Concurrent Session, From Grave to Cradle: How One College Brought FYE Back to Life

Five years ago, Three Rivers Community College removed the First Year Experience (FYE) course from their plans of study and relegated it to academic ambiguity. The college recently brought back FYE as a 3-credit, required course for most associate degree programs. This hands-on workshop will outline FYE\u27s evolution and ongoing challenges. Participants will engage in a number of activities to identify steps that can be taken at their institution to establish, re-establish, or strengthen their FYE course

Functional analysis of various conserved domains of NPH3 involved in phototropism in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract only availablePhototropism - the directional growth (curvature) for a plant towards light, is a very important adaptive response in plants in order for them to maximize photosynthesis. Blue light triggers phototropic response in Arabidopsis thaliana via the dominant photoreceptor phototropin 1 (phot1). Genetic studies have identified several genes that encode phot1 interacting proteins. Of these, currently, only NON PHOTOTROPIC HYPOCOTYL 3 (NPH3) is known to be absolutely required for phototropism. nph3 mutants are completely aphototropic, resembling phot1 null mutants. NPH3 is a phosphoprotein containing a BTB and a coiled coil domain, and the dephosphorylation of this protein into its active state in light is known to be entirely phot1 dependant. Yet little is known of the role of NPH3 as a mediator in the phototropic signal-response pathway. To better understand the role of conserved domains of NPH3 in phototropism, a range of serial deletions and mutants of NPH3 were generated, driven by its own native NPH3 promoter and the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter in nph3-6 and wild-type Col-0 backgrounds respectively. All truncated and mutant NPH3 proteins were also translationally fused with a green fluorescent protein (GFP). Multiple T3 homozygous transgenic lines were evaluated by comparing average angles of hypocotyl curvature with those of aphotoropic nph3-6 and wild-type Col-0. Over-expression of NPH3 or different portions of NPH3 in Col-0 resulted in reduced phototropism. Selective expression of the NPH3 domains under the native promoter could not complement the null nph3-6 phenotype. The alterations in the subcellular localization of these transgenic lines were also investigated using confocal fluorescence microscopy.NSF Plant Genomics Internship @ M

Physiological responses of a hyper-phototropic mutant to various light stimuli [abstract]

Abstract only availableFaculty Mentor: Mannie Liscum, Biological SciencesPhysiological responses of a hyper-phototropic mutant to various light stimuli Phototropic responses are the directional curvature of organs in response to differences in light intensity and/or quality. The experimental plant is the hyper-phototropic hypocotyl () mutant that is associated specifically with phototropism and is hyper-responsive to blue light stimulation. In wild-type seedlings the response is dependent upon the fluence of blue light (number of incident of photons) used to stimulate seedlings. In this analysis seedlings were exposed to several fluence rates of blue light. Results from these experiments suggest that the phenotypes are specific to lower fluence rates. Additionally, red light which has been shown to enhance the phototropic response to blue light was used as a pretreatment to assess whether is altered in its response to red light as well as blue. Results from this latter analysis show that mutant seedling still exhibit a higher degree of curvature than control samples, suggesting the red light enhances the phototropic response of as well. Together these experiments suggest that affects a repressor of phototropin 1-dependent phototropism in low blue light conditions.University of Missouri--Columbia. Office of Undergraduate ResearchPlant Genomics Internship @ M

Automation of ORIGEN2 calculations for the transuranic waste baseline inventory database using a pre-processor and a post-processor

The purpose of the work described in this report was to automate ORIGEN2 calculations for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Transuranic Waste Baseline Inventory Database (WTWBID); this was done by developing a pre-processor to generate ORIGEN2 input files from WWBID inventory files and a post-processor to remove excess information from the ORIGEN2 output files. The calculations performed with ORIGEN2 estimate the radioactive decay and buildup of various radionuclides in the waste streams identified in the WTWBID. The resulting radionuclide inventories are needed for performance assessment calculations for the WIPP site. The work resulted in the development of PreORG, which requires interaction with the user to generate ORIGEN2 input files on a site-by-site basis, and PostORG, which processes ORIGEN2 output into more manageable files. Both programs are written in the FORTRAN 77 computer language. After running PreORG, the user will run ORIGEN2 to generate the desired data; upon completion of ORIGEN2 calculations, the user can run PostORG to process the output to make it more manageable. All the programs run on a 386 PC or higher with a math co-processor or a computer platform running under VMS operating system. The pre- and post-processors for ORIGEN2 were generated for use with Rev. 1 data of the WTWBID and can also be used with Rev. 2 and 3 data of the TWBID (Transuranic Waste Baseline Inventory Database)

