Genetics Commons^™

Role Of Sirna Pathway In Epigenetic Modifications Of The Drosophila Melanogaster X Chromosome, Nikita Deshpande

Wayne State University Dissertations

Eukaryotic genomes are organized into large domains of coordinated regulation. The role of small RNAs in formation of these domains is largely unexplored. An extraordinary example of domain-wide regulation is X chromosome compensation in Drosophila melanogaster males. This process occurs by hypertranscription of genes on the single male X chromosome. Extensive research in this field has shown that the Male Specific Lethal (MSL) complex binds X-linked genes and modifies chromatin to increase expression. The components of this complex, and their actions on chromatin, are well studied. In contrast, the mechanism that results in exclusive recruitment to the X chromosome is …

Missing Heritability And Novel Germline Risk Loci In Hereditary Ovarian Cancer: Insights From Whole Exome Sequencing And Functional Analyses, Jaime Lyn Stafford

Wayne State University Dissertations

While 25% of ovarian cancer (OVCA) cases are due to inherited factors, most of the genetic risk remains unexplained. This study addressed this gap by identifying previously undescribed OVCA risk loci through the whole exome sequencing (WES) of 48 BRCA1/BRCA2 wild type women diagnosed with OVCA, selected for high risk of genetic inheritance. Five clearly pathogenic variants were identified in this sample, four of which are in two genes featured on current multi-gene panels; (RAD51D, ATM). In addition, a high impact variant in FANCM (R1931*) was identified. FANCM has been recently implicated in familial breast cancer risk but is not …

Conservation Genetics Of Green Salamanders (Aneides Aeneus), Katherine Dooley

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Environmental Dna Analysis Of An Obligate Subterranean Shrimp, Jennifer S. Nix

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Snd1-Targeted Gene Therapy For Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Bryan D. Mckiver

Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcal nuclease and tudor-domain containing 1 (SND1) is an oncogene for a wide variety of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). SND1 is a multifunctional protein regulating gene expression of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, making SND1 a prime target for developing cancer therapeutics. This notion is especially attributed to HCC as most patients are diagnosed in advanced stages and the therapeutic options available for these patients are severely limited. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of a replication-defective adenovirus vector delivering SND1 shRNA (Ad.SND1sh) to human HCC cell lines, HepG3, HuH-7, and Hep3B. Adenovirus infection in HCC cells …

Natural And Anthropogenic Drivers Of Tree Evolutionary Dynamics, Brandon M. Lind

Theses and Dissertations

Species of trees inhabit diverse and heterogeneous environments, and often play important ecological roles in such communities. As a result of their vast ecological breadth, trees have become adapted to various environmental pressures. In this dissertation I examine various environmental factors that drive evolutionary dynamics in threePinusspecies in California and Nevada, USA. In chapter two, I assess the role of management influence of thinning, fire, and their interaction on fine-scale gene flow within fire-suppressed populations of Pinus lambertiana, a historically dominant and ecologically important member of mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, California. Here, I find evidence …

