Age-Associated Methylation Suppresses Spry1, Leading To A Failure Of Re-Quiescence And Loss Of The Reserve Stem Cell Pool In Elderly Muscle.,
2015
George Washington University
Age-Associated Methylation Suppresses Spry1, Leading To A Failure Of Re-Quiescence And Loss Of The Reserve Stem Cell Pool In Elderly Muscle., Anne Bigot, William J Duddy, Zamalou G Ouandaogo, Elisa Negroni, Virginie Mariot, Svetlana Ghimbovschi, Brennan Harmon, Aurore Wielgosik, Camille Loiseau, Joseph Devaney, Julie Dumonceaux, Gillian Butler-Browne, Vincent Mouly, Stéphanie Duguez
Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications
The molecular mechanisms by which aging affects stem cell number and function are poorly understood. Murine data have implicated cellular senescence in the loss of muscle stem cells with aging. Here, using human cells and by carrying out experiments within a strictly pre-senescent division count, we demonstrate an impaired capacity for stem cell self-renewal in elderly muscle. We link aging to an increased methylation of the SPRY1 gene, a known regulator of muscle stem cell quiescence. Replenishment of the reserve cell pool was modulated experimentally by demethylation or siRNA knockdown of SPRY1. We propose that suppression of SPRY1 by age-associated …
Effects Of Prenatal Environment Are Revealed By Post-Natal Challenges: Embryonic Hormone Exposure, Adrenocortical Function And Food In Seabird Chicks,
2015
Bucknell University
Effects Of Prenatal Environment Are Revealed By Post-Natal Challenges: Embryonic Hormone Exposure, Adrenocortical Function And Food In Seabird Chicks, Z. Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks, Jannik Schultner, Alexander S. Kitaysky
Faculty Journal Articles
The interaction between prenatal environments and postnatal environments is an important source of phenotypic variability. We examined the ability of prenatal steroid exposure and postnatal energy restriction to explain adrenocortical function and fledging age in captive seabird chicks. We proposed and tested two hypotheses: (1) the strength of prenatal effects is attenuated by challenging postnatal environments (postnatal override) and (2) the strength of prenatal effects increases with the severity of postnatal challenges (postnatal reveal). We reared common murre (Uria aalge) chicks and measured prenatal exposure to corticosterone (CORT) and testosterone (T) from allantoic waste. Adrenocortical function was assessed after 10 …
Multi-Stress Proteomics: The Global Protein Response To Multiple Environmental Stressors In The Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes Cinctipes,
2015
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Multi-Stress Proteomics: The Global Protein Response To Multiple Environmental Stressors In The Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes Cinctipes, Michael A. Garland
Master's Theses
Global climate change is increasing the number of hot days along the California coast as well as increasing the incidence of off-shore upwelling events that lower the pH of intertidal seawater; thus, intertidal organisms are experiencing an increase in more than one stress simultaneously. This study seeks to characterize the global protein response of the eurythermal porcelain crab Petrolisthes cinctipes to changes in thermal, pH, and tidal regime treatments, either combined or individually. The first experiment examined temperature stress alone and sought to determine the effect of chronic temperature acclimation on the acute heat shock response. We compared the proteomic …
Role Of Ime4 Protein In Pho Regulon Of S.Cerevisiae.,
2015
University of New Orleans
Role Of Ime4 Protein In Pho Regulon Of S.Cerevisiae., Jenisha Ghimire
LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the IME4 methyltransferase, interacts genetically with methyl binding protein, Pho92, to affect the expression of PHO regulon target genes. Cells mutant in IME4 or PHO92 show increases in the RNA abundance of PHO regulon target genes. The increase in the RNA abundance of the PHO regulon target genes is not additive in the cells double mutant in IME4 and PHO92. Hence, Ime4 and Pho92 interact in a single pathway in PHO regulon. Surprisingly, cells overexpressing IME4 and MUM2 shows increase in some PHO regulon target genes, indicating that IME4 affects the PHO regulon target …
Characterization Of Putative Wnt3a-Inducible Enhancers,
2015
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Characterization Of Putative Wnt3a-Inducible Enhancers, Katelynn C. Lee, Nicholas Hum, Aimy Sebastian, Gabriela Loots
STAR Program Research Presentations
The Wnt signaling pathway has been previously shown to play a major role in regulating bone metabolism and it is emerging as a target for the therapeutic intervention of bone thinning disorders such as osteoporosis. Several Wnt proteins have been shown to be expressed in bone and mutations in Wnt pathway members such as Wnt co-receptor Lrp5 and Wnt inhibitor Sost have been shown to be associated with low or high bone mass disorders, however, very little is known about specific roles played by different Wnt ligands in bone development, repair and remodeling. To identify downstream targets of Wnt signaling …
