Developmental Biology Commons^™

Tardigrade Bio-Exploration Reproduction Research Payload, Natalie Brattain, Chloe Nissen, Kylie Nager, Peter Ulrich, Enoch Tonkine

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The Tardigrade Bio-ExplorAtion Reproduction Research Payload (tBEARR) is an external International Space Station (ISS) standardized laboratory payload module mission under development by the Embry-Riddle Orbital Research Association (ERORA), an undergraduate research organization at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Florida. As a club-driven mission, tBEARR provides undergraduate students with hands-on experience across all phases of space research, including payload design, biological experimentation, systems integration, and mission operations. The mission is supported by a biology research team focused on stress-response biology, experimental design, and biological validation throughout ground testing, high-altitude balloon flights, and orbital operations.   The primary objective of tBEARR …

Genetic Regulation Of Uterine Organogenesis, Diana A. Machado

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In eutherian and marsupial mammals, the site of embryo implantation and gestation is the uterus. The precursor tissue of the uterus, oviducts, cervix, and upper vagina is the Müllerian duct epithelium and its adjacent mesenchyme. Morphological uterine variation between species is established during embryogenesis by species-specific differences in Müllerian duct fusion at the midline, growth, and differentiation. For example, laboratory mice have a bipartite uterus with two uterine horns and a single cervix, whereas humans have a simplex uterus with a single chamber and single cervix. In humans, variations in the fusion process can alter typical uterine morphology, correlating with …

Comparative Assessment Of Developmental Fidelity In Hpsc-Derived Neural Crest Cells, Michael H. Zepeda

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Neural crest cells (NCCs) are a transient, multipotent cell population that contributes to craniofacial structures, peripheral neurons, melanocytes, and smooth muscle. Defects in NCC development underlie a broad range of congenital disorders known as neurocristopathies. Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived NCCs provide an evaluable model for studying early human development; however, existing differentiation protocols produce variable outcomes, and no standardized method consistently generates high-fidelity NCC populations. To address this challenge, we compared five published hPSC-to-NCC differentiation protocols using the H9 human embryonic stem cell line. We hypothesized that specific protocols more faithfully recapitulate neural crest development through coordinated regulation of …

Transcriptional Regulation In The Uterine Luminal Epithelium, Evelyn A. Carrion

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Transcriptional Regulation in the Uterine Luminal Epithelium

Evelyn A. Carrion

Advisor: Richard R. Behringer, PhD

Abstract

The uterus is an organ comprised of multiple tissues that are essential for women’s health and reproduction. The uterus is composed of multiple tissue layers, including the perimetrium, myometrium, and the endometrium. The endometrium is the inner lining of the uterus, and contains the luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium, and stroma. The luminal epithelium is a simple columnar layer of cells that is necessary for embryo implantation. The uterus is derived in part from the embryonic precursor tissue called the Müllerian duct. There are no …

Regulation Of Müllerian Duct Mesenchyme Transcription During Mammalian Sex Differentiation, Haowen Li, Richard R Behringer, Rachel D Mullen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Sp7/Osterix (Osx) encodes a zinc-finger transcription factor of the Specificity-protein family discovered by Nakashima et al. at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. While primarily recognized for its role in osteogenesis, Osx has also been implicated in mammalian reproductive development, particularly in male sex differentiation, where Müllerian Duct (MD) regression occurs, mediated by anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) signaling. AMH-induced regression signals are transduced by the mesenchymal tissue surrounding the ductal structure, known as the Müllerian Duct mesenchyme (MDM). It was discovered that AMH signaling is necessary and sufficient for driving Osx expression in MDM. A previous transgenic mouse reporter …

Loss Of Mct1 Mediated Lactate Uptake Causes Delayed Endplate Maturation And Intervertebral Disc Degeneration, Maria Tsingas, Konstantinos Tsingas, Mei Smyers, Wujuan Zhang, Aaron R. Goldman, Eulisa Lawrence, John A. Collins, Makarand V. Risbud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

During skeletal growth, it is thought that the lactate secreted by the glycolytic nucleus pulposus (NP) cells exits the intervertebral disc into circulation via endplates. Our current studies challenge this long-held notion. Mice with early postnatal, endplate, and annulus fibrosus-specific deletion of lactate importer, MCT1, exhibited disc degeneration characterized by NP cell loss and pronounced endplate structural changes. Using metabolic and transcriptomic approaches, we demonstrate that MCT1 loss inhibits endplate chondrocyte differentiation and that lactate serves both as a crucial TCA metabolite and promotes protein and histone lactylation and gene expression. These findings suggest that during skeletal growth, NP-derived lactate …

Is Trimethylamine N-Oxide A Friend, Foe, Or Hormetic Agent In Patients With Parkinson’S Disease: A Focused Review Of One Microbial Metabolite, Abraham B. Alton

