Developmental Biology Commons^™

Investigating The Roles Of Δnp63 As A Suppressor Of Migration, Invasion, And Metastasis, Ramon E. Flores Gonzalez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death and disease in the world. Considerable resources are spent to study and understand cancer, with the hope of developing new treatments and eventually cures that will help millions of people. Efforts to understand cancer are hindered by its inherent complexity and instability. Nonetheless, understanding the basics of tumor development and progression are the key to focused on studying the role of ΔNp63 in cancer, a p53 family member known to be involved in epithelial development, microRNA biogenesis, and stem cell maintenance. Using the strength of in vivo mouse models, we found …

Dichotomous Key To Pea Aphid (Acyrthosiphon Pisum) Apterous Parthenogenic Instars, Bates College Department Of Biology, Daisy Diamond, Daniel Levitis

SCARAB Data Repository

We provide a dichotomous key, with photographs and illustrations, for distinguishing between instars of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) in the developmental pathway leading to the apterous parthenogenetic adult. Lengths of body, antenna and cauda are provided for a sample of each instar.

Microrna-Target Interactions In Embryonic Stem Cells, Shuang Wu

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Animal embryogenesis is a highly orchestrated process involving many geneexpression programs that determine specific fates of individual cells during development. Gene expression can be regulated at different stages such as at transcription initiation or mRNA stability, and microRNA-mediated gene regulation is a crucial pathway on the regulation of mRNA stability. microRNAs, or miRNAs, are small, conserved non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. The mouse miR-290-295 cluster and its human homolog miR-371-373 are stem cell-specific miRNA clusters, and their expression can only be observed in early embryos, primordial germ cells, germ cell compartments of adult testis and embryonic stem …

Genetic Analysis Reveals A Hierarchy Of Interactions Between Polycystin-Encoding Genes And Genes Controlling Cilia Function During Left-Right Determination, Daniel T. Grimes, Jennifer L. Keynton, Maria T. Buenavista, Xingjian Jin, Saloni H. Patel, Shinohara Kyosuke, Jennifer Vibert, Debbie J. Williams, Hiroshi Hamada, Rohana Hussain, Surya M. Nauli, Dominic P. Norris

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

During mammalian development, left-right (L-R) asymmetry is established by a cilia-driven leftward fluid flow within a midline embryonic cavity called the node. This ‘nodal flow’ is detected by peripherally-located crown cells that each assemble a primary cilium which contain the putative Ca²⁺ channel PKD2. The interaction of flow and crown cell cilia promotes left side-specific expression of Nodal in the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM). Whilst the PKD2-interacting protein PKD1L1 has also been implicated in L-R patterning, the underlying mechanism by which flow is detected and the genetic relationship between Polycystin function and asymmetric gene expression remains unknown. Here, we …

The Role Of Daf-19 In Non-Ciliated Neurons: How Is Neural Development Regulated By Different Daf-19 Isoforms?, Zabdiel Ek Vazquez

Lawrence University Honors Projects

A degenerative disease-like phenotype, specifically reduction in synaptic protein levels in adult worms, is correlated with loss-of-function of the only RFX transcription factor gene, daf-19, in C. elegans. This gene encodes four known transcription factor isoforms, two of which are correlated with particular functions. The DAF-19C isoform activates genes responsible for cilia development, while DAF-19M is needed for cilia specification in males. A comparison of the transcriptome of daf-19 null and isogenic wild type adult worms suggests both positive and negative regulation of gene expression is correlated with the presence of DAF-19 proteins. We have assessed DAF-19 regulation …

Modelling The Polarization, Migration And Neuromast Deposition In The Zebrafish Posterior Lateral Line System, Hildur Knutsdottir

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Modeling Tracheal Occlusion In The Embryonic Lung, Uduak George

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Mechanics Of Early Retina And Lens Development In The Embryo, Alina Oltean

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Mechanical forces play an essential role in morphogenesis, the shaping of embryonic structures. This research focuses mainly on eye development, a problem that has been studied for decades using a variety of approaches. However, the mechanics of the early stages of eye formation remain incompletely understood.

