The Development Of Microsatellite Markers For The Culturally And Economically Significant Plant, Allium Tricoccum Ait.

Allium tricoccum Ait. is an herbaceous monocot in the Amaryllidaceae family and is most commonly known as a ramp or wild leek. Allium tricoccum is traditionally used in Appalachian cultures, but it has gained the attention of the general public over the past two decades. Although not a rare plant, its growing popularity has led to over-harvesting and population declines. The purpose of this project was to develop microsatellite markers for Allium tricoccum. An Illumina MiSeq library was produced, and 50 potential microsatellite loci were screened for successful amplification using PCR. This project also screened for marker amplification in the narrow-leaved wild leek, Allium tricoccum var. burdickii, and the nodding onion, Allium cernuum. Nineteen of the 50 (30%) screened markers successfully amplified. This work will provide the tools necessary for population genetic studies of Allium tricoccum and will help inform conservation management decisions

Characterization of the role of myosin II during insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake requires the activation of the nonmuscle motor protein myosin II. Our previous studies using pharmacological inhibitors suggest that insulin signaling results in the phosphorylation of myosin IIA during insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Since pharmacological inhibitors are not specific, we wanted to use a siRNA approach to complement our previous studies. In this report we demonstrate that knockdown of myosin IIA using a myosin IIA-specific siRNA resulted in impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. To delineate the signaling pathway involved we asked if siRNA specific to myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), an upstream regulator of myosin IIA, would have the same effect. While we did not observe a reduction in MLCK or impairment of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, we were able to observe that MLCK is phosphorylated upon insulin stimulation suggesting a role for MLCK in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Next, we used siRNA specific to extracellular-signal regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) to establish a role for this kinase in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Our results revealed that knockdown of ERK2 resulted in reduced phosphorylation of MLCK. Knockdown of ERK2 also impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Lastly, we used siRNA specific to the calcium/calmodulin kinase II delta isoform to explore its role as a potential upstream activator of ERK2. Only a slight decrease in CaMKIIδ expression was achieved, but this did not result in a significant change in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Taken together, our results suggest that myosin IIA is involved in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and that it is regulated via MLCK phosphorylation by ERK2 resulting in regulation of glucose uptake upon insulin stimulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Educational leaders as catalyst for connecting school and community: uncovering leadership strategies for forging school, family, and community partnerships

Understanding the development of community within schools, while critical, has always been problematic. The recent focus on high-stakes standardized testing has only exacerbated this phenomenon and further promoted the dehumanization of students in our schools. An urgent need in research today is to study what strategies are most effective in developing relationships between the school and the home. This qualitative case study examined how one "highly-impacted" elementary school is finding success in developing community relationships.This study seeks to understand the practical approaches utilized to cultivate connections between the school and its participants and constituents. The intent of the study was also to uncover how strategies are employed to overcome the obstacles that preclude such connections. The findings of the study illuminate how a school community can overcome the obstacles that get in the way of creating meaningful connections with all school constituents. This research has the potential to lend valuable insight into policies and practices educational leaders use to sustain connected learning communities, thereby enhancing the engagement and learning of all school stakeholders

Development Of 17 Microsatellite Markers In The Federally Endangered Species Liatris helleri (Asteraceae)

PREMISE: Microsatellite markers were developed in the federally endangered species Liatris helleri (Asteraceae) to evaluate species boundaries with closely related congeners within the genus. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using Illumina data, 17 primer pairs were developed in populations of L. helleri. The primers amplified motifs from tri- to hexanucleotide repeats with one to 17 alleles per locus. Primers were also tested for cross-amplification in L.aspera, L. microcephala, and L. pycnostachya. CONCLUSIONS: The developed primers for L. helleri serve as a novel genetic tool for future investigations in this genus, allowing for more explicit species delineation as well as population genetic analyses