Student Works

This review synthesizes recent literature examining trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) synthesis and its potential role in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) pathology. An increase in TMAO plasma and CSF concentration is associated with PD progression and severity. TMAO biosynthesis is a two-step process. First, precursors including carnitine and choline are converted to trimethylamine (TMA) by gut microbes. Second, TMAO is oxidized to TMAO in the liver. Once absorbed into circulation TMAO crosses the blood brain barrier and may influence PD disease pathology by increasing neuroinflammation and astrocyte activation and damaging the cerebral lymphatic system. These mechanisms may contribute to the cognitive and motor …

Junctional Actin As A Mechanical Hub For Supracellular Actomyosin Force Transmission During Apical Constriction, Jasneet Brar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Apical constriction is a conserved morphogenetic mechanism that drives epithelial folding during development. During ventral furrow formation in Drosophila melanogaster, contractile actomyosin networks generate forces that reduce apical cell area resulting in tissue invagination. For these cell-scale forces to produce coordinated tissue-scale changes, contractile networks must be mechanically integrated across neighboring cells. Although adherens junctions are known to mediate this coupling, it is unclear how junctions are integrated into cortical actin cytoskeleton, which directly determines cell, and consequently tissue, shape. This thesis tests the hypothesis that supracellular actomyosin organization during apical constriction depends on distinct adherens junction based mechanical couplings: …

From Chaos To Clockwork: Investigating The Role Of Circadian Genes In Metabolic Development Of 2nd And 3rd Instar Drosophila Larvae, Elliott R. Ruegsegger, Stephanie Hood, Amy Poe

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Circadian clocks regulate daily physiological and metabolic rhythms across many organisms. In Drosophila melanogaster, the molecular clock involving period (per) and timeless regulates gene expression across 24-hour cycles. Circadian rhythms are well characterized in adult, mature organisms, but their emergence during early developmental stages remain poorly understood. In D. melanogaster, the circadian regulation of sleep and feeding rhythms emerges during the 3rd instar larval stage. This suggests that the circadian regulation of metabolism may also arise during this stage. Further, the metabolic consequences of circadian clock disruptions during this developmentally rich period remain unclear. This research aimed to …

Analysis Of Developmental Cardiogenic Processes Mediated By Fox And Zinc-Finger Transcription Factors, Rajnandani Katariya

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiogenesis is a highly choreographed biological process requiring the precise integration of gene regulatory networks to govern cell division, fate determination, and spatial positioning. Disruptions in these mechanisms lead to congenital heart defects (CHDs), which affect approximately 1% of live births globally. Due to the evolutionary conservation of cardiac signaling pathways and the structural homologies between the Drosophila dorsal vessel and the early vertebrate heart tube, Drosophila melanogaster serves as a powerful model for dissecting the fundamental mechanisms of heart development. This dissertation investigates the molecular orchestration of cardiac development, specifically focusing on the roles of the transcription factors Jumu …

Reconstruction Of Fox Transcription Factor-Regulated Subnetworks Mediating Cardiac Progenitor Cell Divisions, Md Rezaul Hasan

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly worldwide, affecting approximately 1% of live births, corresponding to 1.35 million infants born with CHD each year, and remains a leading cause of infant mortality; therefore, it is urgent to understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying CHD for advancing early diagnosis and treatment. Because many aspects of the Drosophila heart formation are highly reminiscent of vertebrate heart development, Drosophila melanogaster serves as a simple yet powerful model system for studying cardiac development and CHD. While at least eight Forkhead box (Fox) transcription factors (TFs) are required for proper cardiac …

Abnormal Trafficking And Processing Of Multiple Matrix Metalloproteinases Drive Cartilage Defects In Congenital Disorders Of Glycosylation, Chia-Lun Wu

All Dissertations

Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) are rare metabolic diseases caused by defects in glycosylation. Despite identification of over 200 CDG types, the mechanisms linking glycosylation defects to diverse clinical phenotypes remain unclear. This dissertation uses zebrafish models of PMM2-CDG and STT3-CDG to redefine CDG pathogenesis, shifting from a simple glycan deficiency model to one involving disrupted cellular spatial organization.

We identify a protease-dependent pathway underlying craniofacial cartilage defects. Specifically, defective proteolytic processing of N-cadherin, a key adhesion molecule in chondrogenesis, is a central driver of pathology. We further uncover an unconventional trafficking mechanism in which ER stress and altered secretory …

Characterizing The Molecular Response Of Embryonic Zebra Finch To Acute Sound Playback, Saidat O. Adeniran-Obey Miss

All Theses

Auditory stimuli are important cues that influence developmental plasticity in animals and are important for development and adaptation to an ever-changing environment. In the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), there is evidence of adaptive developmental reprogramming in response to a prenatal ‘heat call’. Embryos exposed to this heat call exhibit changes in growth rate post-hatch, increased heat resistance, and enhanced reproductive success at maturity. However, it has long been assumed that embryonic zebra finches cannot respond to sound due to the immaturity of their auditory system. These findings raise the critical question of whether late-stage zebra finch embryos can, …