Bioregulatory Systems Medicine: An Innovative Approach To Integrating The Science Of Molecular Networks, Inflammation, And Systems Biology With The Patient's Autoregulatory Capacity?,
2015
George Washington University
Bioregulatory Systems Medicine: An Innovative Approach To Integrating The Science Of Molecular Networks, Inflammation, And Systems Biology With The Patient's Autoregulatory Capacity?, Alyssa W Goldman, Yvonne Burmeister, Konstantin Cesnulevicius, Martha Herbert, Mary Kane, David Lescheid, Timothy Mccaffrey, Myron Schultz, Bernd Seilheimer, Alta Smit, Georges St Laurent, Brian Berman
Medicine Faculty Publications
Bioregulatory systems medicine (BrSM) is a paradigm that aims to advance current medical practices. The basic scientific and clinical tenets of this approach embrace an interconnected picture of human health, supported largely by recent advances in systems biology and genomics, and focus on the implications of multi-scale interconnectivity for improving therapeutic approaches to disease. This article introduces the formal incorporation of these scientific and clinical elements into a cohesive theoretical model of the BrSM approach. The authors review this integrated body of knowledge and discuss how the emergent conceptual model offers the medical field a new avenue for extending the …
An Investigation Of The Effect Of Malathion On Adaptive Plasticity Of Pseudacris Sierra,
2015
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
An Investigation Of The Effect Of Malathion On Adaptive Plasticity Of Pseudacris Sierra, Michael Jonathan Maples
Master's Theses
This thesis is composed of two chapters. Chapter one reviews what is known about adaptive plasticity in response to predators, describes the physiological systems involved in such plasticity, and outlines the evolutionary consequences of adaptive plasticity. Chapter two describes a scientific experiment that investigates how malathion may impact adaptive plasticity in the Sierran Treefrog, Pseudacris sierra. Anuran tadpoles suffer high mortality rates due to predation. In response to strong selective forces relating to these high predation rates, tadpoles evolved the ability to adaptively respond to predators through morphological and behavioral plasticity. The morphological and behavioral responses are varied and depend …
Ecology And Morphology Of The Late Miocene Musk Deer, Longirostromeryx Wellsi (Artiodactyla: Moschidae: Blastomerycinae),
2015
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ecology And Morphology Of The Late Miocene Musk Deer, Longirostromeryx Wellsi (Artiodactyla: Moschidae: Blastomerycinae), Katheryn Y. C. Chen
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Longirostromeryx wellsi, one of the latest surviving members of the extinct clade Blastomerycinae (Artiodactyla: Moschidae), possesses highly derived craniodental morphology that deviates from typical musk deer form. Previous work suggests that the unique anatomy of L. wellsi represents adaptations for occupying open savannas. To test this hypothesis I conduct principal components analysis on five postcranial bones of L. wellsi, comparing them to that of several extant ruminant artiodactyls, which are divided among seven habitat categories. These elements are also compared with the postcrania of other blastomerycines. These analyses indicate that L. wellsi anatomy is most similar to that of other …
Gating Mechanisms Of The Canonical Trp Channel Isoform Trpc4,
2015
The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston
Gating Mechanisms Of The Canonical Trp Channel Isoform Trpc4, Dhananjay P. Thakur
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Non-selective cation channels formed by Transient Receptor Potential Canonical (TRPC) proteins play important roles in regulatory and pathophysiological processes. These channels are known to be activated downstream from phospholipase C (PLC) signaling. However, the mechanism by which the PLC pathway activates TRPC4/C5 remains unclear. Uniquely, TRPC4 is maximally activated only when two separate G protein pathways, Gq/11 and Gi/o, are co-stimulated, making it a coincidence detector of Gq/11- and Gi/o -coupled receptor activation. Using HEK293 cells co-expressing mouse TRPC4β and selected G protein-coupled receptors, I observed that coincident stimulation of Gi/o proteins and …
An Empirical And Theoretical Comparison Of The Socio-Ecological Behaviors Of Captive Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), Bonobos (Pan Paniscus), And Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla Gorilla): Social Tolerance And Behavioral Responses To Changes In Food Quality And Distribution,
2015
Kennesaw State University
An Empirical And Theoretical Comparison Of The Socio-Ecological Behaviors Of Captive Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), Bonobos (Pan Paniscus), And Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla Gorilla): Social Tolerance And Behavioral Responses To Changes In Food Quality And Distribution, Scott C. Milne
Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses
