Friday April 4th, 2014 Schedule of Events 11:00 am1:40 pm, Waggoner Hall 378 Oral Presentations Moderator: Dr. Shawn Meagher 11:30 am – 3:40 pm, Waggoner Hall 3rd Floor BGSA Annual Dessert Competition 2:00 pm3:50 pm Waggoner Hall, Third Floor Poster Session 4:00 pm5:00 pm, Waggoner Hall 378 Plenary Presentation The seedy side of plants: Plantfungal interactions in the soil seed bank of a tropical forest. Dr. Jim Dalling Tropical Ecologist University of Illinois 5:00 pm5:30 pm, Waggoner Hall 378 Award Ceremony
Transcript
Friday April 4th, 2014
Schedule of Events
11:00 am-‐1:40 pm, Waggoner Hall 378 Oral Presentations
Moderator: Dr. Shawn Meagher
11:30 am – 3:40 pm, Waggoner Hall 3rd Floor BGSA Annual Dessert Competition
2:00 pm-‐3:50 pm Waggoner Hall, Third Floor
Poster Session
4:00 pm-‐5:00 pm, Waggoner Hall 378 Plenary Presentation
The seedy side of plants: Plant-‐fungal interactions in the soil seed bank of a tropical forest. Dr. Jim Dalling
1) 11:00-‐11:20 am Jeffrey Liles, Sue Hum-‐Musser The Effect of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens on Helicoverpa zea
2) 11:20-‐11:40 am Terri Tobias, Andrea Porras-‐Alfaro, Sarah Hicks, Robert Sinsabaug, Katherine Suding Are All Seed Endophytes Beneficial For Plant Growth?
3) 11:40-‐12:00 pm Myrtha Pierre, Richard Musser Transcriptome Profile of Tomato Fruits in Response to Herbivory
4) 12:00-‐12:20 pm Desmond Osatuyi, Sue Hum-‐Musser Effect of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki and Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis on Corn Earworm Helicoverpa zea
5) 12:20-12:40 pm Michelle Golz, Charles Lydeard
Origins of the Freshwater Physid Snail Physa acuta and the Taxonomic Status of a Cave-Dwelling Species from Southwestern Illinois
6) 12:40-1:00 pm Keshab Kumar Mainali, Sue Hum-Musser Gene expression of the corn ear worm, Helicoverpa zea in response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens infection
7) 1:00-1:20 pm Jason Tuter, Zachary Gossage, Terri Tobias, Andrea Porras-Alfaro, Sue Hum-Musser,
Richard Musser Transcription Analysis Shows Differential Defense Response and Growth Regulation of Zea mays in Response to Phialocephala fortinii Symbiosis
8) 1:20-1:40 pm Scott Pinker, Jeff Engel
The Effects of Aging on Habituation in Drosphila
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Poster Presentations 2:00 pm-3:50 pm Waggoner Hall, Third Floor
9) Noland R. Deaver, Andrea Porras-‐Alfaro, Kenneth W. McCravy, and Cheryl R. Kuske A Survey of Entomopathogenic Fungi from a Temperate Forest Soil
10) Sarah Wilcer, Timothy Spier Know Your Enemy: A Study of Invasive Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Populations in Spring Lake
11) Jay A. VonBank, Andrew F. Casper, Heath M. Hagy, Aaron P. Yetter An Assessment of Aquatic Invasive Plants in the Illinois River: Water Hyacinth Surveillance, Mapping, Persistence, and Potential Seed Dispersal
12) Lydia Smith, Shawn Meagher The effect of “white grub” (Posthodiplostomum minimum) on snail fitness: castrator, or killer?
13) Katie LaMagdeleine, Ken McCravy Evaluating ground beetle species richness and community composition across a chronosequence of restored prairies at Nachusa Grasslands in Northern Illinois
14) Cory A Anderson, Rebekah L Haun, James T Lamer Diet analysis for native piscivorous fish species in the Upper Mississippi River to determine predation on invasive Asian carp larvae and eggs
15) Kara Chicoine, Eliese Potocek, Darrah Dunlap, Scott Holt Detection of Carbon Catabolite Repression in Leuconostoc
16) Brittany L. Havener, Catherine L. Miller-Hunt Dissecting The Signaling Pathways Associated With WT-MV/SLAM-Mediated Binding And Entry In Human Antigen-Presenting Cells
17) Katrina Sandona, Terri Tobias, Andrea Porras-Alfaro Fungi in a Drought: The diversity of thermophilic fungi in corn
18) Shane Mason, Shawn Meagher Does Anatomical Variation in White Grub (Posthodiplostomum minimum centrarchi) Suggest Unrecognized Species?
19) Lindsey M. Poore, Kenneth W. McCravy Nematode Parasitism of Orthopterans in Relation to Grassland Age and Host Species
20) James S. Zweep, Christopher N. Jacques, Sean E. Jenkins, James T. Lamer Evaluating cause-specific mortality, nest-site characteristics, and growth rates of smooth softshell turtles (Apalone mutica) in Illinois
21) Eli Lampo, Jim Lamer Aging Channel Catfish and Flathead Catfish in Pool’s 19 and 20 of the Mississippi River
22) Morgan Clark, Sue Hum-‐Musser The Effect of Ozone on Corn Germination
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23) Michael N. Mandru, Brian D. Peer Incipient Egg Mimicry by the Brood Parasitic Brown-headed Cowbird
24) Aleshia Johannsen, Maryam Al Maktruk, Andrea Porras-Alfaro
Diversity and Distribution of Yeasts in Arid Grasslands Soil
25) Rebekah L. Haun, Cory A. Anderson, James T. Lamer Comparison of Fish Community Composition and Structure Between Pool 19 and Pool 20 of the Upper Mississippi River
26) Stefan L. Ososky, Victoria Livingston Range of Motion in the Appendicular Skeleton in Struthio camelus
27) Jeff Woodyatt, Sean Jenkins Effects of Prescribed Burning and White-Tailed Deer Browsing on the Structure and Diversity of Woodland Plant Communities of Prairie Glen, Illinois
28) Malaney Abel, Catherine Miller-Hunt The Role of SMAM1 in Measles Virus Induction of Autophagy
29) Anthony Kloppenborg, Susan Romano Influence of Environmental Conditions on the Health and Abundance of the Pink Turtlehead Flower (Chelone oblique) along the Mississippi River
30) Emma K. Trone, Christopher N. Jacques, James T. Lamer, Guoqing Lu, and Paul A. Shelton
Gene Expression in White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with Chronic Wasting Disease
31) Shiloh Lueschow, Lynnaun Johnson, Tabitha Williams, Rod McClanahan and Andrea Porras-Alfaro Phylogenetic Relationship Between Human Opportunistic Pathogens and the Causative Agent of White Nose Syndrome in Bats
32) Megan A McGlone, Scott Holt Chemically Defined Medium as a Set Standard for Growth of Leuconostoc
33) Kim Gillespie, Shawn Meagher Does "White Grub" Decrease The Fitness Of Its Bluegill Hosts?
34) Desire D. Barker, Christopher N. Jacques Evaluating Nest Site Selection By Southern Flying Squirrels In Northern Hardwood Forests Of West-Central Illinois
35) Shelby Rogers, Brian Peer Brood Parasitism Acceptance—Is the Cowbird Mafia to Blame?
36) Morgan A. Fry, Dr. Meshack Afitlhile A mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana that is defective in the TOC 159 gene has reduced levels of hexadecatrienoic acid
37) Tad W. Locher, James T. Lamer Analysis of Blue Catfish (Ictalurus Furcatus) Gut Contents: an Assessment of Feeding Adaptation in Response to Asian Carp Invasion in the Mississippi River Basin
38) Paris Hamm, Katrina Sandona, Terri Tobias, Andrea Porras-Alfaro A study of diversity and abundance of keratinophillic fungi in semiarid grasslands
39) Sami McCarrel, Shawn Meagher Does the Abundance of Parasitic “White Grub” in Snails Explain Their Abundance In Fish Hosts?
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40) Haley R. Patterson, Meshack M. Afitlhile The Effect of Elevated Levels of Ozone on the Accumulation of Glycerolipids in the Leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana
41) John Ryan, Haley Patterson, Gina Meier, Morgan Fry A Mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana that is Defective in Toc159 Receptor Accumulates Highly Reduced Levels of Pigments
42) Joseph Lucas, Scott Holt Genetic Transformation of Leuconostoc by Treatment-Assisted Electroporation
43) Angela Elzer, Catherine Miller-Hunt Determination of SLAM family member involvement in transfer of WT-MV from infected human antigen-presenting cells to uninfected human lymphocytes
44) Maryam Al Matruk, Cheryl Kuske, Andrea Porras-Alfaro A study of soil yeast diversity in two ecosystems
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Plenary Talk
The seedy side of plants: Plant-‐fungal interactions in the soil seed bank of a tropical forest
Dr. Jim Dalling, University of Illinois
4:00 pm-‐5:00 pm Waggoner 378
Dr. Dalling is a Professor of Plant Biology at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. After completing his B.A. at Oxford University, He did his doctoral dissertation research at Cambridge University with field work in montane forest in
Jamaica. In 1992 he moved to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and was based at the Barro Colorado Island research station until he arrived in Urbana
in 2000. His research is in the community ecology of tropical trees, with a particular interest in understanding processes that determine the abundance and distribution
patterns of pioneer species. Much of his work is based in Panama, and at large permanent forest plots throughout the tropics coordinated by the Center for Tropical
Forest Science
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Organizing Committee Faculty Dr. Andrea Porras-‐Alfaro (chair), Dr. Shawn Meagher Dr. Susan Romano Dr. Catherine Miller-‐Hunt Biology Graduate Student Association
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Cindi Drasites for helping us with the program and certificates, Amy Brown for her support with refreshments and orders, Luann Wilson for her support with logistics, and many faculty and graduate students that served as judges. We would also like to thank the Department of Biological Sciences and the College of Art Sciences for their support.