การจำแนกลักษณะทางโมเลกุลของเชื้อ Escherichia Coli ที่สร้างเอนไซม์ Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases ที่แยกได้จากสุกรและประชากรในอำเภอเมือง จังหวัดลำพูน, จักรพงษ์ สีนามะ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ปัจจุบันพบเชื้อ Escherichia coli ที่สร้างเอนไซม์ extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) แพร่กระจายในชุมชนอย่างกว้างขวาง เชื้อแบคทีเรียดังกล่าวสามารถพบได้ว่าเป็นเชื้อประจำถิ่นในลำไส้ของคน และสัตว์ รวมไปถึงสามารถพบได้ในสิ่งแวดล้อมทั่วไป ซึ่งอาจกลายเป็นแหล่งเก็บกักเชื้อแบคทีเรียดื้อสารต้านจุลชีพ ที่สามารถแพร่กระจายในชุมชนต่างๆ ทั่วโลก การศึกษาครั้งนี้ทำการจำแนกลักษณะทางโมเลกุลของเชื้อ E. coli ที่สร้างเอนไซม์ ESBL ซึ่งแยกได้จากสุกรในฟาร์มปศุสัตว์และประชากรในชุมชน ในพื้นที่อำเภอเมือง จังหวัดลำพูน เพื่อศึกษารูปแบบของยีนที่ควบคุมการสร้างเอนไซม์ ESBL และศึกษาหาความสัมพันธ์ของเชื้อในกลุ่มตัวอย่างทั้งสอง เชื้อ E. coli ที่สร้างเอนไซม์ ESBL จำนวนทั้งสิ้น 212 สายพันธุ์ แยกได้จากอุจจาระของสุกรและประชากรที่มีสุขภาพดี และทำการจำแนกยีนที่ควบคุมการสร้างเอนไซม์ ESBL ได้แก่ ยีน blaCTX-M ยีน blaTEM และยีน blaSHV ด้วยเทคนิค multiplex-PCR และเทคนิค whole genome sequencing และศึกษาความสัมพันธ์ของเชื้อ E. coli ที่สร้างเอนไซม์ ESBL ที่แยกได้จากทั้งสองกลุ่มตัวอย่างด้วยเทคนิค multilocus sequence typing ผลการศึกษาพบว่าเชื้อ E. coli ที่สร้างเอนไซม์ ESBL ส่วนใหญ่เป็นเชื้อดื้อยาหลายขนาน และมักดื้อยากลุ่ม fluoroquinolones ยากลุ่ม aminoglycosides และยา trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole ในขณะที่เชื้อทุกสายพันธุ์ดื้อต่อยา ampicillin ยา ceftriaxone และยา cefotaxime ยีนที่ควบคุมการสร้างเอนไซม์ ESBL ที่พบมากที่สุดได้แก่ ยีน blaCTX-M ซึ่งพบได้ 95.75% รองลงมาคือยีน blaTEM และยีน blaSHV พบได้ 62.73% และ 2.40% ตามลำดับ โดย subgroup ของยีนที่ควบคุมการสร้างเอนไซม์ ESBL ที่พบมากที่สุด ได้แก่ ยีน blaCTX-M-55 …

The Transcriptional Response Of Trametes Versicolor To Growth On Maple Chips And Miscanthus Straw, Maha Alanazi

Masters Theses

This thesis research explored the transcriptional response of Trametes versicolor, a white-rot fungus, in response to fundamentally different types of lignocellulosic biomass (miscanthus and maple) and rich medium (malt extract agar). After five weeks of growth by the fungus on the biomass, the fungal RNA was extracted from three biological replicates per biomass type and mRNA was sequenced (approximately 30 million reads per sample). The reads were processed using ArrayStar to covert to RPKM and annotated using JGI's T. versicolor GO annotation file along with NCBI's BLAST. Comparisons were made between average gene expression of the fungus grown on …

Wild-Type P53 Enhances Endothelial Barrier Function By Mediating Rac1 Signalling And Rhoa Inhibition, Nektarios Barabutis, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Betsy Gregory, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Inflammation is the major cause of endothelial barrier hyper-permeability, associated with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. This study reports that p53 "orchestrates" the defence of vascular endothelium against LPS, by mediating the opposing actions of Rac1 and RhoA in pulmonary tissues. Human lung microvascular endothelial cells treated with HSP90 inhibitors activated both Rac1- and P21-activated kinase, which is an essential element of vascular barrier function. 17AAG increased the phosphorylation of both LIMK and cofilin, in contrast to LPS which counteracted those effects. Mouse lung microvascular endothelial cells exposed to LPS exhibited decreased expression of phospho-cofilin. 17AAG treatment …

The Genome Of Austrofundulus Limnaeus Offers Insights Into Extreme Vertebrate Stress Tolerance And Embryonic Development, Josiah Tad Wagner, Param Priya Singh, Amie L. Romney, Claire L. Riggs, Patrick Minx, Steven Cody Woll, Jake Roush, Wesley C. Warren, Anne Brunet, Jason E. Podrabsky

Center for Life in Extreme Environments Publications

Background: The annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus inhabits ephemeral ponds in northern Venezuela, South America, and is an emerging extremophile model for vertebrate diapause, stress tolerance, and evolution. Embryos of A. limnaeus regularly experience extended periods of desiccation and anoxia as a part of their natural history and have unique metabolic and developmental adaptations. Currently, there are limited genomic resources available for gene expression and evolutionary studies that can take advantage of A. limnaeus as a unique model system.

