Sewanee: The University of the South
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Stop the Raves in the Caves
No full textNo one has synthesized the available data on the conservation status of subterranean cave species in the past 20 years. Because of this, the Sewanee Datalab has partnered with Dr. Kirk Zigler, who is interested in researching cave species biodiversity across North America. Working with Datalab and Dr. Zigler, the goal of this project will be to obtain the available data on a specific list of subterranean cave species and analyze them to highlight trends among different species of varying endangerment in different locations of North America. The final product of this project will be an interactive dashboard with an undecided long-term use, along with an academic paper that will be written following the conclusion of the data lab and the results that came from it.Kirk Zigler, Matthew Rud
ComBATing Ecological Challenges
Get PDFBats are a vital part of ecosystems serving as pollinators, pest control, and seed dispersers for important crops. Some bat populations have been declining due to one of the worst wildlife diseases in modern history, Pseudogymnoascus destructans - more commonly known as white-nose syndrome. Dr. Amy Turner and the Sewanee Bat Study group have collected years of data on the behavior and habitats of local bat species. The goals of this project include: analyzing the trends in frequencies in bat activity across time and management areas to see which locations are crucial for bats, what land management practices are harmful or helpful, and what species seem to be thriving or not.Amy Turner, Kevin Fouts, Eric Kee
Environmental stressors contribute to Alzheimer’s disease-related protein misfolding
Get PDFAir pollution has been previously identified as a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) development. As a progressive neurodegenerative disease, AD is associated with symptoms such as memory loss, cognitive deterioration, dementia, and difficulty completing daily activities. The causes of AD development are complicated and partially unknown, but are thought to be associated with protein aggregation and overarching proteostasis collapse. The proteostasis network works to control and maintain protein synthesis, restoration, and degradation in the cell. Amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau are proteins shown to misfold and aggregate during AD progression, and exposure to the environmental stressor nano-particulate matter (nPM) derived from air pollution has been shown to increase Aβ aggregation in mouse models. We asked whether there is a specific link between nPM exposure and proteostasis collapse. To determine whether this is true, we utilized the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans expressing disease-associated proteins polyQ and Abeta as sensors of proteostasis decline in a variety of tissues. We found that animals expressing polyQ35 and polyQ40 in the body wall muscle cells and polyQ44 in their intestinal lining cells exhibit increased aggregation. Decreased mobility upon exposure to nPM was also shown when compared to controls. Animals expressing Aβ in body wall muscle cells showed increased formation of large, visible, protein aggregates and associated toxicity upon exposure to nPM when compared to controls. To determine whether these findings reflect changes in proteostasis network gene expression, wildtype N2 animals were exposed to nPM and showed increased gene expression of the oxidative stress responsive gst-4 and dysregulated gene expression of the molecular chaperones hsp-4, C12C8.1, and F44E5.4. Overall, our data suggests that exposure to air pollution exacerbates AD via protein misfolding.Faculty Development Grant - University of the South to Elise A. Kikis
Appalachian College Association Faculty Fellowship to Elise A. Kikis
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship - University of the South to Bailey Garcia Manriquez, Julia A. Papapanagiotou, and Claire A. Strysick
Harry C. Yeatman Award to Emily H. Gree
Generation of HiBiT-tagged recombinant murine coronaviruses to quantitatively study early events during virus replication
No full textCoronaviruses (CoVs) are a large family of single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses that infect a wide range of vertebrate hosts. Along with SARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are six other characterized human CoVs (HCoVs). Infection by the four endemic HCoVs (e.g., -OC43, -NL63, -229E, -HKU1) can cause cold-like illness, while infection with epidemic HCoVs (e.g., SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) can result in severe disease with high mortality. A comprehensive understanding of viral biology is required to develop effective therapeutics, such as vaccines and antiviral drugs. Early steps during viral replication, such as cell-surface binding and entry, are challenging to study in a quantitative manner. To circumvent some of these technical challenges, we developed tagged recombinant murine coronaviruses expressing a small, N-terminal portion of the luciferase enzyme (NanoLuc) encoded by the deep-sea shrimp Oplophorus gracilirostris. The small size of this tag (HiBiT, 11 amino acids), relative to the remaining catalytic portion of NanoLuc (LgBiT, ~170 amino acids), reduces the risk that the tag interferes with viral protein function. Complementation of the viral protein-HiBiT fusion with LgBiT results in a catalytically active complex referred to as NanoBiT. Because even small amino acid tags can disrupt protein function, we generated constructs that tagged either the N- or C-terminus of each CoV structural protein (N, E, and M), excepting Spike (S), which was only C-terminally tagged. Three of the seven recombinant viruses were recovered, and two showed evidence of replication but were unable to be propagated further. Serial dilution of these viral stocks demonstrated several log10 of linear signal, indicating that they will be useful tools to quantitatively investigate early events during viral replication.The Croom Fund and the University of the South Department of Biolog