Fry, Morgan Undergraduate 36 Locher, Tad Graduate 37 Hamm, Paris Undergraduate 38
McCarrel, Sami Graduate 39 Patterson, Haley Undergraduate 40 Patterson, Haley Undergraduate 41 Lucas, Joseph Graduate 42 Elzer, Angela Undergraduate 43
Al Matruk, Maryam Graduate 44
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Abstracts: Oral Presentations 1) Student Name: Jeffrey Liles Student Status: Graduate student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sue Hum-Musser Presentation Type: Oral Project Status: Completed The Effect of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens on Helicoverpa zea Jeffrey Liles, Dr. Sue Hum-Musser Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Due to an increased selection pressure for insecticidal resistance, more and more insect pests are becoming resistant to insecticides making them progressively harder to control (Regupathy et al., 1999). Due to this selection pressure, an alternate form of pest control has been utilized; the development and application of different types of microbial pathogens for the control of pests (Pascual et al., 2012). Work on development of new insect control methods require that we understand the mechanisms involved in pathogen infection and resistance. We examined how a common pest the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, reacts when exposed to two pathogenic bacterial species, Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, by measuring the expression of key insect detoxification, metabolic, and molting genes. Corn earworms were fed on artificial diet that will be treated with 50 µl of broth containing one of each bacterial culture or broth only. After allowing the caterpillar to feed on the treated diet for 24 hours, they will be flash frozen at -80°C and processed for gene expression. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of caterpillar tissue revealed that caterpillars had an increased expression of key detoxification genes GOX and CYP, key digestive genes APEP, LPS, and TRYP, and no change was seen in the key molting genes examined. Azurocidin-like serine proteinase (AZY) showed a trend towards being down-regulated but was not statistically different from the control groups compared to our caterpillars treated with P. aeruginosa and S. marcescens. Additionally, lysozyme (LYZ) was shown to not differ significantly from our control groups compared to our caterpillars treated with P. aeruginosa and S. marcescens. Our study showed that pathogenic bacterial species do have an effect on key digestive and detoxification genes. More work must be done to better understand all of the mechanisms involved in pathogen infection and resistance.
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2) Student Name: Terri Tobias Student Status: Graduate Student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Andrea Porras-Alfaro Ph.D. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Project Status: In progress Title: Are All Seed Endophytes Beneficial For Plant Growth? Author and co-authors: Terri Tobias1, Sarah Hicks2, Robert Sinsabaug2, Katherine Suding3, Andrea Porras-‐Alfaro1 Authors Affiliations: 1 Western IL University, 2University
of New Mexico, 3University of California-‐Berkeley
Plant seeds can harbor different types of endophytic fungi. These symbionts can provide the hosts with nutrients, while also giving the plants an advantage at germination and protect the plant against pathogens while others can be pathogenic. We isolated seed-‐associated fungi from dominant plants in the alpine tundra and determined their pathogenicity levels in germination assays. Samples were collected from a moist meadow in the alpine tundra at the Long Term Ecological Research Site (LTER) in Niwot, Colorado. Seeds were collected from six plant species: Geum rossii, Erigeron simplex, Artemisia scopulorum, Deschampsia caespitosa, Bistorta bistortoides, Trisetum spicatum. Fungal cultures were sequenced using the Internal Transcribed Spacer rDNA and identified using BLASTN and phylogenetic analysis. The majority of the isolates were closely related to taxa commonly found in soils and/or described as fungal endophytes. Dominant orders in seeds included Capnodiales (23% of the isolates), Pleosporales (23%), and Eurotiales (16%). We isolated 12 unique genera from the seeds. Germination experiments using commercial corn seeds were conducted for each species to determine potential roles in symbioses. Sixty-six percent of the total endophytes tested were closely related to seed pathogens and had pathogenic activity. There were 3 unique Cladosporium that showed positive effects on seed germination and plant growth. Microbial interactions with plants are known to play an important role in maintaining the biodiversity in ecosystems. The high number of pathogenic fungi found in the seeds could have a major role shaping the structure of plant communities in the alpine tundra.
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3) Student Name: Myrtha Pierre Student Status: Graduate student E-mail address: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Richard O. Musser Presentation Type: Oral Project Status: In Progress Transcriptome Profile of Tomato Fruits in Response to Herbivory Myrtha Pierre, Richard O. Musser Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University We studied the effect of caterpillar’s labial saliva on tomato fruits. Caterpillars with a surgery to remove salivary glands were compared to caterpillars with intact salivary glands and placed onto unripe tomato fruits to feed for 24 hours. Total RNA was extracted from the tomato tissues and used for transcriptome analysis. Microarray analysis revealed that different genes of the tomato fruits that were either up-regulated or down regulated as a result of caterpillars feeding, and their salivary constituents. In general the results showed that a variety of plant stress, defense and pathogen related were up-regulated by herbivory and generally more so for fruits fed on by caterpillars with salivary glands than without salivary glands. While genes associated with photosynthesis, growth and metabolism were down-regulated by herbivory on tomato fruits, and again generally more so for caterpillar that could secrete labial saliva. The qPCR results confirmed that genes associated with plant defense such as arginase, dehydrin, polyphenol oxidase D, polyphenol oxidase F, and threonine deaminase were more highly stimulated by caterpillars with salivary glands than without salivary glands. This study demonstrates that labial saliva of H. zea caterpillars play a critical roles in stimulating tomato fruits’ anti-herbivore defense system, therefore reducing herbivory.
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4) Student Name: Desmond Osatuyi Student Status: Graduate student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sue Hum-Musser Presentation Type: Oral Project Status: Completed Effect Of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki and Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis on Corn Earworm Helicoverpa zea. Desmond M. Osatuyi, Sue Hum-Musser Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University. Proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are used as common natural insecticide. The ‘Israelensis” strain affects mosquito larvae while the ‘Kurstaki’ strain affects caterpillars. The transcriptomic response of the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea to B. thuringiensis infection was determined by comparing differential gene expression from three different groups of caterpillars: a control group that fed on untreated caterpillar diet, and two experimental groups that fed on diet coated with a culture of each of the two bacterial strains for 24 hours. Real-time quantitative PCR analyses of several caterpillar defense and hormone genes were performed on purified caterpillar RNA. The expression of several genes were significantly altered (P < 0.05 Student T-test, Fisher's LSD) i.e. down regulated genes and up regulated genes after bacterial infection in the experimental groups compared to the gene expression of the control group. Caterpillar gene expression that were altered includes aminopeptidase, lipase, digestive enzymes, cellular and metabolic genes, lysozyme, prophenoloxidase, cytochrome P450 and other detoxification and immune system genes. In general, genes responsible for immunity and defense like the antimicrobial peptides lysozyme and prophenoloxidase were mostly up regulated in the bacteria treatment group whereas genes responsible with the digestive system were mostly down regulated in the bacteria treatment group due to infection. The information from this study gives insight on how the caterpillars react to pathogenic attack by these two bacterial strains, since H. zea can overcome Bt. isrealensis but not Bt. kurstaki, information from this project may reveal how H. zea circumvents this pesticide which may allow for the development of a novel way of controlling this economically important pest.
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5) Student Name: Michelle Golz Student Status: Graduate E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Adviser: Charles Lydeard Presentation Type: Oral Project Status: In-Progress Origins of the freshwater physid snail Physa acuta and the taxonomic status of a cave-dwelling species from southwestern Illinois Michelle Golz, Charles Lydeard Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Physa acuta is a species of freshwater snail that has invaded freshwater habitats around the world. First described in France in 1805, P. acuta is considered a common invasive species in North America. Recent evaluations have brought this status into question. I present an investigation assessing whether P. acuta is a native species of Europe or, instead, North America. P. acuta is widely distributed in North America. In a recent cave survey, an unknown species of physid snail was found in a Southwestern Illinois cave system. These specimens were originally identified as P. halei, but are now thought to be P. acuta. Physidae, in general, consists of species which are difficult to distinguish by morphological analysis alone. Thus, molecular methods will be implemented to assess the taxonomic status of this cave-snail. During the research, individuals (n=270) will be collected from caves and associated springs in the Sinkhole Plains Karst Region of Illinois. The mitochondrial genes for 16s rRNA and cytochrome b oxidase subunit I (COI) will be amplified and sequenced. This data will be used to generate a phylogenetic tree of the family Physidae, including P. acuta and the individuals found in caves. The data will resolve the taxonomic status of this unknown population, clarifying whether its representative of a surface-dwelling species or an undescribed, cave-dwelling species.
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6) Student:-Keshab Kumar Mainali Student Status: - Graduate student Faculty Advisor: - Sue Hum Musser Presentation Type: - Oral Project Status: Running Department of Biological sciences, Western Illinois University Gene expression of the corn ear worm, Helicoverpa zea in response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens infection The corn earworm Helicoverpa zea, is one of the major pests of agricultural crops in the United States. It causes huge economic losses in agriculture and attempts to control through the use of pesticides has been partially successful as there are reports of insecticide resistance. Here, we focused on the effect of common bacterial pathogenic strains. We can develop new methods to control the spread of this pest if we understand the immune pathway of the insect in response to bacterial infection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces exotoxins that effects the protein synthesis and also degrades plasma membrane in eukaryotic cells. It induces immunological response and causes the pathogenic effect (e.g. tissue necrosis) in the host cell. Serratia marcescens causes mortality of Helicovapra armigera, a closely related species to H. zea. Helicovera zea caterpillars were allowed to feed on three different diets that were treated with P. aeruginosa, S. marcescens or the control which was bacteria free. The insect gene expression was studied by first tissue extracting RNA from the frozen caterpillar tissue which was then reverse transcribed in cDNA. The RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA. Real- time quantative PCR analysis on the cDNA revealed a significant difference in the expression of several genes. We examined a number of genes involved in metabolism, digestion and immune system. Caterpillars growth and mortality were also measured were also measured. There was a decrease in weight and higher mortality in caterpillars in the bacterial treatments compared to the caterpillars that fed on control diet. Analysis of the specific gene regulation that occur in the caterpillars in response to these pathogens will give us insight to aid development of biochemical agents to this voracious agricultural pest.