Cleft Palate And The Coordination Of Wnt Signaling And Pax9 In Murine Palatogenesis, Landon Wyatt

Honors Theses

Cleft palate is a common craniofacial birth defect that arises when the molecular and morphogenetic events guiding secondary palate formation lose coordination during a narrow developmental window. In mice, successful palatogenesis requires the paired palatal shelves to grow vertically, elevate above the tongue, and fuse at the midline; disruption of any of these steps can result in clefting. Two important regulators of this process are canonical Wnt signaling and the transcription factor Pax9, both of which contribute to normal palatal mesenchymal growth and patterning during early development. This paper first examines whether altered Dkk1/Wnt signaling contributes to the Pax9-null palate …

Using The Flexon Approach To Rnai To Identify Essential Genes That Affect Gonadal Development In C. Elegans, Joyce S. Lefevers

Undergraduate Theses

To elucidate the molecular role of essential genes in the gonadal development of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) it is necessary to utilize specialized molecular techniques such that the phenotypic effects of gene knockdown can be studied while the viability of the organism is preserved. Shaffer and Greenwald (2022) developed the floxed exon (flexon), a tool that improves upon previous approaches to spatiotemporal control of gene expression. The flexon subunit is made up of an artificial exon with a stop cassette flanked by artificial introns which, when inserted into a gene of interest, prevents the expression of that gene. …

Quantification Of Mouse Tracheal Epithelial Cell Differentiation With Cilia Defects, Olivia V. Allen

Honors Thesis

Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is an autosomal recessive disorder that affects 1 in every 7,500 live births. PCD results from motile cilia defects, impairing mucociliary clearance and causing chronic respiratory infections. Our lab studies include three PCD mouse lines — bgh (Spef2), nm1054 (Cfap221), and Cfap54^gt/gt (Cfap54). Prior transcriptomic data led us to hypothesize that PCD mutant mouse tracheal epithelial cells (MTECs) exhibit reduced differentiation into ciliated cells. MTECs from the trachea of the Wild Type (WT) and the PCD mutant mouse lines were cultured at an Air Liquid Interface (ALI) to start …

Impact Of One Nucleotide On Organ Enumeration And Phyllotaxy In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Hazel R. Frans, Tara Phelps-Durr

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Arabidopsis thaliana is a model organism used by scientists to study plant genetics, development, and physiology. CRISPR-Cas9 is a biotechnology tool adapted from a bacterial defense mechanism to precisely edit DNA using a guide mRNA and a Cas9 protein. This project aims to create CRISPR-CAS9 mutations in the APETALA3 (AP3) gene of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. AP3 is a class B gene critical to the petal and stamen development of Arabidopsis flowers. The AP3 protein contains a MADS domain, which binds directly to DNA and may be responsible for the expression of the CaRG-box genes. AP3 works in conjunction …

Comparing Gngt1 Expression In Eye Tissue Of Polymorphic Salamander Species Through Development, Fiona Coulbourne, Camila Cardozo, Macarena Machado, Ruben Tovar

Posters - 2026

The effect of the environment on organisms and their adaptations is widely studied. When exposed to different environmental niches, phenotypic adaptation is observed even within species. Animals that live in dark cave environments show a loss of their eyesight, since this sense is no longer useful to keep. Previous research has studied salamanders of the clade Eurycea and compared gene expression to subterranean and surface phenotypes1. E.pterophila is observed to express these two phenotypes depending on its environment, either Preserve Cave (subterranean) or Comal Springs (surface). Subterranean variant shows reduced eye volume and assumes to have decreased eyesight. Utilizing RNASeq …

Assessing Differential Expression In Skin Of Surface Versus Subterranean Salamanders (Eurycea) Through Development, Chiara Angelyn Maldonado, Van Nguyen, Amy Torres

Posters - 2026

In salamanders, previous findings have shown that subterranean environments impose different selection pressures on sensory systems than surface environments do (1). Differences in ocular development between phenotypes is part of ongoing research to better understand the evolutionary and molecular underpinnings. Studies have shown that parallel ocular development occurred in subterranean and surface phenotypes, while pax6 expression decreased in latter stages of development of subterranean species (2). These insights of gene labeling and expression as well as reduction of ocular structures in latter stages of development provide a stage for understanding evolutionary processes and genetic mechanisms as well as having potential …

Epigenetic Mechanisms For Mediating The Transmission Of Prenatal Maternal Stress And Associated Neurodevelopmental Outcomes, Kaylee Vis

Senior Honors Theses

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the primary stress response system responsible for regulating cortisol release. During pregnancy, maternal stress can dysregulate the HPA axis, leading to elevated cortisol and corticosterone levels that impact fetal development. Excessive prenatal exposure to stress has been associated with alterations in fetal brain structure and function, increasing the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety. Emerging research supports the idea that these neurodevelopmental effects may be transmitted through epigenetic mechanisms. However, a gap remains in the literature regarding the specific mechanism of interaction between environmental stressors, heritable epigenetic information, …