Results: We describe the first draft genome sequence of A. limnaeus. The genome was assembled de novo using a merged assembly strategy …

Crispr Genetic Editing: Paths For Christian Acceptance And Analysis Of In Vivo And In Vitro Efficiency, Mandeep Sandhu

Scripps Senior Theses

With advancements in CRISPR-cas9 broadening the potential paths for clinical usage of genetic editing, conversations about genetic editing have grown to outside simply scientific communities and into mainstream conversations. This study focuses specifically on Christian discourse of genetic editing and locates four major tensions for many Christians when they think about genetic editing: beginning of life, Creator-human relationship, imago Dei, and stewardship. With these major concerns in mind, I identify epigenetics, somatic cell genetic editing, and in vivo genetic editing research as important research paths to pursue as they can potentially produce techniques that more Christian individuals would feel comfortable …

Movement In Cats, Valerie N. Plummer

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Feral cats (Felis catus) are listed as one of the '100 world's worst invasive alien species'. There are as many as 70-100 million feral cats in the United States as well as an estimated 117-157 million domestic indoor and outdoor cats. Management efforts include a nonlethal feeding and sterilization program known as "trap-neuter-release" (TNR) where cats are surgically sterilized and returned to the environment. Population size and structure, immigration rates, spay/neuter rates, and data on spatial use all play a role in whether TNR is a viable management option. This study focuses on population structure and spatial use. …

Increased Fxyd1 And Pgc-1Α Mrna After Blood Flow-Restricted Running Is Related To Fibre Type-Specific Ampk Signalling And Oxidative Stress In Human Muscle, Danny Christiansen, Robyn M. Murphy, Christos G. Stathis, David Bishop

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim: This study explored the effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) on mRNA responses of PGC-1α (total, 1α1, and 1α4) and Na+,K+-ATPase isoforms (NKA; α1-3, β1-3, and FXYD1) to an interval running session and determined whether these effects were related to increased oxidative stress, hypoxia, and fibre type-specific AMPK and CaMKII signalling, in human skeletal muscle. Methods: In a randomized, crossover fashion, 8 healthy men (26 ± 5 year and 57.4 ± 6.3 mL kg−1 min−1) completed 3 exercise sessions: without (CON) or with blood flow restriction (BFR), or in systemic hypoxia (HYP, ~3250 m). A muscle sample was collected …

Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes And Imbalance In Angiogenic Growth Mediators And Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Is Associated With Advanced Maternal Age Births: A Prospective Cohort Study In Ghana, Enoch Odame Anto, William K. Owiredu, Samuel A. Sakyi, Cornelius A. Turpin, Richard K. Ephraim, Linda A. Fondjo, Christian Obirikorang, Eric Adua, Emmanuel Acheampong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background Advanced maternal age (AMA) has been associated with negative pregnancy outcomes. Oxidative stress (OS) and defective placental dysfunction are contributing factors. This study determined the association between AMA and adverse pregnancy outcomes, OS biomarkers and angiogenic growth mediators (AGMs) in normal pregnancies. Methods This prospective cohort study conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) Department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) finally included 175 normal pregnant women comprising, 58 AMA (35–45 years), 55 (30–34 years) and 62 optimal childbearing age (20–29 years). Venous blood samples were collected at 28–32 weeks for soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), placental growth …

Effects Of Gli-Similar 3 Knockout Mutations On The Expression Of Insulin Transcription And Pancreatic Islet Development In Zebrafish, Dylan James Hammrich