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7) Student Name: Jason E. Tuter Student Status: Graduate student E-‐mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Richard O. Musser Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Project Status: Complete Transcription Analysis Shows Differential Defense Response and Growth Regulation of Zea Mays in Response to Phialocephala fortinii Symbiosis Jason Tuter, Zachary Gossage, Terri Tobias, Andrea Porras-Alfaro, Sue Hum-Musser, Richard Musser Western Illinois University Phialocephala fortinii is a common dark septate endophyte found in plant root systems in many different ecosystems and plant hosts. This is also a common taxa found in environments with extreme conditions such as the alpine tundra. The distribution of this fungus has been widely studied however little is known how the plant responds to the fungus at the molecular level. The purpose of this study is to identify genes that are involved in the interaction of this fungus and corn plants. Corn seeds inoculated with a strain of the fungus showed a significant increase in germination and growth with no signs of physical pathogenesis. Microarray analysis of root and leaf tissue showed plant defense gene stimulation in the roots suggesting biotic stress from the presence of the fungus to control the fungus to avoid excessive growth or colonization of specific tissues. Differential defense gene stimulation in the leaf tissue may have a role in preventing potential attacks from other pathogens, competing fungal species, and herbivores. Differential expression of genes involved with expansin, auxin and mitosis supports the growth stimulation created by the fungus in in vitro conditions. Because endophytes are an important component of fungal mycobiomes, P. fortinii may be a good model for understanding dark septate fungal associations with plants.
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8) Student Name: Scott Pinker Student Status: Graduate Student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Jeff Engel Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Project Status: In progress The Effects of Aging on Habituation in Drosphila Pinker, S and Engel, J E Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Aging is a phenomenon that affects most members of the animal kingdom. Physiological changes during aging often result in decreased or impaired motor behavior. Age-related motor deficits are normally caused by neural or musculoskeletal degeneration, which can be demonstrated in Drosophila. A reflexive escape behavior has been characterized by Drosophila, which can be stimulated by an electric pulse across the brain in tethered flies. The giant fiber pathway undergoes habitation which can be shown by the probabilities of jump-and-flight muscle responses to electrical stimulation. I am looking at habituation of the giant fiber pathway; looking for differences in flies of different ages. I am also look at refractory periods as a way to test possible neural deficits. I hypothesize that older flies will have weaker synaptic transmissions due to age-related neural degeneration. I predict that older flies will habituate more quickly and have longer refractory periods than younger flies.
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9) Student Name: Noland R. Deaver Student Status: Graduate Student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Andrea Porras-Alfaro, Ph.D. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Project Status: In Progress A Survey of Entomopathogenic Fungi from a Temperate Forest Soil Author/Co-authors: Noland R. Deaver, Andrea Porras-Alfaro, Kenneth W. McCravy, and Cheryl R. Kuske Authors’ Affiliations: Western Illinois University – Noland R. Deaver, Andrea Porras-Alfaro, and Kenneth W. McCravy; Los Alamos National Laboratory – Cheryl Kuske The goal of this study is to explore the diversity of entomopathogenic and keratinophilic fungi in soils from a temperate forest. Entomopathogenic fungi parasitize insect hosts, while keratinophilic fungi degrade keratin, a component of many insect structures. Past research on these fungi has focused on applications of the genera Metarhizium, Beauveria, and Cordyceps as biological control agents of insects, and as such the diversity of entomopathogenic and keratinophilic fungi outside of agroecosystems is poorly explored. This study seeks to address two goals: 1. Establish culture collections of entomopathogenic and keratinophilic fungi. 2. Compare soil horizons collected from a temperate forest to determine differences in the diversity of entomopathogenic and keratinophilic fungi. Samples were collected in the Duke Forest in North Carolina. Sterilized insect parts were placed in moist soil samples; these sterile insect parts were used as baits to isolate fungi from soil. Fungi were isolated from insect segments on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and have been identified by sequencing the ITS rDNA region. The fungi currently identified represent two phyla: Ascomycota and Zygomycota. In Ascomycota, Fusarium and Cordyceps in the order Hypocreales and Aspergillus in the order Eurotiales were commonly isolated. Isolates from Zygomycota are represented by Mortierella. Sequence data will be compared with sequences from previous studies, and bioassays will be conducted to test entomopathogenic activity of the isolates. This study will generate data that, when compared with environmental sequences, could be used to infer the distribution, relative abundance, and ecology of entomopathogenic fungi in different soil horizons.
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10) Student Name: Sarah Wilcer Student Status: Undergraduate Student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Timothy Spier Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In progress Know Your Enemy: A Study of Invasive Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Populations in Spring Lake Sarah R. Wilcer, Timothy W. Spier Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Cyprinus carpio (Common Carp) is a widespread invasive species. These fish are detrimental to local ecosystems, not necessarily because they out-compete native species, but because Common Carp have a negative impact on the environments they inhabit. The influence of Common Carp populations in Spring Lake is important not only because the lake is a popular recreation area, but also because it is the fresh water reservoir for the city of Macomb. The degraded water quality caused by Common Carp increases the cost of water treatment for Macomb’s residents and reduces the aesthetic quality of the lake. Little is known about the Common Carp in Spring Lake and basic demographic information is needed in order to properly manage this population. I propose to collect data on the population size, sex ratio, age distribution, mortality, growth rates, fish condition, and spawning information of Common Carp in Spring Lake. Fish will be captured by electrofishing and each will be marked with a unique tag so that individuals within the population may be followed throughout the study. A subsample of up to one hundred fish will be kept for aging. My research results will be the necessary first step when determining the proper management strategy for controlling these fish in Spring Lake. In addition to collecting demographic information, I will also compare my data to historical records. After looking at all of these factors, I will consider different management strategies that could potentially be used in Spring Lake for Common Carp.
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11) Jay A. VonBank Graduate Research Assistant [email protected] Faculty Advisor(s): Sean Jenkins and Jim Lamer Poster Presentation Project Status: In Progress An Assessment of Aquatic Invasive Plants in the Illinois River: Water Hyacinth Surveillance, Mapping, Persistence, and Potential Seed Dispersal. Jay A. VonBank, Andrew F. Casper, Heath M. Hagy, Aaron P. Yetter Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois River Biological Station and Forbes Biological Station Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Havana, IL, 62644 Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is becoming a re-occurring problem in the Illinois River – Chicago Areas Waterway System (CAWS), but the current extent and potential for future intensification are largely unknown in this system. Because water hyacinth has the potential to substantially degrade aquatic and wetland resources wherever it becomes established, proactive management and prevention are the best methods of control. Risk assessment, surveillance, and control of aquatic invasive plants like water hyacinth relies on a firm understanding of the factors controlling its establishment and dispersal. In the summer and fall of 2013, we conducted aerial surveillance, ground surveillance, seed bank and vector sampling to lay the foundation for an effective surveillance and control program of water hyacinth. We collected sediment core samples from historically and currently infested areas in the upper Illinois River area to investigate the potential for water hyacinth seed to be present and/or viable in the seed bank. We found water hyacinth seed to be present in 61% of sediment core samples taken from historically infested areas, and present in 100% of sediment core samples taken from currently infested areas. We also found water hyacinth plants in 3 disjunct water bodies, and in at least 3 reaches of the Illinois River. We will continue surveillance and sample collection will continue in 2014 and evaluate an aerial survey technique for detection of water hyacinth beds, occurrence in diets of fishes and free-floating in the water column, and test the viability of seeds recovered from core samples and fish.
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12) Student Name: Lydia Smith Student Status: Undergraduate Student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Shawn Meagher Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In Progress The effect of “white grub” (Posthodiplostomum minimum) on snail fitness: castrator, or killer? Smith, L. & S. Meagher Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Parasites are defined as organisms that live on, acquire energy from, and harm their hosts by reducing host reproduction and/or survival. “White grub” (Posthodiplostomum minimum), is a common trematode (flatworm) parasite of fishes. This worm also infects snails during its sporocyst stage. Snails eat detritus, and are vital contributors to ecosystems because they clean fish habitats. Although considerable research has been directed at the occurrence of white grub in fish, little work has been done to document its occurrence in, and harmfulness to, snails. In Spring Lake, McDonough County, IL, white grub infects snails (Physa acuta). I will determine whether white grub is detrimental to snails by measuring the effects of infection on host survival and reproduction. I will collect snails and house them in groups of 100 in 5-gallon containers. I will check daily for dead snails. Dead snails will be frozen until dissection. During dissection I will record the snail’s infection and reproductive status. I will use Kaplan-Meier’s survivorship analysis to determine whether infected snails have reduced lifespans. I will assess effects on reproduction by determining what part of the host the white grub penetrates, to discover if white grub castrates the snail by destroying the gonads I will also measure egg counts in infected and uninfected snails, and use a t-test to see if infected snails produce fewer eggs.
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13) Student Name: Katie LaMagdeleine Student Status: Graduate Student Student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Ken McCravy Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: in progress Evaluating ground beetle species richness and community composition across a chronosequence of restored prairies at Nachusa Grasslands in northern Illinois Katie LaMagdeleine and Ken McCravy Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University
Restoration ecology has become a leading discipline because of the widespread damage associated with anthropogenic alteration of natural habitats. To effectively evaluate the success of prairie restoration efforts, a better understanding of the effects of restoration on organisms that provide important ecosystem services (weed and pest control, seed dispersal, pollination, nutrient cycling, etc.) is required. Many species of ground beetles act as bioindicators of habitat alteration and disturbance, as they are closely tied to their environments. Their distribution is often affected by soil type, vegetative cover and microclimate. We are determining if and how ground beetle species richness and community composition shifts over time following prairie restoration at Nachusa Grasslands, a prairie restoration preserve in north-central Illinois. We hypothesize that ground beetle species richness will increase over time following prairie restoration, and that ground beetle species composition will shift towards species that prefer more humid, cooler conditions. A previous study found that plant vegetative reproduction increases in importance in older prairies. This vegetative reproduction produces a thick mat of ground-level vegetation that creates more micro-niches, tends to retain soil moisture and prevent direct sunlight from reaching the soil. We collected ground beetles from April through October of 2013 using pitfall traps across a choronosequence of prairie habitats, ranging from 0 to 26 years since initial restoration. Ground beetles were pinned and are currently being identified to the species level. Ground beetle abundance, Shannon-Wiener diversity, and species richness will be calculated and analyzed using linear models to determine if there are any patterns in ground beetle species richness and community composition over time.