Chimpanzees and gorillas are sympatric in most of their range in Central Africa, however, bonobos do not overlap with either of the other two species. This difference has been hypothesized to be the main factor leading to the socio-ecological traits of each species. Access to, and competition for, terrestrial herbaceous vegetation (THV) in each of the three species in thought to be linked to the social relationships and female-female bonds of each species. This study sought to provide a direct comparison of the social relationships of each of the three African Great Apes in captivity in order to elucidate similarities …
Assessing Feeding Preferences And Spatial Patterns Of Lagodon Rhomboides Linnaeus,
2015
Kennesaw State University
Assessing Feeding Preferences And Spatial Patterns Of Lagodon Rhomboides Linnaeus, Alexandria V. Lamle
Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses
Mesograzers have the ability to greatly mitigate the effects of eutrophication in seagrass systems. In this study we look at pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides Linnaeus) as a potential epiphytic grazer and assess feeding preferences during a transitional stage in the ontogenetic diet shift exhibited by these fish. Since pinfish are abundant in seagrass meadows in the northern Gulf of Mexico, their dietary preferences have the potential to greatly impact seagrasses in this system. Twenty-four hour feeding trials were conducted to determine pinfish preference between seagrass (Thalassia testudinum) and algal epiphytes. St. Joseph Bay, FL was also surveyed to …
Akirin-Mediated Gene Regulation During Cardiac Development,
2015
Kennesaw State University
Akirin-Mediated Gene Regulation During Cardiac Development, Austin M. Howard
Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses
The highly conserved nuclear protein Akirin was previously identified as a cofactor that modulates Twist transcription factor activity during muscle development in Drosophila melanogaster. Akirin mediates an interaction between the Twist transcription factor and the multisubunit Brahma SWI/SNF-class chromatin remodeling complex at control elements of the Dmef2 locus to maintain optimal myogenic gene expression levels. Therefore, Akirin represents a class of novel secondary cofactors that work with transcription machinery to link transcription factor output with chromatin remodeling machinery to facilitate gene expression. Previous work establishes that Twist and Akirin also interact at Twist-responsive control elements of the tinman gene, …
Delineation Of Aeromonas Hydrophila Pathotypes By Dectection Of Putative Virulence Factors Using Polymerase Chain Reaction And Nematode Challenge Assay,
2015
Kennesaw State University
Delineation Of Aeromonas Hydrophila Pathotypes By Dectection Of Putative Virulence Factors Using Polymerase Chain Reaction And Nematode Challenge Assay, John Metz
Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses
Aeromonas hydrophila is a Gram-negative, bacterial pathogen of humans and other vertebrates. To delineate pathotypes, the genomes of twenty-eight Aeromonas isolates were screened by PCR to determine the presence of virulence factors including: aerolysin (aerA), cytotoxic enterotoxin (act), hemolysin (ahh1), elastase (ahyB), enolase (eno), S-layer protein (ahsA), serine protease (ser), Type IV Aeromonas pilus (tapA), lipase (lip), and Type Three Secretion System (T3SS) components (aopB, ascV). Genes for ahh1, lip, ser, and ahyB …
Eph-Ephrin Signaling And The Role Of Efn-4 In Caenorhabditis Elegans Nervous Systems Development,
2015
Kennesaw State University
Eph-Ephrin Signaling And The Role Of Efn-4 In Caenorhabditis Elegans Nervous Systems Development, Alicia Schwieterman
Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses
Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands are required for multiple aspects of nervous system development including axon outgrowth, synaptic plasticity, and the formation of topographic maps in the visual system. The Caenorhabditis elegans ephrin-A, efn-4, has a defined role in hypodermal patterning but its role in nervous system development is not well understood. We find that loss-of-function mutations in efn-4 lead to suppression of axon branching in C. elegans model of X-linked Kallmann syndrome, a human genetic disorder that presents with loss of sense of smell and failure to undergo spontaneous puberty. In addition, efn-4 mutants have …
Seasonal Dynamics And Micro-Climatic Preference Of Two Alpine Endemic Hypogean Beetles,
2015
University of Turin, Torino
Seasonal Dynamics And Micro-Climatic Preference Of Two Alpine Endemic Hypogean Beetles, Stefano Mammola, Elena Piano, Pier Mauro Giachino, Marco Isaia
International Journal of Speleology
Hypogean beetles generally live in stable environments, characterized by constant temperature and high relative humidity. Changes in the underground microclimatic conditions generally induce local migrations of the beetles through the hypogean environment in search of suitable microhabitats. We studied the seasonal dynamics and the micro-climatic preference of two Alpine endemic hypogean beetles - Sphodropsis ghilianii (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and Dellabeffaella roccae (Coleoptera, Cholevidae) - in the hypogean complex of Pugnetto (Graian Alps, Italy). We surveyed the two species for one year, using baited pitfall traps and measuring temperature and humidity along the two main caves. We used logistic regression mixed models …