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Blood glucose homeostasis is a critical component in the physiological health of vertebrates. Regulation of blood glucose levels is the responsibility of the endocrine pancreas, which excretes hormones to the bloodstream in response to changes in glucose concentrations. The hormones excreted from the pancreas include insulin, which is secreted form the β cells of the pancreas and signals uptake of excess glucose by the peripheral tissues, and glucagon, which is secreted from the α cells and signals release of glucose to the bloodstream through gluconeogenesis in the liver. The Krüppel-like zinc finger protein Gli-Similar 3 (Glis3) is a transcription factor …

Life On The Edge: Risk Of Predation Drives Selection Of Habitat And Survival Of Neonates In Endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, Shannon Forshee

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Long-term viability of endangered populations requires development of effective management strategies that target the population vital rate with the highest potential to influence population trajectories. When adult survival is high and stable, juvenile recruitment is the vital rate with the greatest potential to improve population trajectories. For my thesis I examined how lactating Sierra Nevada Bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis sierra) balance forage and predation risk during the neonatal period. I first identified resource selection strategies employed by lactating females to promote survival of neonates and then determined the primary factors affecting survival of neonates. I found lactating females selected for …

2018 Annual Report, Christopher C. Witt

Annual Reports

In 2018, the Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) has continued to improve its profile and impacts, both on the University of New Mexico campus and in the international scientific community. Its collections serve as scientific infrastructure that enhances research, teaching, community service, and public outreach. The MSB is part of the UNM Department of Biology, and the missions of the MSB and the Department are synergistic. MSB houses extensive and rapidly growing collections representing biodiversity of world, primarily from the last halfcentury. MSB has outstanding collections from New Mexico and western North America, but it also has substantial holdings from …

Molecular And Evolutionary Analysis Of Cyanobacterial Taxonomic Methods, Chelsea Denise Villanueva

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cyanobacteria are a group of photo-oxygenic bacteria found in nearly every ecosystem, but much cyanobacterial diversity, in various habitats, has yet to be explored. Cyanobacteria are often conspicuous components of photosynthetic flora, providing significant carbon and nitrogen inputs to surrounding systems. As possible primary colonizers of stone substrates not native to this region, cyanobacteria isolated from headstones may provide biogeographically informative data. An exploratory study of lichen-dominated microbial consortia, growing on headstones, was conducted to isolate and identify novel microaerophytic cyanobacteria, and resulted in the establishment of four novel cyanobacterial taxa. Phylogenetic analyses of photobionts in one tripartite lichen revealed …

Conservation And Variation Of Dna Methylation In Lactuca Sativa And Lactuca Serriola, Trudi A. Baker

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Molecular techniques for guiding plant breeding have successfully used wild progenitors of domestic crops as sources of genetic variants conveying desirable traits. However, epigenetic variation, in particular DNA methylation, is a significant source of phenotypic variation and epigenetic effects of plant domestication are poorly understood. Described herein are the first single-base pair resolution methylomes of the highly valued crop iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. Salinas) and its close relative, and ubiquitous weed, L. serriola. This work suggests several roles for acquisition and inheritance of methylation in the evolution of Lactuca spp. in response to stress. The Lactuca spp. have conserved …

The Ability Of Different Imputation Methods To Preserve The Significant Genes And Pathways In Cancer, Rosa Aghdam, Taban Baghfalaki, Pegah Khosravi, Elnaz Saberi Ansari

Publications and Research

Deciphering important genes and pathways from incomplete gene expression data could facilitate a better understanding of cancer. Different imputation methods can be applied to estimate the missing values. In our study, we evaluated various imputation methods for their performance in preserving significant genes and pathways. In the first step, 5% genes are considered in random for two types of ignorable and non-ignorable missingness mechanisms with various missing rates. Next, 10 well-known imputation methods were applied to the complete datasets. The significance analysis of microarrays (SAM) method was applied to detect the significant genes in rectal and lung cancers to showcase …