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14) Cory Anderson Graduate student [email protected] Advisor: Jim Lamer Poster presentation Project status: in progress Diet analysis for native piscivorous fish species in the Upper Mississippi River to determine predation on invasive Asian carp larvae and eggs Cory A Anderson, Rebekah L Haun, James T Lamer Biological Sciences Western Illinois University Increasing numbers of silver carp (Hypopthalmichthys molotrix) and bighead carp (Hypopthalmichthys nobilis) in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) has led to concerns about the impact their invasion has on the native food web of this environment. R-selected species like Asian carp have high fecundity and very rapid growth. In absence of predator controls, they can quickly achieve a high relative density and outcompete native fish. Silver carp eggs and larvae have been collected in ichthyoplankton tows along much of the UMR. Little information is known about how native piscivorous fish are responding to the increase in larval Asian carp density. A total of 1593 fish specimens were taken from Mississippi River pools 19 (n=1178) and 20 (n=415) for diet analysis, representing 21 total species. The most abundant of these included: largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), orange-spotted sunfish (Lepomis humilis), and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Fish samples were collected between June 2013 to October 2013 using standardized PDC electrofishing consistent with LTRMP protocols from randomly selected sites stratified by four geomorphic habitat strata. Fish were euthanized with MS-222, put on ice, then frozen until stomachs were later extracted and finally dissected in the laboratory. The stomach contents were identified to order (insects) or species (fish), counted, and dry weights taken to determine percentages of diet composition. Samples of any unidentifiable fish or fish parts were taken and preserved in ethanol for later mtDNA analysis to check for silver and bighead carp specific genetic markers. Currently only largemouth bass and bluegill specimens have been dissected with no evidence of invasive Asian carp present in the contents. Samples awaiting DNA analysis make up 48% of the largemouth bass and 36% of the bluegill counts, any of which could potentially contain larval silver carp or their eggs.
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15) Student Name: Kara Chicoine Student Status: Undergraduate student E-‐mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Scott Holt Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: Complete Detection of Carbon Catabolite Repression in Leuconostoc Kara Chicoine, Eliese Potocek, Darrah Dunlap, Scott Holt Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Leuconostoc is a gram-positive, lactic acid-producing bacterial genus that plays a large role in food and industrial fermentation. A defining feature of Leuconostoc is its’ ability to produce α-glucans (dextran), which are complex exopolysaccharides composed of glucose units. Leuconostoc makes the enzyme glucansucrase which catalyzes the production of α-glucans via catabolizing the sugar sucrose. The goal of this study was to determine if glucansucrase production by Leuconostoc is controlled by carbon catabolite repression (CCR). CCR is a global regulatory mechanism used by most bacteria to ensure that bacteria will preferentially consume simple sugars first (glucose) followed by more complex sugars (sucrose) when both are present in a culture medium. In this study, Leuconostoc strains (L. mesenteroides B-512F, B-1118, and L. citreum B-1355, B-742) were cultivated for 3-h or 6-h at 30°C in media containing either glucose (G), sucrose (S), a mixture of glucose and sucrose (G/S), or a mixture of glucose and sucralose (G/Su). Glucansucrase activity patterns were determined for each sample (0-h & 3-h or 6-h) using SDS-PAGE and in-situ detection of enzyme activity in the gels. Glucansucrase production for L. mesenteroides B-1118 was not significantly altered by any carbohydrate tested. The L. citreum strains and L. mesenteroides B-512F showed that glucansucrase production was not inhibited when the strains were grown in the (G/S) media, indicating that these strains are not controlled by CCR. Lack of a catabolite repression mechanism for Leuconostoc may indicate that metabolism of sucrose for energy and carbon is not the primary function of glucansucrase.
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16) Student Name: Brittany L. Havener Student Status: Undergraduate E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Miller-Hunt Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: Incomplete Dissecting The Signaling Pathways Associated With WT-MV/SLAM-Mediated Binding And Entry In Human Antigen-Presenting Cells Author and co-authors: Brittany L. Havener, Catherine L. Miller-Hunt Author’s Affiliations: Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Measles Virus (MV) is a highly contagious, immunosuppressive virus spread through moisture droplets in the air. It was attributed to 164,000 deaths in 2008 alone. This is because there are places where the vaccines may not be readily available, and there are those who will not vaccinate their children. One reason MV is so contagious is due to the way in which it infects the body. The droplets are inhaled, and MV starts infecting antigen-presenting immune cells (APCs) by binding with the SLAMF1 receptor on the cells’ surface. It then spreads throughout the rest of the body, and then travels back to the lungs, infecting epithelial cells which shed virus particles into the airway. It then leaves the body in droplets through a cough or sneeze, enabling its spread. Many medically important viruses are known to induce host cell signaling pathways, which are triggered by the virus binding to its receptor, allowing it to replicate and modify the function of the host cell. Little is known about signaling induced when MV binds to SLAMF1 during infection. Our hypothesis is that proteins associated with SLAMF1 signaling are important for MV entry into human APCs. We will use drugs to inhibit these proteins and see if it affects MV entry. If our hypothesis is correct, then inhibition of these proteins will inhibit MV entry. If our hypothesis is incorrect, then MV entry will not be affected. Regardless, our data will further understanding of MV, and could lead to the development of future therapeutics.
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17) Student Name: Katrina Sandona Student Status: Graduate Student Email: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrea Porras-Alfaro Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: Complete Fungi in a Drought: The diversity of thermophilic fungi in corn. Katrina Sandona, Terri Tobias, Andrea Porras-Alfaro The Midwest United States has been under extreme drought conditions for the past two years which could cause changes in the composition of microbial communities in corn. The high temperatures and low humidity conditions are favoring the colonization of grain by thermophilic fungi in corn storage facilities and very little is known about the diversity of thermophilic/thermotolerant fungi or the health risk they may represent for farmers and consumers. The objective of this project was to isolate and identify thermophilic and thermotolerant fungi from corn grain stored in bins during drought season and determine potential interactions between thermophiles and known mycotoxin producing fungi. Corn samples were collected from local farmers during the summer and winter season. The corn that was collected had been dried to 15 percent moisture. The corn was plated and incubated at 50°C and the fungi were isolated and identified using ITS rDNA primers. The number of spores in the corn silos was very high, more than 90% of grains show colonization by thermophilic fungi. Multiple species of thermophilic fungi were isolated and identified including: Thermomyces lanuginosus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Thermoascus crustaceus, and Rhizomucor pusillus. Many of the species isolated were true thermophiles with optimal growth temperature at 50C°. 454 pyrosequencing was performed in order to get a broad picture of what fungi are in and on the corn grain. For the 2011 454 data the most common genera were Aspergillus, Eurotium and Ophiocordyceps. The most common genera for the 2012 crop were Gibberella and Stenocarpella. This study raises new concerns of high abundance of previously undocumented actively growing fungi in corn which could represent a new food safety risk. This project has the potential to provide a valuable culture collection and a database of fungi that could have industrial applications like fungi important for degradation of cellulose.
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18) Student Name: Shane Mason Student Status: Undergraduate E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Shawn Meagher Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In Progress Does Anatomical Variation in White Grub (Posthodiplostomum minimum centrarchi) Suggest Unrecognized Species? Shane Mason, Dr. Shawn Meagher Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University A major goal in evolutionary biology is to determine whether anatomical differences between individuals are caused by genetic or environmental differences between them. This issue raises two problems when trying to identify parasite species. First, anatomically indistinguishable, but genetically distinct, lineages may exist. Second, anatomical differences may exist between genetically similar parasites living in different hosts. White Grub (Posthodiplostomum minimum centrarchi) is a parasitic flatworm (fluke) that spends the majority of its life cycle encysted within the livers of fish from the family Centrarchidae. In Spring Lake, there are 3 genetically distinct lineages that infect 4 fish hosts: one infects white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), another, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and a third infects 2 species: bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), and green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). Anatomical similarities and differences between these worms have not been studied. White grub anatomy will be examined in these four host species to determine the relative importance of genetic differences (i.e. 3 fluke lineages), and host environment (i.e. one white grub in 2 Lepomis species) to anatomical variability. I have collected over 50 flukes per host species, and recorded several variables that might affect fluke size and shape: fluke counts (per liver) and host sex, age, and length. Specimens have been manually excised, preserved, stained, and mounted on slides to be examined and measured under microscopy. Statistical analyses (principle components) will be performed on several length measurements to determine the best predictor of anatomical differences. This study could identify characteristics useful to differentiate between Posthodiplostomum species.
