Developmental Biology Commons^™

Lateral Line Analogue Aids Vision In Successful Predator Evasion For The Brief Squid, Lolliguncula Brevis, Carly A. York, Ian K. Bartol

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cephalopods have visual and mechanoreception systems that may be employed to sense and respond to an approaching predator. While vision presumably plays the dominant role, the importance of the lateral line analogue for predator evasion has not been examined in cephalopods. To test the respective roles of vision and the lateral line analogue, brief squid, Lolliguncula brevis, were observed in the presence of summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, under light and dark conditions with their lateral line analogue intact and ablated. Hair cell ablation was achieved through a pharmacological technique used for the first time on a cephalopod. The …

Vitamin A Deficiency Causes Ovulation Abnormalities In Mice, Rebecca Ursin

DePaul Discoveries

Retinoic acid (RA) is an active metabolite of vitamin A (VA) and is involved in tissue organization, patterning, and growth. RA has been shown to regulate male reproduction, however information on its role in ovary development is limited. To investigate the functions of RA in the ovary, we examined its role in ovary development and ovulation using an in vivo dietary VA-deprivation animal model. Our preliminary results have shown that VA deficiency causes a variety of ovarian pathologies, including reduced numbers of total follicles and corpus lutea, formation of hemorrhagic and atretic follicles, and formation of bursa and follicular cysts. …

Transcriptome Analysis Of Sea Lamprey Embryogenesis, Zakary Ilya Yermolenko

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) has survived throughout evolution for hundreds of millions of years. It is considered an invasive species to the Great Lakes that has caused dramatic changes in the ecosystem for fish communities resulting in the collapse of a fishing industry that was previously valued at billions of dollars. Successful management of the sea lamprey is essential to a sustainable fishing industry and biodiversity. Therefore sea lamprey embryos were studied at various stages of development by growing them in a simulated habitat. RNAs from adult female ovaries and embryos at different time points during embryogenesis …

Investigating The Co-Regulatory Role Of Midline And Extramacrochaetae In Regulating Eye Development And Vision In Drosophila Melanogaster, Lillian M. Forstall

Honors Theses

The Honors thesis research focused on the roles of extramacrochaetae and midline in regulating eye development and the vision of Drosophila melanogaster. It is known from previous studies that extramacrochaetae (emc) and midline (mid) independently regulate the formation of ommatidial units in the Drosophila compound eye. However, the thesis focuses on the interaction of these two genes and their co-dependent roles in regulating eye development. This study also attempts to explain the recovered formation of ommatidial units and interommatidial bristles when the expression of both of these genes is reduced and whether flies doubly mutant …

Transcriptomic Insights Into The Diplontic Life History Of Diatoms, Colton Richard Kessenich

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An organism's life cycle is the direct result of its evolutionary history and represents a fundamental aspect of its ancestry and ecology. Yet the process of linking alternating life-history stages has proven to be challenging, if not impossible in some cases. Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) are no exception to this challenge, and their diversity of life stages and reproductive strategies add further challenges. A central focus of diatom research has been to unravel the evolutionary events that led to their extraordinary diversity, a line of inquiry that has been greatly aided by the availability of next-generation sequence data. Yet without proper taxonomic …

Characterization Of Ftsa-Ftsn Interaction During Escherichia Coli Cell Division, [email protected] K. Busiek

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Division of a bacterial cell into two equal daughter cells requires precise assembly and constriction of the division machinery, or divisome. The Escherichia coli divisome includes nearly a dozen essential cell division proteins that assemble at midcell between segregating sister chromosomes. FtsZ, a homolog of eukaryotic tubulin, is the first essential cell division protein to localize at midcell where it polymerizes into a ring-shaped scaffold (Z ring). Establishment of the Z ring is required for recruitment of downstream cell division proteins including FtsA, a cytoplasmic protein that tethers the Z ring to the inner membrane. Following localization of FtsA and …

P53 Maintains Hepatic Cell Identity During Liver Regeneration, Zeynep Hande Coban Akdemir

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

p53 MAINTAINS HEPATIC CELL IDENTITY DURING LIVER REGENERATION

Zeynep Hande Coban Akdemir, B.S.,M.A.

Advisory Professor: Michelle Craig Barton, Ph.D.

p53 is a tumor suppressor that has been well studied in tumor-derived, cultured cells. However, its functions in normal proliferating cells and tissues are generally overlooked. We propose that p53 functions during the G1-S transition can be studied in normal, differentiated cells during surgery-induced liver regeneration. Two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) of mouse liver offers a unique model to compare p53 functions in regenerating versus sham (control) cells. My hypothesis is that intersection of global expression analyses (microarray and RNA sequencing) and …

Regulation Of Mammary Gland Development And Tumorigenesis By 14-3-3 Zeta, Sumaiyah Rehman