Ash (Fraxinus sp.) Inventory and Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis F.) Treatment Options for Monteagle Sunday School Assembly
Get PDFThe invasive emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis F.) has eradicated populations of ash (Fraxinus sp.) trees across the United States. The major response options include tree removal and stem chemical treatments. To examine the potential impact of emerald ash borer on the ash trees in the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly (MSSA), in fall 2021 we inventoried all the ash trees on leaseholds and along trails. We mapped the tree location, and measured stem diameter at breast height (stems >2 inches), height (estimated and exact), percentage dieback of the crown, and general notes. Tree locations on leaseholds were approximately marked on paper maps for entry in ArcGIS software, and trees along trails were mapped with a GPS. The inventory identified 126 ash stems on leaseholds. One or more ash were found on 53 leaseholds. The ash had an average DBH of 14.8 inches. With respect to canopy dieback, one and two inch diameter dead branches were the most common, with the larger sizes being much less common. The most common target of the dead branches were houses and powerlines. An inventory of trees in the MSSA commons in 2018 reported 54 additional ash stems, with an average DBH of 16.2 inches. Ash trees along the trails were more common below the bluff and showed that there are somel large ash trees in striking distance of a trail. A comparison of the effectiveness, environmental considerations, and costs were made of the two main chemicals available to treat for EAB (imidacloprid and emamectin benzoate). We recommend that the MSSA begin their response to EAB this year, and that they group sectors of the property for treatment or removal to reduce the overall cost of their response.University of the South,
Monteagle Sunday School Assembl
Opsin Evolution in Cave Beetles – Conservation and Loss
Get PDFCave dwelling invertebrates display many adaptations such as a lack of pigmentation, elongated appendages, and reduced visual systems. Such species can be found in the rich karst terrains of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. The cave-adapted beetles of the Ptomaphagus genus inhabit caves in these states and display significant reductions in their visual systems. Within this genus are also the surface-dwelling P. cavernicola and the soil-dwelling P. shapardi. Thus, Ptomaphagus provides an exciting comparison among closely related species with the fully developed visual system of P. cavernicola, the intermediate system of P. shapardi and the substantially reduced systems of the cave species. The phenotypic differences have already been examined among the species of this genus, but the genetic changes associated with adaptation to cave life have not received such attention. Beetles typically have two light-sensitive opsin genes – a long-wavelength (LW) opsin and an ultraviolet (UV) opsin. We examined LW and UV opsins in 18 cave dwelling Ptomaphagus species, as well as P. shapardi and P. cavernicola, to understand how the visual systems of the beetles evolved during their transition to cave environments. We found that although the UV opsin gene is present in P. cavernicola and P. shapardi, it has been lost in all of the cave dwelling Ptomaphagus. In contrast, the LW opsin gene was present in all of the cave species, with no indication of mutations that would render the gene nonfunctional. These beetles can detect light, as indicated by light-dark tests we performed on P. hatchi, found in caves in the Sewanee area. The tests showed a general avoidance of light by these beetles. These results suggest that although they have lived underground for millions of years, these beetles still have functional visual systems, possibly to prevent them from wandering out of their cave habitats into environments they are less suited to survive in
End the Syndemic Video
No full textSyringe sharing continues to increase the spread of HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs, and other serious diseases, creating a syndemic and skyrocketing healthcare costs. Every county in Tennessee has been significantly affected by the syndemic, and by analyzing state-wide hospital discharge data, we will determine which counties would benefit most from new syringe exchange programs that assist patients with substance use disorders, slow the spread of disease, and reduce the overall healthcare cost. We will also create an interactive dashboard that will assist in lobbying for new syringe exchange programs in the Tennessee counties that need them the most.Camelia Simoiu, Matthew Rudd, Amber Coyn