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19) Lindsey Poore Undergraduate student [email protected] Dr. Ken McCravy Poster Presentation Research in Progress Nematode Parasitism of Orthopterans in Relation to Grassland Age and Host Species Lindsey M. Poore, Kenneth W. McCravy Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University The goal of this study is to examine parasitism rates of orthopterans (grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets) by parasitic roundworms in restored grasslands of varying ages. I will be investigating potential effects of grassland age and host species on the parasitism rates of orthopterans and the species composition of the parasitic roundworms. Orthopterans are important grassland herbivores and therefore affect plant diversity. They are in turn consumed by many other animals that depend on them for survival. If a significant proportion of these orthopterans are being parasitized it could drastically change the grassland habitat. If certain species of orthopterans have high infection rates or are parasitized by particularly deadly parasite species, this could affect orthopteran species composition.This study will be done at Nachusa Grasslands, a Nature Conservancy-owned grassland restoration preserve near Dixon, Illinois. In April through September 2014 I will be capturing orthopterans using pitfall traps and insect nets. The orthopterans will be dissected, worms will be counted and identified, and the species of orthopterans will be cataloged. I will also keep track of prairie plot and age in which the orthopterans are caught. Abundance of parasites per host in relation to grassland age will be analyzed using regression analysis. Abundance of parasites per host in relation to host species will be analyzed using analysis of variance. Diversity of parasites in relation to grassland age and host species will be analyzed using analysis of similarity, which compares species composition of two or more groups.
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20) Student Name: James S. Zweep Student Status: Graduate student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Christopher N. Jacques Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In progress Evaluating cause-specific mortality, nest-site characteristics, and growth rates of smooth softshell turtles (Apalone mutica) in Illinois James S. Zweep, Christopher N. Jacques, Sean E. Jenkins, James T. Lamer Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University In Illinois, smooth softshell turtles (Apalone mutica) have been declining due to the effects of river channelization, habitat fragmentation, and other anthropogenic activities in areas they occupy. Conservation efforts for this species depend on understanding the characteristics for reproductive success of nesting females, as well as hatchling survival rates. My proposed research project will investigate nest-site characteristics of the species, estimate the survival rate of A. mutica hatchlings in subsequent years, and measure hatchling growth rate. The study site is located on Pool 20 of the Mississippi River, which contains many potential nest sites for nesting A. mutica females. I will first locate nests by looking for distinctive tracks and signs of digging, and place trail cameras in the area to record any activity around the nest (e.g., predation, hatchling emergence, etc.). When the hatchlings emerge, I will place drift fences and gill nets near the shoreline to collect 1,500 smooth softshell hatchlings and fit them with passive-integrated transponder (PIT) tags to use for population estimates in the following years. Thirty hatchlings will be fitted with a radio transmitter to learn where smooth softshell hatchlings disperse after emerging from the nest. Three hundred A. mutica hatchlings will be selected for a growth rate study to understand how growth rate affects the survival rate of the species. This study should provide valuable knowledge about the reproduction and development of smooth softshell turtles, as well as population estimates that would be imperative in evaluating the species conservation status in the state.
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21) Student Name: Eli Lampo Student Status: Undergraduate student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Jim Lamer Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In Progress Aging Channel Catfish and Flathead Catfish in Pool’s 19 and 20 of the Mississippi River Eli Lampo, Jim Lamer Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Fishes deposit growth annuli on hard structures during periods of slow growth (winter months in temperate climates) that can be used to determine average length at a particular age (back-calculated growth), determine the average rate of growth when paired with length or weight data, and determine overall mortality rates. Channel catfish (Ictaluras punctatus) (n= 170) and flathead catfish (Pylodictus olivaris) (n= 59 ) were collected from Pool 19 and Pool 20 of the Upper Mississippi River by 60 hz pulsed-DC electrofishing. Total length of each fish was measured to the nearest mm and weight recorded to the nearest gram. A hard structure (left pectoral spine) was removed from each fish and sectioned into (2) 500 µm sections at the posterior groove of the spine using an Isomet low-speed saw. The spine sections were visualized with a stereoscope by passing transmitted light through the sections to identify and enumerate growth annuli. Total age (assuming a birthdate of January 1) was estimated by three individual readers and the mean and median calculated to give an age estimate of each fish. The age data generated from this project will be used to compare mean growth rates of channel catfish and flathead catfish between pools 19 and 20, measure distance between annuli to obtain back-calculated growth estimates, and determine mortality estimates for these species from each pool and all data later compared with diet composition and relative weight.
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22) Student Name: Morgan Clark Student Status: Undergraduate student E-‐mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Sue Hum-Musser Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In progress The Effect of Ozone on Corn Germination Morgan Clark, Sue Hum-Musser Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University The production of corn is extremely important to the United States for food, seed, and other non-industrial purposes. Due to industrial development and pollution, the level of ozone gas at ground-level is increasing. While ozone in the upper atmosphere protects us from damaging UV radiation, ground-level ozone is a health hazard and harmful to crop production. Because of its structure, ozone is very reactive and can damage plants and lower crop yield. We tested the effects of ozone on three types of sweet corn: Ruby Queen Hybrid, Early and Often Hybrid and Silver Choice Hybrid. We examined the gene expression using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. This test tells us how the plant is responding to the treatment with ozone by determining which genes are turned on or off. Several genes in the plant defense pathways were differentially expressed in ozone- versus air-treated seeds and also correspond to the corn variety. Ruby Queen Hybrid contains a red pigment called anthocyanin, which is an antioxidant. Because of its antioxidant properties, corn with anthocyanin could germinate more quickly and resist some tissue damage due to anthocyanin acting as a defense against the ozone. The two other varieties lack anthocyanin. It was expected that these types of corn will take longer to germinate and show more damage. The information from this project will allow us to determine the impact of increasing ozone on an important crop.
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23) Name: Michael N. Mandru Status: Graduate Student Email: MN-Mandru Faculty Advisor: Brian D. Peer Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Project Status: In Progress Incipient Egg Mimicry by the Brood Parasitic Brown-headed Cowbird Michael N. Mandru, Brian D. Peer Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Avian brood parasitism is an alternative breeding strategy used by cowbirds (Molothrus). Because brood parasitism is costly to the hosts’ reproductive success, hosts often evolve defenses to parasitism, and in turn, brood parasites evolve adaptations to overcome host defenses. One way brood parasites circumvent host egg rejection is by laying eggs that are more difficult to identify as foreign. This research will investigate egg mimicry that may be shown by the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) towards their grassland hosts. Though grassland hosts have been exposed to cowbird parasitism the longest, they have not developed effective egg rejection techniques and do not effectively recognize and eject cowbird eggs. In addition to light within the spectrum visible to humans, many birds are able to perceive and discriminate for ultraviolet (UV) light reflectance. This research will compare light reflectance within visible and UV spectra to account for avian visual abilities. Cowbird parasitism has been implicated in the decline of several songbird species and it is unclear why so many hosts of the brood parasitic cowbird accept cowbird eggs and their nestlings in spite of these fitness costs. This study will examine whether egg and nest mimicry by the Brown-headed Cowbird can explain for this enigmatic acceptance of cowbird parasitism by grassland hosts.
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24) Student Name: Aleshia Johannsen Student Status: Undergraduate Student Email: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrea Porras-Alfaro Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In Progress Diversity and Distribution of Yeasts in Arid Grasslands Soil Aleshia Johannsen1, Maryam Al Maktruk1, Andrea Porras-Alfaro1 Department of Biological Sciences Western Illinois University Yeasts are an important component of the human mycobiome and are responsible for a high proportion of opportunistic fungal infections, but very little is known about their diversity, ecological roles, and distribution in natural ecosystems. The objective of this study is to culture and identify yeast present in rhizosphere soil and biological soil crust samples collected from an arid ecosystem in Utah. The soil samples were diluted and plated on peptone-yeast extract-glucose-agar (PYG) and incubated at 35°C. Pure cultures were isolated on PYG. A total of 81 yeasts were isolated. Yeast cultures were obtained from all sample types suggesting the wide distribution of yeasts in the different microenvironments in semiarid ecosystems. Morphological diversity was low with 4 dominant morphotypes. A higher number of yeasts were isolated from the moss crust and below lichen crust. Yeast cultures will be sequenced for identification using the ITS rDNA and compared with previously published datasets at the same site.
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25) Rebekah Haun Graduate Student Advisor: Dr. Sean Jenkins [email protected] Presentation type: poster Project status: in progress
COMPARISON OF FISH COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE BETWEEN POOL 19 AND POOL 20 OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Rebekah L. Haun, Cory A. Anderson and James T. Lamer. Department of Biological Sciences, 1 University Circle, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 61445. Completed in 1913, Lock and Dam 19 (RM 364.2) separates pool 19 (74.5 km) from pool 20 (35.2 km) and was the first artificial impoundment on the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). Lock and Dam 19 serves as a substantial barrier to upstream migration for aquatic organisms due to its structure and functionality and has shaped two vastly different hydrological landscapes. This has created a more lotic reach below the dam, lacking macrophytes and laterally connected habitats, and a more lentic habitat above. Standardized, baseline fish community composition and structure data is lacking for this unique ecological region of the UMR. Fish assemblages were assessed within and among pool 19 (n=87 sites) and pool 20 (n=52 sites) of the UMR using standardized PDC boat electrofishing consistent with LTRMP protocols from June to October 2013. Sites were selected randomly and stratified among four geomorphic habitat strata: main channel borders, side channel borders, backwaters, and impounded regions. Sixty-four fish species were collected in pool 19 (n=16,041) and 50 collected from pool 20 (n=9,596), respectively. A total of 58 Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (silver carp) and 1 Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp) were sampled in pool 20, whereas only one silver carp was sampled in pool 19. One Fundulus diaphanus (banded killifish) was sampled in a side channel border of pool 20 and is the first ever documented from this geographic region.
Range of Motion in the Appendicular Skeleton in Struthio camelus Stefan L. Ososky Functional Morphology and Evolutionary Anatomy – WIU
One of the problems in the field of vertebrate paleontology is so few bones have undergone the fossilization process making it difficult to describe an organism. With no cartilage, no muscles, and no skin we cannot know the true range of motion an animal might have had in its limbs. In an attempt to illustrate this and to attempt to predict the correlation of cartilage, muscles and skin in determining the true range of motion in avian dinosaurs, I measured the range of motion in Stuthio camelus (Ostrich) with all of their feathers and soft tissues intact, with cartilage and bone only, and finally bone alone. Stuthio camelus were chosen for being the closest living relative of extinct avian archosaurs (such as Deinonychus and Velociraptor) and for having similar hip and joint structure compared to Deinonychus. For this project Stuthio camelus chicks were primarily used for all three measurements along with one skeletal adult due to their availability. Using a protractor with the degrees of flexion and extension of the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee were taken with muscles, feathers, and cartilage attached. Then the chicks were dissected and boiled for four hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit to get the joints down to cartilage and bone and the previous measurements were taken again along with measurements of the bones and their processes. The chicks were then boiled for an additional day to get the chick down to just bone with the same measurements from the cartilage stage.