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Signaling pathways that play critical roles in organ development are often aberrantly regulated during cancer initiation and progression. 14-3-3z is overexpressed in more than 40% of breast cancers and is associated with poor patient prognosis. Therefore, the function of 14-3-3z in cancer and normal mammary gland development was investigated utilizing multiple in vivo and in vitro approaches. 14-3-3z is a chaperone protein that interacts with a multitude of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, thereby functioning as a critical node in multiple oncogenic signaling networks. Mammary gland-specific 14-3-3z transgenic mouse models showed that 14-3-3z overexpression was sufficient to induce mammary tumorigenesis. …

The Grass Shrimp, Palaemonetes, Pugio: Hypoxic Influences On Embryonic Development, Christensen C. Javier

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Grass shrimp,Palaemonetes pugio, can survive in brackish waters and estuarine ecosystems despite the frequent oscillations and fluctuations in salinity, temperature and oxygen. AdultP. pugiohave the ability to osmoregulate (Romney and Reiber 2011), change cardiac parameters to tolerate temperatures (not yet published, Mika and Reiber) and oxyregulate (Guadagnoli and Reiber 2013). Manipulation of cardiac parameters allows for these methods of regulation. However, cardiac contraction and internal convection of oxygen do not occur until later stages of embryonic development. Studies focused on these morphological and physiological advantages may provide further understanding of the regulatory mechanisms within grass shrimp embryos, larvae and adults. …

Photobiostimulation In C. Elegans As A Model For Low Level Light Therapy, Michael J. Spoto, Daryl D. Hurd

Science Scholars

Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is a developing therapeutic technique that has been gaining recognition in the scientific community in recent years. Previous experiments performed in LLLT research projects have been primarily mammalian and cell culture based. These experiments have produced results showing accelerated tissue repair. In this experiment, we introduce a new model, Caenorhabitidis elegans, a free-living soil nematode, to be used in LLLT research by testing the effects of exposure of the organism to various wavelengths and intensities of light commonly used in LLLT. C. elegans was shown to respond to photobiostimulation when exposed to specific wavelengths of …

A Central Role For Vimentin In Regulating Repair Function During Healing Of The Lens Epithelium, A. S. Menko, B. M. Bleaken, A. A. Libowitz, L. Zhang, Mary Ann Stepp, J. L. Walker

Anatomy and Regenerative Biology Faculty Publications

Mock cataract surgery provides a unique ex vivo model for studying wound repair in a clinically relevant setting. Here wound healing involves a classical collective migration of the lens epithelium, directed at the leading edge by an innate mesenchymal subpopulation of vimentin-rich repair cells. We report that vimentin is essential to the function of repair cells as the directors of the wound-healing process. Vimentin and not actin filaments are the predominant cytoskeletal elements in the lamellipodial extensions of the repair cells at the wound edge. These vimentin filaments link to paxillin-containing focal adhesions at the lamellipodial tips. Microtubules are involved …

The Characterization Of Pb2+ Toxicity In Rat Neural Development: An Assessment Of Pb2+ Effects On The Gaba Shift In Neural Networks And Implications For Learning And Memory Disruption, Lorenz Simon Neuwirth

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The toxic effects of Pb2+ on the developing rat nervous system has been investigated to assess early developmental GABAergic disruption and its implications with altering inhibitory learning and memory. This goal was achieved using a multi-systems approach: blood lead levels (clinical physiology), qRT-PCR (molecular genetics), brain and primary neuronal culture immunology (immunohistochemical and cellular approaches), physiological cellular components (synaptosomes and protein expression) and finally through learning and memory assessment with GABA mimetic drug manipulations in the intact animal (behavioral pharmacology). The influence of a 956ppm Pb2+ gestational diet (i.e. from birth to sacrifice) resulted in pup mean blood lead levels …

The Sex Of The Cell Dictates Its Response, Carlos Ganesh Penaloza

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Male and female differences in frequency of occurrence in disease have perplexed scientists for some time. This in part derives from limitations in the systems in which one can evaluate sex differences. At the organismal level, differences can be hidden by a myriad of extensive and complex factors. Additional limitations exist since most biomedical studies are performed almost exclusively on male subjects, as the female hormonal milieu is intrinsically more variable and too troublesome for routine inclusion in research protocols. Research documenting sex differences continues to grow, and while most researchers suggests that sex hormones are at the core of …

Identification And Characterization Of Protein Phopshatases Regulating The Sma/Mab Pathway In C. Elegans, Sheng Xiong

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

TGF-beta signaling is a conserved signaling pathway among eukaryotes, which controls various normal cellular responses from cell proliferation to cell death. The mutations in its components are found in developmental disorders and cancer. Therefore, this signaling pathway is extensively investigated so that new therapeutic targets could be discovered and novel drugs could be developed. Previous studies suggested the involvement of phosphatases in regulation of TGF-beta signaling, but these studies were performed in cell culture rather than intact organisms. C. elegans is a tractable organism in which to study signaling in vivo. In C. elegans, growth is controled by a conserved …

Protein 14-3-3 (Ywha) Isoforms And Their Roles In Regulating Mouse Oocyte Maturation, Santanu De

Biology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

The 14-3-3 (YWHA) is a highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed protein family regulating important cellular processes including cell cycle. This work, for the first time, explored the differential expression and roles of 14-3-3 isoforms during mouse oocyte maturation.