The embryonic eyes begin as bilateral protrusions called optic vesicles (OVs) that grow outward from the anterior end of the brain tube. The optic vesicles contact and adhere to the overlying surface ectoderm (SE) via extracellular matrix (ECM). Then, both layers thicken in the region of contact to form the retinal and lens placodes, …

Embryonic And Post-Embryonic Hoxa13 Expression In The Four-Toed Salamander, Hemidactylium Scutatum., Breanna R. Lee

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The process of somitogenesis occurs during embryological development and results in the definition of persisting axial segments. The four toed salamander, Hemidactylium scutatum, exhibits post-embryonic segmentation while most other vertebrates stop segmentation at the end of embryological development. HoxA13, a transcription factor expressed along the developing anteroposterior axis, plays a role in specifying caudal segmental identity, cell ingression into the pre-somitic mesoderm (PSM), and PSM truncation. HoxA13’s responsibilities in influencing embryological development make it an interesting candidate for involvement in post-embryonic segment addition mechanisms. This study explores the role of HoxA13 in tail segmentation in H. scutatum embryonic, larval, …

Effect Of Bisphenol-A On Neurodevelopment In Drosophila Melanogaster Larvae, Alexandra M. Streifel

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

This paper examines the effects of the chemical preservative bisphenol-A on the developing nervous systems of Drosophila melanogaster, or fruit fly, larvae. This study examines the effects of bisphenol-A using both behavioral as well as morphological paradigms. It was determined that bisphenol-A significantly increased the amount of time larvae spent in seeking behavior, the number of peristaltic contractions, and the distance traveled in a linear fashion. In the morphological analysis, indications of increased dendritic area in experimental larvae existed, but there was not enough data to determine significance. For future research, it is recommended that more data be gathered to …

Child Abuse: What Is The Impact?, Nicole Goins, Delar Kour Singh

Celebration of Student Scholarship Poster Sessions Archive

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Reduced Calcium During Development In Snakes, Kaitlyn A. Mathis

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In squamate reptiles, the evolutionary transition from oviparity to viviparity is accompanied by loss of the calcareous outer eggshell, which suggests significant implications for the role of calcium during embryonic development (Packard et al., 1977). An experiment was designed to evaluate the impact of reduced calcium availability during development in the oviparous corn snake, Pantherophis guttatus (Stewart and Ecay, 2013). Results from that study showed significant decreases in the mass and length of hatchling corn snakes when the outer calcareous eggshell layer was removed during development. In vertebrates, variation in total body length reflects skeletal differences---primarily differences in the number …

The Uas-Gal4 System In D. Melanogaster: An Insight Into The Influence Of Micrornas On The Developmental Pathways Of The Wing, Emily R. Wilson

Honors Theses

By examining genetic pathways in D. melanogaster, a better understanding of the homologous regulatory mechanisms in humans can be utilized to further enhance knowledge of the roles of microRNA within development. This study utilizes the UAS-Gal4 system in order to produce a mutant phenotype capable of being visually studied and analyzed, focusing on the developmental pathway of the wing in D. melanogaster. Dissections of the wandering third instar larvae yielded wing disc tissue expressing the downregulation of loquacious and CG17386.

Integrative Taxonomy Of North American Torrent Mites (Parasitengona: Torrenticolidae: Torrenticola), Jon Ray Fisher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mites are notorious for being under-studied and incomplete knowledge of distribution, life-history, and morphology are commonplace. They typically gain attention through the relatively few pest species that plague our crops, pets, or bodies. Despite representing a successful radiation with an estimated 3–5 million species, relatively few mite lineages attract research attention from non-acarologists. However, the largest radiation of all mites—Parasitengona—has potential to bridge the gap between specialists and non-specialists. Parasitengona are the butterflies of the mite world. Obvious are the bright red mites searching for pollen on concrete, or the large, furry velvet mites coming out to mate after spring …

Development Of Vip-Sst Interneuron Associations In Mouse Neocortex And Entorhinal Cortex, Aayushi A. Mehta

Honors Scholar Theses

Cortical networks depend upon inhibition through the neurotransmitter GABA to control and coordinate specific spatiotemporal circuit patterns, underlying the exquisite complexity of neural signaling. Disinhibition, a form of inhibition where inhibitory neurons inhibit other inhibitory cells, further aids in amplifying local neural processing in a selective, organized manner. A subset of GABAergic interneurons, vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing (VIP) cells, preferentially inhibit somatostatin interneurons, which provide inhibitory input onto pyramidal cells, thus creating an archetypal circuit illustrating disinhibition in the cortex. The aim of this anatomical study was to investigate variations in GABAergic VIP synapses onto somatostatin-expressing inhibitory interneurons in mice at …