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27) Student Name: Jeff Woodyatt Student Status: Graduate student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Sean Jenkins Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In progress Effects of Prescribed Burning and White-Tailed Deer Browsing on the Structure and Diversity of Woodland Plant Communities of Prairie Glen, Illinois Jeff Woodyatt, Sean Jenkins Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Oak-hickory woodlands are disturbance driven ecosystems, whose composition and structure, prior to European settlement, were in a large part determined by the frequency, severity and seasonality of anthropogenic burning and browsing by large ungulates. More recently these woodlands have been fragmented due to timber harvesting, agriculture and urban development. The overstory composition and structure of remaining remnants are shifting from being dominated by oaks (Quercus spp.), to being dominated by fire intolerant and shade tolerant species, such as sugar maples (Acer saccharum), as a result of fire suppression, the senescence of predominantly even-aged overstocked overstories and browsing of acorns and oak seedlings by white-tailed deer. All of these factors have resulted in a lack of oak regeneration (i.e., seedlings and saplings) to replace canopy oaks as they die. These changes in overstory composition and the resultant closed canopies, has also led a decline in ground flora diversity. The negative effects of browsing have continued to increase as white-tailed deer densities have reached record levels in the Midwest and elsewhere. White-tailed deer are known to be semi-selective browsers, meaning that they will feed more heavily on better tasting or palatable vegetation varieties. Due to this behavior, populations of particular plant species and their seeds can be severely diminished in numbers or even extirpated in some instances. The present study will take an experimental approach to examine the effects of browsing and prescribed fire on hardwood regeneration and ground flora diversity by setting up a replicated study of twenty 100 m2 deer exclosures plots and twenty 100 m2 controlled plots (those not protected from deer) in both burned and unburned stands. In 2013, the initial pretreatment data was collected and the exclosures constructed. Burn treatments will be applied in this spring and post treatment seedling abundance and groundflora cover data collected this summer. Vegetative changes will be tracked for two growing seasons (summers 2014 and 2015) post treatment.
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28) Student Name: Malaney Abel Student Status: undergraduate E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Catherine Miller-Hunt Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Project Status: In progress The Role of SMAM1 in Measles Virus Induction of Autophagy Malaney Abel, Catherine Miller-Hunt Department of Biological Sciences Measles is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease caused by the Measles virus (MV) and characterized by a rash and delayed immune suppression, leading to potentially fatal secondary infections. It has been shown that the MV receptors, CD46 and SLAMF1, can recruit and activate multiple proteins involved in a process called autophagy. Autophagy involves the degradation of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular host components within vesicles. Because SLAMF1 is a receptor for MV and is also capable of initiating autophagy, we hypothesize that MV binding to SLAMF1 will trigger autophagy in host cells. We will test our hypothesis using VHS (Vero Human SLAMF1) cells (originally derived from the African green monkey kidney). SLAMF1 directly binds to MV, allowing the virus to fuse with the host cell, and for infection to proceed. MV can only bind to and enter the VHS cells through SLAMF1, allowing us to specifically study the cellular effects resulting from MV use of SLAMF1. Then we will allow MV to bind to the surface of VHS cells in the presence or absence of an antibody that blocks viral binding to SLAMF1. Drugs that inhibit or stimulate autophagy will be used as negative and positive controls, respectively. This data would provide preliminary evidence that our hypothesis is correct. This knowledge will further our understanding of how RNA viruses use autophagy for optimal viral replication. Additionally, these findings could aid in developing novel anti-viral therapeutics that target MV replication in host cells.
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29) Student Name: Anthony Kloppenborg Student Status: Graduate Student Email: [email protected] Faculty Mentor: Susan Romano Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In Progress Influence of Environmental Conditions On The Health And Abundance Of The Pink Turtlehead Flower (Chelone oblique) Along The Mississippi River. Anthony Kloppenborg, Susan Romano – Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University – Quad Cities, Illinois 61265 The Pink Turtlehead flower (Chelone obliqua) is a rare perennial wildflower native to Illinois. A small population of this species was discovered at Pigeon Creek Park in Bettendorf, Iowa in the summer of 2013 by the staff of Nahant Marsh. Historically this plant has been found under dense canopy along river banks, stream channels, and in calcareous soils. The objectives of this research are to determine how the levels of light, canopy openings, soil moisture, soil texture and nutrient content are related to the abundance and health of Pink Turtlehead groupings in this floodplain forest. Plant heights of the Pink Turtlehead groupings will be measured on a bi-weekly basis to assess the health of the plants in the groupings. A circular plot surrounding the population will be sampled, identifying tree species, size, height, and density. The percent canopy cover over each Pink Turtlehead grouping will be estimated using a densiometer. Average daily photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) will be measured using GaAsP photodiodes that will be mounted near the forest floor at several sites within the Pink Turtlehead grouping locations. Moisture samples will be taken at sites laid out on a grid to get a good representation of soil moisture throughout the study area. Measurements for light and soil moisture will be taken from early April to early October to coincide with the growing season of this plant. Soil samples will be taken at the same points as the moisture samples to determine the soil composition, pH, and nutrient content. Soil and stand characteristics will be mapped in ArcGIS to show their relation to the plant groupings. A multiple regression model will be used to statistically analyze the data which is collected to determine which environmental factors are influencing this plant.
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30) Student name: Emma K. Trone Student Status: Graduate Student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Christopher Jacques Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: Incomplete Gene Expression in White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with Chronic Wasting Disease Emma K. Trone1, Christopher N. Jacques1, James T. Lamer1, and Guoqing Lu2, and Paul A Shelton3
1Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL, USA 2Department of Biology, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA 3Illinois Department of Natural Resources, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702, USA Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) which affects cervid species throughout North America (Williams et al. 2002). As a prion disease, CWD is caused by the misfolding of the prion protein (Almberg et al. 2011). The disease is both communicable and transmissible and there is no treatment currently available (Williams et al. 2002). In Illinois, CWD was first discovered in 2002 in Boone County near the Wisconsin border (Miller 2003). As of 1 July 2013 there have been 408 cases of CWD in Illinois (Illinois DNR 2013). This research will evaluate gene-expression in CWD-infected and non-infected white-tailed deer collected by Illinois Department of Natural Resource game managers during annual population reduction (e.g., sharpshooting) and disease monitoring efforts throughout the CWD-endemic area of northcentral Illinois. We will extract RNA from retropharyngeal lymph node and brain tissue samples using TRIzol Lysis Reagent (Introgen, Inc.: Carlsbad, CA). We will use next generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze tissue samples. Specifically, we use the Illumina HiSeq 2000 Sequencing System (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA) to quantify and map the transcriptome, and identify novel and known genes from CWD-infected (n=10) and non-infected (n=10) deer. Identification of differentially expressed genes involved in the pathogenesis of CWD may enable researchers and game managers throughout Illinois to predict the infectious status of harvested deer using gene expression (transcriptome) profiles developed from this study. Results of this study also will be used to evaluate the feasibility of genetic profiling as an alternative method for CWD-testing across northern Illinois.
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31) Name: Shiloh Lueschow Status: Undergraduate E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrea Porras-Alfaro Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Project Status: Completed Phylogenetic Relationship Between Human Opportunistic Pathogens and the Causative Agent of White Nose Syndrome in Bats Shiloh Lueschow1, Lynnaun Johnson, Tabitha Williams1, Rod McClanahan2 and Andrea Porras-Alfaro1. 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 61455, 2. USDA Forest Service, Shawnee National Forest, Harrisburg, IL 62946 Geomyces pannorum is a common soil fungus that has been isolated as an opportunistic human pathogen causing nail and skin infections. In addition to Geomyces pannorum, in the last years the genus Geomyces has acquired great importance due to the large mortality of bats caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (previously described as a Geomyces species). P. destructans is responsible for White Nose Syndrome (WNS). The phylogenetic placement of pathogenic Geomyces species in humans with respect to P. destructans is unclear. The goal of this research was to characterize and determine the phylogenetic relationships between various Geomyces strains, isolated from humans, bats, and from the environment with respect to the bat pathogen P. destructans using microscopy, culturing methods and two gene markers, the ITS rDNA and MCM7 regions. A collection of 44 different isolates, 36 of which were isolated from bat wings, four from human hosts, and four from environmental samples were characterized. All of the isolates were psychrotolerant, including the human pathogens, while only P. destructans was a true psychrophile. Phylogenetic analysis showed that bat swab cultures from Illinois are closely related to multiple Pseudogymnoascus clades as well as the Geomyces clade. Human opportunistic and environmental isolates considered to be Geomyces pannorum cluster in the Pseudogymnoascus clade. All of the isolates cluster with well-defined groups with the exception of three cultures isolated from bats and one from the environment. These isolates could represent four potential new groups for the highly diverse Pseudogymnoascus genus.