All seven mammalian 14-3-3 isoforms were identified in mouse eggs and ovarian follicular cells including oocytes, by Western blotting. Immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the presence of all 14-3-3 isoforms in oocytes, eggs and ovarian follicles with characteristic similarities and differences in their distributions.

Mammalian oocytes are arrested at meiosis prophase I by an inhibitory phosphorylation on Cyclin-Dependent Kinase I (CDK1), released by …

Clinical Features And Outcome Of Sporadic Colorectal Carcinoma In Young Patients: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From A Developing Country, Muhammad Nauman Zahir, Eisha Mahpara Azhar, Sobia Rafiq, Kulsoom Ghias, Munira Shabbir-Moosajee

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: Early onset colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is rare and has been hypothesized to be a biologically and clinically distinct entity personifying aggressive disease and worse survival.
Methods: Data for 131 patients was collected by retrospective chart review. Cox proportional hazard model was used to compute prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
Results: Early onset sporadic CRC accounted for 32% of all CRC treated in the specified time period. The mean age was 33.3 ± 7.9 years and the male to female ratio was 2 : 1. Colon and rectal cancers accounted for 55% and 45% of patients, respectively. 96% of …

Nel Positively Regulates The Genesis Of Retinal Ganglion Cells By Promoting Their Differentiation And Survival During Development, Chizu Nakamoto, Soh-Leh Kuan, Amy Findlay, Elaine Durward, Zhufeng Ouyang, Masaru Nakamoto, Ewa Zakrewska, Takuma Endo

Biology Faculty Publications

For correct functioning of the nervous system, the appropriate number and complement of neuronal cell types must be produced during development. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the production of individual classes of neurons are poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the function of the thrombospondin-1–like glycoprotein, Nel (neural epidermal growth factor [EGF]-like), in the generation of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in chicks. During eye development, Nel is strongly expressed in the presumptive retinal pigment epithelium and RGCs. Nel overexpression in the developing retina by in ovo electroporation increases the number of RGCs, whereas the number of displaced amacrine …

Paracrine-Rescued Lobulogenesis In Chimeric Outgrowths Comprising Progesterone-Receptor-Null Mammary Epithelium And Redirected Wild-Type Testicular Cells, Robert D. Bruno, Corinne A. Boulanger, Sonia M. Rosenfield, Lisa H. Anderson, John P. Lydon, Gilbert H. Smith

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

We have previously shown that non-mammary and tumorigenic cells can respond to the signals of the mammary niche and alter their cell fate to that of mammary epithelial progenitor cells. Here we tested the hypothesis that paracrine signals from mammary epithelial cells expressing progesterone receptor (PR) are dispensable for redirection of testicular cells, and that re-directed wild-type testicular-derived mammary cells can rescue lobulogenesis of PR-null mammary epithelium by paracrine signaling during pregnancy. We injected PR-null epithelial cells mixed with testicular cells from wild-type adult male mice into cleared fat-pads of recipient mice. The testicular cells were redirected in vivo to …

Myo/Nog Cells: Targets For Preventing The Accumulation Of Skeletal Muscle-Like Cells In The Human Lens, Jacquelyn Gerhart, M. Greenbaum, V. Scheinfeld, P. Fitzgerald, M. Crawford, Arturo Bravo Nuevo, M. Pitts, Mindy George-Weinstein

PCOM Scholarly Works

Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is a vision impairing condition that arises in some patients following cataract surgery. The fibrotic form of PCO is caused by myofibroblasts that may emerge in the lens years after surgery. In the chick embryo lens, myofibroblasts are derived from Myo/Nog cells that are identified by their expression of the skeletal muscle specific transcription factor MyoD, the bone morphogenetic protein inhibitor Noggin, and the epitope recognized by the G8 monoclonal antibody. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that depletion of Myo/Nog cells will prevent the accumulation of myofibroblasts in human lens tissue. …

The Postsynaptic Regulation Of Synaptic Strength In Drosophila, Daniel Michael Gertner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Postsynaptic Ca2+ plays an important role in synaptic homeostasis and synaptic plasticity. Postsynaptic Ca2+ signals have been shown to regulate synaptic transmission at the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ), however, these signals have not been well characterized. This will explore how these signals regulate synaptic strength and what channels are involved. In previous lab experiments Ca2+ transients were observed during evoked and spontaneous release (Desai and Lnenicka, 2011). It was further demonstrated that a reduction in synaptic strength occurs following synaptic stimulation. It was hypothesized that the increase in postsynaptic Ca2+ following synaptic stimulation activates the gCS and causes a …