Comparative Analysis Of Anti-Bd Bacteria From Six Malagasy Frog Species Of Ranomafana National Park,
2015
James Madison University
Comparative Analysis Of Anti-Bd Bacteria From Six Malagasy Frog Species Of Ranomafana National Park, Kelsey Savage
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
As Malagasy amphibians are facing an impending extinction crisis from the lethal skin fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), it has become imperative to proactively mitigate the threat. Bd sporangia develop in the skin of infected amphibians and cause the skin to thicken, leading to ionic imbalance and eventual heart failure. It has been shown that certain bacterial species are able to inhibit Bd growth on amphibians by producing antifungal metabolites. Community-based probiotics are one approach used to combat chytridomycosis by inoculating an environment with Bd-inhibitory bacteria so that many amphibian species are treated at once. With this method, it is important …
Fishing For A Sustainable Future: Aquaponics As A Method Of Food Production,
2015
Fordham University
Fishing For A Sustainable Future: Aquaponics As A Method Of Food Production, Richard Ramsundar
Student Theses 2015-Present
This thesis compares and explains the advantages aquaponics farming has over modern industrial intensive farming. Through a comparison natural capital usage, conservation, recycling and cost, the thesis advocates for the expansion of aquaponics usage in urban settings. The thesis also explains the history of intensive farming and aquaponics in America, the science of how aquaponics operates, the economic and environmental costs of modern intensive farming versus aquaponics farming, and the social implications of aquaponics. Lastly, I propose a policy that reallocates farm subsidies by modifying the Farm Bill. Then I propose policies that support creating a new standard of farm …
Modeling Uric Acid Kidney Stones Disease In D. Melanogaster Using Rnai And Dietary Modulation,
2015
Dominican University of California
Modeling Uric Acid Kidney Stones Disease In D. Melanogaster Using Rnai And Dietary Modulation, Hai T.H. Lu
Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects
In humans, the major predictor for gout and forming uric acid kidney stones is elevated uric acid in the serum and urine respectively. It is known that uric acid is an end metabolite of purine degradation in humans, but in other species from D. melanogaster to lower apes, uric acid can be further metabolized by urate oxidase into readily excreted allantoin. We hypothesize that if urate oxidase enzyme activity and dietary purine are both critical in uric acid kidney stone formation, then urate oxidase knockdown in combination with dietary purine supplementation will increase uric acid and induce uric acid kidney …
Forest Sustainability In An Altered Landscape Requires Human Intervention,
2015
BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE
Forest Sustainability In An Altered Landscape Requires Human Intervention, Adam C. Labatore
Biology Theses
Recruitment success determines the abundance and composition of plant communities. Successful recruitment can be summarized as a simple dichotomy of establishment versus seed limitations. Establishment limitation occurs when plant populations are inhibited by habitat availability and quality, whereas seed limitation occurs when seeds fail to arrive in necessary densities. Recruitment failure undermines overstory sustainability if the existing trees cannot replace themselves. Preliminary analysis indicated tree recruitment failure at an urban nature preserve with too few tree seedlings to replace mature canopy trees. These data suggested that the urban forest was not sustainable. The overarching goal of the study was to …
Seasonal Variation In Corticosterone, Stress Responses, And Physiology In The Northern Cardinal Cardinalis Cardinalis,
2015
University of Southern Mississippi
Seasonal Variation In Corticosterone, Stress Responses, And Physiology In The Northern Cardinal Cardinalis Cardinalis, Benjamin Matthew Duckworth
Master's Theses
Seasonal regulation of the adrenocortical response (e.g., ‘stress response’) appears to be ubiquitous in mid- to high-latitude vertebrates. Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are a Temperate dwelling passerine of Tropical-descent with a wide species range (tropics to Northern Temperate zones). This species encounters a wide variety of environmental conditions and strong seasonality, however corticosterone (CORT, the main adrenal stress hormone) has not been studied with regards to changes in seasonal levels. I initially analyzed samples from cardinals collected between 2007-2011 from the Lake Thoreau Environmental Research and Educational Center (Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA). The data suggested seasonal differences of CORT, with higher …