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32) Student Name: Megan McGlone Student Status: Undergraduate E-‐mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Scott Holt Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Project Status: Completed Chemically Defined Medium as a Set Standard for Growth of Leuconostoc Author and co-‐authors: Megan A McGlone Authors Affiliations: Biological Science Department Western Illinois University Leuconostoc is a non-pathogenic, aero-tolerant anaerobic bacterial genus that lives on vegetation. Leuconostoc plays an important role in industrial and food fermentations. The goal of this project is to determine if a defined nutrient source can serve as a suitable alternative to a complex nutrient source for growth of Leuconostoc. A complex nutrient source is commonly used to support growth of Leuconostoc for physiological and genetic research studies related to polymer production. Complex nutrient source, however, is made with beef and yeast extracts and its exact chemical composition is unknown. This gives inconsistent results when doing research. The composition of every chemical component in defined nutrient source, on the other hand, is known. This gives consistence results, which is very desirable for genetic or physiological-based research. To accomplish the research goal, Leuconostoc species were cultivated for 12 hours in a defined nutrient source and a complex nutrient source. Bacterial growths in each nutrient source were determined through two methods called viable plate count (quantitative) and spectrophotometry (qualitative). Growth rates (µ h-1) and bacterial colonies formed per milliliter of culture broth (CFU/ml) were calculated from the quantitative viable plate count. Spectrophotometry was used as a real-time growth assessment to monitor the progress of each growth experiment. Overall, the chemically defined growth media either performed as well or outperformed the complex media for most growth trials except for one strain when cultivated on MRS-glucose. These data indicate that the chemically defined basal medium used in this study is a suitable alternative to the complex basal medium for support of growth for the Leuconostoc strains tested.
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33) Student Name: Kim Gillespie Student Status: Graduate student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Shawn Meagher Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In progress Does "White Grub" Decrease The Fitness Of Its Bluegill Hosts? Gillespie, K. & S. Meagher Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University The term “parasite” implies a relationship where one organism (the parasite) is harmful to the host; however this level of harm has not been measured in most parasite/host associations. "White grub" (Posthodiplosomum minimum) is the juvenile (metacercaria) stage of a fluke that inhabits a wide variety of fish species. Because it inhabits a wide variety of organs, such as the liver, kidney, and heart, it is presumably harmful to the fish it infects, but previous studies indicate it causes little harm. In Spring Lake, McDonough County, IL, 100% of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) are infected with white grub, with an average intensity of >1000 white grubs per fish. These levels of infection are extremely high, and often, organs are composed of more parasite than host tissue. I am testing whether these extreme intensities are harmful to fish. First, I will determine if there is a negative correlation between intensity and fish "condition", predicting that heavier infections produce thinner fish. I will also measure the effects of white grub on bluegill survival. Stressful conditions, such as winter cold, may be necessary to reveal the negative consequences of parasitic infection. Therefore, I will compare parasitism levels in fish caught in the fall and in the following spring, to determine if white grub reduces over-winter survival rates in bluegill. Preliminary research indicates that there is a lower parasite load in spring-caught fish, indicating that heavily infected hosts have died over winter, though further research and statistical testing need to be done.
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34) Student Name: Desire Barker Student Status: Undergraduate student Email: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Christopher Jacques Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In Progress Evaluating Nest Site Selection By Southern Flying Squirrels In Northern Hardwood Forests Of West-Central Illinois Desire D. Barker, Christopher N. Jacques Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) are nocturnal, non-hibernating, arboreal mammals that construct arboreal nests in natural and artificial cavities, as well as in open tree limbs. Previous research has shown that nest trees can become scarce following harvest of hardwood forests. However, the role of prescribed burning on nest tree selection and parasite-mediated responses of southern flying squirrels to nest-switching behavior is not well understood. The overall goal of this study is to evaluate population demographics and nesting patterns of southern flying squirrels across multiple seasons, habitat types, and a range of natural and anthropogenic disturbances across west-central Illinois. Specific project objectives include 1) evaluating effects of prescribed fire on nest site selection, 2) assessing habitat characteristics of natural diurnal nesting sites across northern hardwood forests, 3) quantifying home range use, survival, and cause-specific mortality rates, and 4) estimating prevalence and intensity of infection with parasites (e.g., Strongyloides robustus) in southern flying squirrels across west-central Illinois. This project is designed to improve understanding of southern flying squirrel ecology across northern hardwood forests of west-central Illinois. Increasing basic knowledge of potential interactions between prescribed fire, parasites, and nesting patterns of southern flying squirrels may be broadly applicable to wildlife managers in other regions of the country (e.g., southeastern United States), particularly state and federal agencies that use prescribed fire as a management tool for improving wildlife habitat.
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35) Student Name: Shelby Rogers Student Status: Undergraduate E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Brian Peer Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: Thesis in-progress Brood Parasitism Acceptance—Is the Cowbird Mafia to Blame? Shelby Rogers, Brian Peer Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Avian brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and rely upon these “hosts” to raise their young for them. In North America, most hosts accept parasitic cowbird eggs and raise the parasites as if they were their own. A hypothesis for this phenomenon is that cowbirds force hosts to accept their young through mafia tactics. This hypothesis suggests that cowbirds revisit host nests to ensure that the host has not rejected their egg. If the cowbird discovers that their egg or nestling is missing, they retaliate by destroying host eggs or nestlings. In the famous words from the movie The Godfather the cowbird “makes the hosts an offer they can’t refuse”. My study tested whether such interactions were occurring at a reclaimed mine site south of Macomb. Cowbirds are widespread in this area, as well as their host that I studied, the Dickcissel. The objective of my study was to determine whether these hosts accept cowbird parasitism due to mafia tactics. I experimentally removed naturally laid cowbird eggs from half of the parasitized host nests to simulate rejection by the hosts. If female cowbirds are employing mafia tactics, I expect that there will be a higher frequency of nest destruction in those from which the cowbird eggs have been removed.
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36) Student Name: Morgan A. Fry Student Status: Undergraduate Email: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Meshack Afitlhile Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Project Status: In Progress A mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana that is defective in the TOC 159 gene has reduced levels of hexadecatrienoic acid Author and co-authors: Morgan A. Fry, Dr. Meshack Afitlhile Author Affiliations: Biology Department, Western Illinois University Fatty acid synthesis occurs exclusively in the chloroplast stroma, yielding 16:0 and 18:1, which are used in the prokaryotic and eukaryotic pathways of lipid synthesis. Enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis are nuclear-encoded and posttranslationally imported into plastids. Chloroplasts have translocons on the outer/inner envelope membranes, called TOC/TIC complexes. TOC159 gene family encode for Toc159 and Toc132/120 receptors which are closely related but have evolved to import different sets of proteins. Toc159 receptor imports light-induced proteins, while Toc132/120 receptor imports housekeeping proteins. A mutant of Arabidopsis, defective in TOC159 gene, is called plastid protein import or ppi2 and has an albino phenotype. In this study, fatty acids and lipid composition were measured in ppi2 mutant of the Columbia background called ppi2-2. The mutant had reduced total fatty acids content when compared with the wild type. The levels of hexadecatrienoic acid (16:3) and linolenic acid (18:3) were highly reduced in the mutant. Levels of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), a major thylakoid lipid that is enriched in 18:3 and exclusively contains 16:3 were reduced in the mutant. Interestingly, levels of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were increased in the mutant, suggesting that the lack of Toc159 receptor did not affect the eukaryotic pathway of lipid synthesis. The expression of MGD synthase-1 was repressed in the mutant, suggesting that Toc159 receptor was required in the import of this enzyme. A decrease in levels of 16:3 was not mirrored by a decrease in the expression of FAD5 gene, suggesting that fad5 enzyme might be regulated at posttranscriptional level.
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37) Tad Locher Graduate Student [email protected] Advisor: Jim Lamer Poster Project in progress Analysis of Blue Catfish (Ictalurus Furcatus) Gut Contents: An Assessment of Feeding Adaptation in Response to Asian Carp Invasion in the Mississippi River Basin Tad W. Locher1, James T. Lamer2 1Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL, 61455. 2Kibbe Field Station, Western Illinois University, Warsaw, IL, 62379 Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) and other associated members of Ictaluridae have been studied extensively in their native environment, and their prey selection has been analyzed in main channel, side channel, and backwater habitat. However, their efficiency as a control for the expansion of non-native Asian carp species has not been evaluated. It is possible that the immense availability of Asian Carp (spp. Hypophthalmichthys) will offer greater energetic benefits than native prey such as Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma cepedianum). We examined the gut contents of Blue Catfish primarily from pool 26 of the Mississippi River near Alton, IL. Tandem trammel nets were set in a backwater lake habitat during varying water conditions. Diets of the Blue Catfish caught were collected using gastric lavage and manual prompting. The gut contents were immediately placed on ice and then frozen upon return to the lab. The individual diets are being picked through by hand, and although only preliminary, there is strong evidence that Blue Catfish are actively feeding on Asian Carp. Further research is needed in order to determine the percentage at which Asian Carp are selected over native species. The scientific verification of a species that has adapted its feeding behavior to accommodate an ever-increasing presence of Asian carp could be immensely important to future studies and management implications.
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38) Student Name: Paris Hamm Student Status: Undergraduate Student Email: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andrea Porras-Alfaro Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In Progress A study of diversity and abundance of keratinophillic fungi in semiarid grasslands Paris Hamm, Katrina Sandona, Terri Tobias, Andrea Porras-Alfaro Department of Biological Sciences Western Illinois University Keratinophilic fungi are fungi that can use keratin as a main carbon source. They are commonly found in soil and some species are responsible for skin, hair, and nail infections in humans known as dermatophytosis. The abundance and diversity of these fungi in semiarid ecosystems is unknown. The goals of this project are to optimize isolation methods for keratinophilic fungi using baits and to compare the presence and diversity of these fungi in different types of soil microenvironments. Soil samples were collected from a semiarid grassland in Utah included different types of biological soil crust that contain different microbial communities including moss, lichen, and cyanobacteria. Two rhizosphere samples, Hillaria and Bromus, were also collected. Keratinophilic fungi were baited with llama hair, snake skin, horse hair, and sheep wool which are all substrates rich in keratin. Fungi will be isolated in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and Malt Extract Agar (MEA). A total of four plates were established for each soil sample for the different baits totaling 20 plates. After approximately two months, all substrates show abundant mycelial growth and colonization. Using black light fluorescence to determine colonization, snake skin and sheep wool showed the most initial colonization. Preliminary microscopic analysis revealed that the different baits are colonized by a variety of fungi including Fusarium, and Aspergillus strains. Fusarium and Aspergillus is common saprobes or plant pathogens but are also known to cause opportunistic human infections. Culture collections will be established and identified using the ITS rDNA region and compare with direct sequence data obtained from the soils at the same site.