Natural variation in phenotypes associated with phototropins among geographically isolated populations of Arabidopsis thaliana [abstract]

Abstract only availableIn Arabidopsis thaliana several phenotypes are controlled by blue light including chloroplast relocation movements and bending of the seedling stem in phototropism. These responses are controlled by the phototropins, phot1 and phot2. Chloroplasts move towards the brightest area in a plant cell under low light intensity to maximize light interception (accumulation response), but toward darker areas under high intensity light to minimize photo-damage (avoidance response). Phot1 and phot2 control the accumulation movement, but phot2 alone controls the avoidance response. Phototropism in response to weak blue light is controlled solely by phot1. Here, we have tested seventeen different accessions of A. thaliana for phenotypes uniquely associated with phot1 and phot2 and examined variation in phot1 and phot2 sequence data for a small subset. Accessions were chosen to better understand the ecological context of variation in phototropin function in nature.National Science Foundation grant to M. Liscu

Expression of aT4g27260/GH3-5/GH3a studied with in situ hybridization

Abstract only availableTropisms, the responses of plants to external stimuli, have been studied as important evolutionary adaptations and as possible areas of future advantageous genetic manipulation. The goal of our current research is to identify targets of NPH4/ARF7 activity in the elongating hypocotyl cells of tropically-stimulated seedlings. The finding that NPH4/ARF7 is necessary for establishment of phototropic and gravitropic curvature lends credence to the long-held notion that a tropic curve requires formation and response to localized changes in auxin concentration. As a result of previous microarray experiments, we have isolated a suite of eight targets that are potentially under the control of NPH4/ARF7, and therefore acting in response to an auxin gradient. One of the targets is a member of the GH3 family, At4g27260/GH3-5/GH3a. Many of the GH3 family members have been shown to be responsive to, or to be regulated by, auxin. In order to elucidate the expression of At4g27260/GH3-5/GH3a in tropically-stimulated Brassica seedlings, in situ hybridization with sense and antisense RNA probes is being performed. These experiments are meant to clarify where At4g27260/GH3-5/GH3a is expressed in the stem in response to tropic stimulation. These experiments will provide critical insight into how At4g27260/GH3-5/GH3a is regulated under physiological conditions and suggest future experiments to test the functional significance of the encoded protein in the establishment of tropic curves.Plant Genomics Internship @ M

Genome-Wide Identification, Functional Analysis and Expression Profiling of the Aux/IAA Gene Family in Tomato

Auxin is a central hormone that exerts pleiotropic effects on plant growth including the development of roots, shoots, flowers and fruit. The perception and signaling of the plant hormone auxin rely on the cooperative action of several components,among which auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) proteins play a pivotal role. In this study, we identified and comprehensively analyzed the entire Aux/IAA gene family in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), a reference species for Solanaceae plants, and the model plant for fleshy fruit development. Functional characterization using a dedicated single cell system revealed that tomato Aux/IAA proteins function as active repressors of auxin-dependent gene transcription, with, however, different Aux/IAA members displaying varying levels of repression. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Aux/IAA gene family is slightly contracted in tomato compared with Arabidopsis, with a lower representation of non-canonical proteins. Sl-IAA genes display distinctive expression pattern in different tomato organs and tissues, and some of them display differential responses to auxin and ethylene, suggesting that Aux/IAAs may play a role in linking both hormone signaling pathways. The data presented here shed more light on Sl-IAA genes and provides new leads towards the elucidation of their function during plant development and in mediating hormone cross-talk