Programming Heart Disease: Does Poor Maternal Nutrition Alter Expression Of Cardiac Markers Of Proliferation, Hypertrophy, And Fibrosis In Offspring?, Cathy Chun

Honors Scholar Theses

Maternal malnutrition can affect fetal organogenesis, metabolic processes, and factors involved in developmental regulation. Of the many physiological effects poor maternal nutrition can induce in offspring, one of the most important organs affected is the heart. Cardiovascular disease has been associated with poor maternal diet. It also been suggested that hypertension can originate during impaired intrauterine growth and development. Hypertension can trigger hypertensive heart disease and is associated with numerous heart complications. We hypothesized that poor maternal nutrition would alter critical growth factors associated with normal heart development, specifically, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IGF-2, transforming growth factor (TGF)β, and connective …

Sex Ratio And Gamete Size Across Eastern North America In Dictyostelium Discoideum, A Social Amoeba With Three Sexes, Tracy Edwards Douglas, Joan E. Strassmann, David C. Queller

Biology Faculty Research

Theory indicates that numbers of mating types should tend towards infinity or remain at two. The social amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum, however, has three mating types. It is therefore a mystery how this species has broken the threshold of two mating types, but has not increased towards a much higher number. Frequency-dependent selection on rare types in combination with isogamy, a form of reproduction involving gametes similar in size, could explain the evolution of multiple mating types in this system. Other factors, such as drift, may be preventing the evolution of more than three. We first looked for evidence of …

Impact Of Stress Hormones And Iugr Fetal Conditions On Myoblast Function, Hannah E. Riley, Kristin A. Beede, Dustin T. Yates

UCARE: Research Products

Chronic fetal stress causes adaptive responses that result in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Maternal stressors including heat stress, illness, and obesity cause placental dysfunction that harshens the intrauterine environment by inducing hypoxia and nutrient restriction. IUGR fetuses have restricted growth through the last trimester and after birth. The objective of this study was to test the effects of stress hormones on myoblast proliferation rates. L6 cells and primary myoblasts that were isolated from IUGR fetal sheep in a previous study were used to study the effects of stress hormones on myoblast proliferation and myoblast gene expression. Incubation in epinephrine-spiked media …

Genome Engineering: Drosophila Melanogaster And Beyond, Kjt Venken, A Sarrion-Perdigones, Pj Vandeventer, Ns Abel, Ae Christiansen, Kl Hoffman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A central challenge in investigating biological phenomena is the development of techniques to modify genomic DNA with nucleotide precision that can be transmitted through the germ line. Recent years have brought a boon in these technologies, now collectively known as genome engineering. Defined genomic manipulations at the nucleotide level enable a variety of reverse engineering paradigms, providing new opportunities to interrogate diverse biological functions. These genetic modifications include controlled removal, insertion, and substitution of genetic fragments, both small and large. Small fragments up to a few kilobases (e.g., single nucleotide mutations, small deletions, or gene tagging at single or multiple …

K14+ Compound Niches Are Present On The Mouse Cornea Early After Birth And Expand After Debridement Wounds., Ahdeah Pajoohesh-Ganji, Sonali Pal-Ghosh, Gauri Tadvalkar, Mary Ann Stepp

Anatomy and Regenerative Biology Faculty Publications

Background: We previously identified compound niches (CNs) at the limbal:corneal border of the mouse cornea that contain corneal epithelial progenitor cells, express Keratin 8 (K8), and goblet cell mucin Muc5AC. During re-epithelialization after 2.5 mm epithelial debridement wounds, CNs migrate onto the cornea and expand in number mimicking conjunctivalization. When CNs form during development and whether they express corneal epithelial progenitor cell enriched K14 was not known.

Results: To provide insight into corneal epithelial homeostasis, we quantify changes in expression of simple (K8, K18, K19) and stratified squamous epithelial keratins (K5, K12, K14, and K15) during postnatal development and in …