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39) Student Name: Sami McCarrel Student Status: Graduate Student Email: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Shawn Meagher Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In Progress Does the Abundance of Parasitic “White Grub” in Snails Explain Their Abundance In Fish Hosts? Sami McCarrel and Shawn Meagher Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University A fundamental problem in parasite ecology is to explain differences in parasite infection levels displayed by different hosts. If parasite and host co-occur in the same habitat, differences in parasite transmission and infection rates could be explained by differences in host ecology or the abundance of parasite stages in successive hosts. Posthodiplostomum minimum centrarchi, or “white grub”, is a parasitic flatworm (fluke) with a complex life cycle in which juveniles infect two intermediate hosts, a snail then a fish, before adults infect the definitive host, a heron. In Spring Lake, two closely related white grub species have been identified; one infects bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and one infects white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), and they display drastically different infection levels (~200-fold). In this study, the abundance of juvenile bluegill- and crappie-infecting white grub from snail hosts will be estimated to determine if there is a difference large enough to explain infection levels in fish hosts. Physid snails will be collected from Spring Lake, McDonough County, IL, and juvenile white grub from the snails will be preserved for genetic analysis. “Next generation” (454) DNA sequencing will be used to estimate the relative abundance of the two species of white grub in individual snails, and the entire snail population. This will be the first application of this technique to the study of fluke interactions within snails, as well as the dispersal of parasites among host species. These results will improve the understanding of the patterns of parasite transmission in aquatic communities.
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40) Student Name: Haley Patterson Student Status: Undergraduate Student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Meshack Afitlhile Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Project Status: In progress The Effect of Elevated Levels of Ozone on the Accumulation of Glycerolipids in the Leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana Haley R. Patterson, Meshack M. Afitlhile Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Ozone (O3) is a gaseous air component that is found in the atmosphere. In plant cells, O3 that enters the cytosol dissociates to form hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide (O2●-), which are reactive oxygen species (ROS). Studies have shown that plants have buffering systems that use enzymes and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to counteract ROS. If plants are overwhelmed by ozone, PUFAs break down to form malondialdehyde (MDA) and levels of ethylene are elevated to induce cell death. We hypothesize that exposure of Arabidopsis plants to high levels of ozone would generate ROS, which will alter levels of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, a major chloroplast lipid that is enriched in PUFAs. We will expose Arabidopsis plants to ~300 ppb of ozone for 4 hours, and measure the accumulated levels of H2O2 and MDA at 0, 3, 12, 24 and 72 hours after exposure to ozone. Total lipids and RNA will be extracted from control plants that are exposed to air, and in ozone-treated plants at time points where levels of H2O2 and MDA are the highest. We expect prolonged exposure of plants to ozone to result in high accumulation of MDA and altered levels of chloroplast lipids. These conditions will allow us to identify lipids that are susceptible to ozone. This research is important because increased levels of ozone could potentially reduce crop yield, and thus has the potential to cause substantial hunger throughout the world.
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41) Student Name: Haley Patterson Student Status: Undergraduate Student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Meshack Afitlhile Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Project Status: Completed A Mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana that is Defective in Toc159 Receptor Accumulates Highly Reduced Levels of Pigments John Ryan, Haley Patterson, Gina Meier and Morgan Fry Advisor: Meshack Afitlhile Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University The chloroplasts contain an organized system of membranes called thylakoids, which are the site of the light reactions of photosynthesis. Thylakoids contain chlorophylls, carotenoids, proteins and lipids, all of which are components of the reaction centers and are essential in photosynthesis. Enzymes that are required in pigment and lipid synthesis are nuclear-encoded, synthesized in the cytoplasm and imported into the plastids, presumably through translocons on the outer/inner envelope membrane (TOC/TIC). The outer envelope membrane contains Toc159 and Toc132/120, which are a family of receptors but have evolved to import different sets of proteins. The Toc159 receptor imports light-induced proteins such as enzymes involved in chlorophyll synthesis. In this study, we measured the accumulation of pigments and total soluble protein in a mutant that is defective in Toc159 receptor called plastid protein import 2-2, which is on the Columbia background. The mutant accumulates highly reduced levels of chlorophylls and carotenoids, suggesting that lack of Toc159 receptor impaired the import of enzymes that synthesize these pigments. Interestingly, the ppi2-2 mutant has reduced levels of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), a major thylakoid membrane lipid. The expression of MGD synthase-1 gene was down-regulated in the mutant, suggesting that Toc159 receptor is required in the import of this protein. We conclude that most proteins that are required in chloroplast biogenesis require Toc159 receptor for their import.
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42) Student Name: Joseph Lucas Student Status: Graduate Student E-Mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Scott Holt Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In Progress Genetic Transformation of Leuconostoc By Treatment-Assisted Electroporation Joseph Lucas, Scott Holt Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University Leuconostoc spp. synthesize unique complex carbohydrate polymers called α-glucans, an example of which is called alternan. The unique linkage properties of alternan and other α-glucans grant the polymers physical properties that make them useful for certain applications. Development of an efficient gene-transfer system for Leuconostoc is important for understanding glucan synthesis and to enhance their biotechnology potential. Electroporation is a widely used gene-transfer system for certain bacteria, utilizing brief exposure to an electrical discharge to create pores within the cell membrane of bacteria. DNA or genes can then enter the cell though the pores. Leuconostoc has been resistant to electroporation, probably due to its thick cell wall. The goal of this project is to improve the efficiency of electroporation methods in Leuconostoc by developing treatments that temporarily weaken the cell wall to allow for efficient transfer of genetic material into the cell. Cell wall treatments may include cellular exposure to glycine, lysozyme, and penicillin. The L. citreum strain NRRL-1501 was used as the host species for the tests. The effectiveness of each electroporation treatment was quantified by measuring L. citreum transformants per µg of DNA transferred (transformation efficiency). Treatment tests with DL-threonine appeared to reduce the transformation efficiency, as did most treatments with glycine, save for a test using 0.1% glycine, which significantly improved transformation rates. Tests using penicillin-G as a treatment also significantly improved transformation rates over the control. Use of lysozyme as a treatment prior to electroporation has not yielded surviving transformants thus far.
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43) Student Name: Angela Elzer Student Status: Undergraduate student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Catherine Miller-Hunt Presentation Type: Poster Project Status: In Progress Determination of SLAM family member involvement in transfer of WT-MV from infected human antigen-presenting cells to uninfected human lymphocytes. Angela Elzer, Dr. Catherine Miller-Hunt Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University A vaccination for Measles Virus (MV), the causative agent of measles, exists. However, outbreaks have still occurred all over the world and will continue to be an issue. The MV is recognized as a highly infectious and communicable disease. This virus is easily spread when an infected individual begins to cough or sneeze. The MV lifestyle begins when the host breathes the virus into the lungs. Immune cells, including macrophages and dendritic cells (APCs) recognize the virus as foreign and take up the virus. From this point, the virus is shuttled into the lymph nodes, where T-cells are infected. It is then transferred back to the lung tissue. The virus replicates and sheds by respiratory droplets and can be transferred to other hosts. Although it is known that MV uses the SLAM family member proteins as receptors for initial-infection in macrophages and dendritic cells, it is not known what role the SLAM proteins play in viral transfer between APCs and T-cells later in the viral lifecycle. We hypothesize that SLAM family members are involved in the transmission of MV from APCs to T-cells. We will test our hypothesis by performing appropriate experiments regarding the transfer of MV from APCs to T-cells. These experiments will include coating the APCs with externally bound virus and applying uninfected T-cells over the APCs. We will then look for subsequent infection of the T-cells. These T-cell transfer experiments will also be performed using APCs with internalized MV, and will be carried out in the presence and absence of SLAM antibodies. If the T-cells become infected with the MV in the absence of SLAM antibodies but do NOT become infected in the presence of the antibodies, out hypothesis would be supported. This would indicate that transmission between MV infected APCs and uninfected T-cells does involve SLAM family members. Combined, the information from our experiments will help us learn more about how MV infects and then moves between different cells.
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44) Student Name: Maryam Al Matruk Student Status: Graduate student E-mail: [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Andrea Porras-Alfaro Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Project Status: In progress A study of soil yeast diversity in two ecosystems Maryam Al Matruk, Cheryl Kuske, Andrea Porras-Alfaro Yeasts are eukaryotic organisms that have a major impact on human, plants, animal health and industry. However, little is known about the diversity and distribution of yeasts in natural ecosystems. The objective of this research was to explore yeast diversity and distribution in two ecosystems. Soils samples were collected in Utah at a semiarid grassland and the Duke temperate forest in North Carolina. Different seasons, treatments, horizons, and microenvironments were compared. Soils samples were diluted and yeast colonies were isolated in peptone-yeast-glucose (PYG) medium at 35 °C. A total of 114 yeast cultures were obtained. Fifty one percent of the isolates were from the Utah semiarid grassland and forty-nine percent of the isolates were obtained from the hardwood forest in North Carolina. Soil samples at Duke were collected from a long-term nitrogen fertilization experiment, similar number of yeasts were isolated from both treatments. The largest number of isolates (47%) were in the control plots and were isolated from the C horizon (9.8 to 15mm depth) in comparison with the other soil horizons A (2.4 mm) (12%), B (2.4-5.4 mm) (12%), and X (5.4-9.7mm) (29%). In the nitrogen treatment, C and X horizon had equal number of yeast isolates (36%) in comparison to the other horizons A (21%) and B (7%). For the semiarid grasslands, we isolated a total of 57 yeast cultures. The largest number of cultures (82%) was isolated from the samples collected in September 2013. Pure cultures were obtained and DNA will be extracted and sequenced using fungal specific primers for yeast identification.
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