by early onset thoracic aortic disease and moyamoya disease-like (MMD) cerebrovascular disease. The MMD-like cerebrovascular disease in SMDS patients is marked by bilateral steno-occlusive lesions in the distal internal carotid arteries (ICAs) and their branches. To study the molecular mechanisms that underlie the ACTA2 p.Arg179 variants, a smooth muscle-specific Cre-lox knock-in mouse model of the heterozygous Acta2 R179C variant, termed …


Characterizing And Evaluating Growth Performance And Poultry Production Efficiencies Using Conventional And Novel Monitoring Methods On Modern Broilers And Japanese Quail, Travis Tabler May 2023

Characterizing And Evaluating Growth Performance And Poultry Production Efficiencies Using Conventional And Novel Monitoring Methods On Modern Broilers And Japanese Quail, Travis Tabler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The poultry industry is integral to the global agricultural system as consumption rates continue to rise worldwide. With the global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, there is an increasing need for efficient and sustainable animal protein sources. Feed efficiency is a significant factor in poultry production costs, as feed accounts for 50 to 70% of total production costs. Given increasing concerns surrounding feed efficiency improvements, there is a focus on the genetic improvement of broiler digestibility to improve nutrient utilization and reduce production costs. Water availability is also of critical concern for the poultry industry, as estimates …


Identifying Genes Downstream Of Mef2 That Influence Ethanol Sedation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Ananya Talikoti Jan 2021

Identifying Genes Downstream Of Mef2 That Influence Ethanol Sedation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Ananya Talikoti

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder is a global public health issue that affects millions across the world. It can result in negative physical and mental health outcomes, and currently treatment options are limited and rates of relapse are high. Identifying genes that affect aspects of ethanol behaviors in model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster, can serve to eventually develop more robust therapeutic interventions for those experiencing alcohol dependence. Previous studies have identified a relationship between a person's initial sensitivity to alcohol and their abuse potential for the drug in later life. Therefore, we can study sedation behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster to …


Associations Among Beef Cattle Genotypes, Neospora Caninum Infection, And Reproductive Performance, Ryan James Page May 2020

Associations Among Beef Cattle Genotypes, Neospora Caninum Infection, And Reproductive Performance, Ryan James Page

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reproductive performance is crucial for sustained financial success in the beef cattle industry. This dissertation includes a population study that quantified the incidence of Neospora caninum infections in the central region of the United States and tested its relationship with reproductive performance in beef cattle. Trial one of that study concluded that 6.9% of open, replacement heifers (n = 1306) tested seropositive. The second trial in that project found that 9.6% of the breeding age females (n = 500) tested were seropositive for Neospora caninum; and that state in which the cattle lived and age impacted (P < 0.05) infection rate. Breed composition, number of farm dogs on the ranch, and use of total mixed rations were not associated (P > 0.1) with seropositive …


Analysis Of Population Structure In A California Newt (Taricha Torosa) Metapopulation, Jessica Vincent Jun 2017

Analysis Of Population Structure In A California Newt (Taricha Torosa) Metapopulation, Jessica Vincent

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

As anthropogenic influences take an ever-increasing toll on the environment, understanding how environmental change affects species is paramount. Concern regarding decline in amphibian populations has spurred research examining the effects of habitat change on the dynamics of populations at landscape levels. One important goal is to understand how gene flow among populations is affected by changes in habitat. Biologists need to consider the relationship between gene flow and habitat alterations so that movements among individual breeding ponds can be maintained over time, reducing risk of local extinction events. This study focuses on patterns of gene flow among thirteen populations of …


Does Genotype Correlate With Phenotype? Evaluating Ruffed Lemur (Varecia Spp.) Color Vision Using Subject Mediated Automatic Remote Testing Apparatus (Smarta), Raymond Vagell May 2017

Does Genotype Correlate With Phenotype? Evaluating Ruffed Lemur (Varecia Spp.) Color Vision Using Subject Mediated Automatic Remote Testing Apparatus (Smarta), Raymond Vagell

Theses and Dissertations

Ruffed lemur (Varecia spp.) color vision research was conducted using a multidisciplinary approach: psychophysics, genetic analysis, technology, and animal training. The behavioral manifestation of Varecia spp. trichromacy was shown using a touchscreen apparatus (SMARTA). Trichromats performed better than dichromats when discriminating red from green (G2 = 78.10, p < 0.001).


Monkey-Based Research On Human Disease: The Implications Of Genetic Differences, Jarrod Bailey Nov 2014

Monkey-Based Research On Human Disease: The Implications Of Genetic Differences, Jarrod Bailey

Laboratory Experiments Collection

Assertions that the use of monkeys to investigate human diseases is valid scientifically are frequently based on a reported 90–93% genetic similarity between the species. Critical analyses of the relevance of monkey studies to human biology, however, indicate that this genetic similarity does not result in sufficient physiological similarity for monkeys to constitute good models for research, and that monkey data do not translate well to progress in clinical practice for humans. Salient examples include the failure of new drugs in clinical trials, the highly different infectivity and pathology of SIV/HIV, and poor extrapolation of research on Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s …


Lessons From Chimpanzee-Based Research On Human Disease: The Implications Of Genetic Differences, Jarrod Bailey Dec 2011

Lessons From Chimpanzee-Based Research On Human Disease: The Implications Of Genetic Differences, Jarrod Bailey

Laboratory Experiments Collection

Assertions that the use of chimpanzees to investigate human diseases is valid scientifically are frequently based on a reported 98–99% genetic similarity between the species. Critical analyses of the relevance of chimpanzee studies to human biology, however, indicate that this genetic similarity does not result in sufficient physiological similarity for the chimpanzee to constitute a good model for research, and furthermore, that chimpanzee data do not translate well to progress in clinical practice for humans. Leading examples include the minimal citations of chimpanzee research that is relevant to human medicine, the highly different pathology of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C virus …