Research Fellows

Jeremy Botz

Cynthia Buckalew

Project Title: Afforestation Rates of Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) on Kodiak Island Research Mentor: Dr. Paul Alaback

Project Description: In afforestation of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) on Kodiak Island, Alaska, I propose to test the hypothesis that the rate of afforestation is a sensitive and robust measure of climatic change at a regional and global scale. The physical characteristics of the environments that I will look at (forested and non-forested habitat) have not changed rapidly over the last 100 years. Biotic changes (specifically plant growth rate and expansion rate) with relation to temperature and precipitation fluctuations in the Kodiak region should be prominent. In this study I will use aerial photographs of Kodiak taken since the 1930s to trace the rate of afforestation over time along with a current ground survey of the ecotone. I will core dominant trees along a 300-meter transect to obtain growth information from tree rings. This growth information should predate the aerial photograph records, allowing me to predict expansion rates beyond the photographic records. I also will examine soils and plant community patterns and their relationship to the rate of afforestation. Many current models define a trend towards increased global warming. This study will be an important test of biological responses to recent climate change. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Native plant community responses to leafy spurge control. Research Mentor: Marilyn Marler

Project Description:. Leafy spurge is an invasive plant that has displaced native species throughout the west. While much research has addressed methods of killing leafy spurge, few studies have investigated responses of native plant communities to various control methods. This research project has tow portions, which are both continuations of studies initiated last year. The first portion will study how the use of flea beetles to control spurge affects native species and leafy spurge populations already established on Mt. Sentinel. I expect that release sites will show a slight decrease in leafy spurge density and a slight increase in native species density. This should continue over the years while the flea beetle populations establish. The second portion is to continue research on the effects of mowing, grazing, flea beetles, reseeding, and herbicides, alone and combined, on leafy spurge and establishment of native species. I expect there will be lower leafy spurge density in the plots with combined treatments than the plots with only one treatment. To monitor both portions I will count the number of leafy spurge stems (frequency) and measure percent cover of leafy spurge, bare ground, and all other species in the data plots. This will allow for long term analysis of plant community responses. This research will help us understand if intensive management practices are achieving restoration objectives in addition to controlling this invasive plant. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: What factors determine habitat use by timberline sparrows (spizella (breweri) taverneri) the southern end of their range? Research Mentor: Dick Hutto

Project Description: Recognition of the factors that determine the distribution of species across a landscape is critical for educated land management and successful conservation of the species. MacArthur suggested that while unfavorable climate and insufficient resources may determine the northern limit of some species� ranges, southern limits are more likely to be determined by competitive exclusion by larger or more aggressive species. I hypothesize that Timberline Sparrow distribution along an elevation gradient may be controlled by low resource productivity at higher elevations and competitive exclusion by Dark-eyed Juncos at lower elevations. In 1999, I located the southernmost known population of breeding Timberline Sparrows, a bird that prior to 1998 was not known to breed south of Canada. The full extent of the distribution of Timberline Sparrows remains unknown. In the summer of 2000, I will return to Glacier National Park and the Lewis and Clark National Forest to gather the field data necessary to test my hypothesis. I will collect data on vegetation characteristics and relative insect densities at used and unused areas. The following autumn, I will combine the vegetation data with digital data on site characteristics, and analyze it using a combination of statistical techniques and computer mapping programs. Additionally, I will examine the results of song playback experiments for indications of aggressive behavior by Dark-eyed Juncos toward Timberline Sparrows. My goals are to test my hypothesis and to use the results to build a model predicting the distribution of Timberline Sparrows in northwest Montana. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Mapping and measuring specialization: a test of geographic variation in the host associations of Nemoria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) Research Mentor: Erick Greene

Project Description: Herbivorous insects and the green plants they consume comprise the majority of our planet�s scientifically described biodiversity. Because the outcome of interactions between these two biotic groups can have implications for both practical and theoretical science, the subject has been researched in the areas of agriculture and forestry, as well as evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology. A particular aspect of these interactions of interest to all of the mentioned groups is the selection of a host plant by an insect. The breadth of selection that an insect displays defines its� degree of specialization. For example, a moth species feeding only on plants within one genus would be considered a specialist, whereas a moth feeding on plant species from several different families would be defined as a generalist. Because the breadth of selection may vary throughout the range of a given insect species, modern evolutionary theory seeks to explain the variation we observe with models such as that proposed in Thompson�s �geographic mosaic theory of coevolution�. My research will test the predictions of this model by examining the egg-laying preferences and larval diet of two species from the emerald moth genus Nemoria from different geographic locations within both species� ranges, the Western United States. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Fluoroquinolone Interactions with Type II Topoisomerases of Borrelia burgdorferi Research Mentor: Scott Samuels

Project Description: Most bacterial genomes consist exclusively of circular DNA. The genome of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, consists of a linear chromosome and linear plasmids as well as the more typical circular molecules. We are interested in determining if bacterial linear DNA requires the same replication enzymes as circular DNA. Specifically, we are using fluoroquinolone antibiotics to test if type II topoisomerases are required in the replication of linear DNA. Fluoroquinolones are chemotherapeutic agents that target type II topoisomerase action. We have recently generated fluoroquinolone resistant mutants of B. burgdorferi. All mutations we have found were in the gene that encodes topoisomerase IV, indicating that topoisomerase IV is the primary target of fluoroquinolones and is relevant to the replication of bacterial linear DNA. Based on our previous work, the three objectives of this proposal are: mapping the specific sites of enzyme activity on the smallest linear plasmid of B. burgdorferi, evaluating the interaction between fluoroquinolones and topoisomerases in B. burgdorferi using the mutants we have generated, and obtaining additional fluoroquinolone mutations to evaluate the effects on the other type II topoisomerase, DNA gyrase. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Training dogs to discern between the scat of black bears (Ursus americanus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) Research Mentor: Erick Greene

Project Description: Recent studies have utilized trained detection dogs for locating wildlife scat in the wilderness. Collected scat can be used to determine, sex, species, gender, fertility, and stress hormone levels in wildlife populations, making for a noninvasive alternative to conventional handling and tissue sampling methods of wildlife monitoring. Methods such as radio-collaring and hair snags rely on the animals to approach bait placed out by researchers; this can result in sampling bias as some members of the species are more likely to investigate bait than are others. Dogs use their innate ability to locate scat regardless of the demographic specifics of the individual. Thus, this method allows for unbiased sampling of a population. It is common knowledge that dogs have the ability to detect odors unnoticeable to humans. Dogs have been used to locate wolf scat and bear scat�both black and grizzly. While there is no known field-identifying trait by which a human can distinguish grizzly bear scat from black bear scat, there is likely a scent difference distinguishable to dogs. I propose to train dogs to alert to a single species of bear. Trained and accurate dogs will decrease the cost of lab analyses via prescreening. Successful training will allow dogs to be used for this kind of detection work with other highly studied groups such as felids and mustelids, resulting in a reliable and enjoyable field tool. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Chromium Induced Neoplasia Using p53RE As A Model For Binding Affinity Research Mentor: Kent Sugden

Project Description: The p53 tumor suppressor gene has come to the forefront of cancer research as a consequence of the finding that nearly 50 percent of human cancer contain a point mutation or deletion in both alleles of the p53 gene. The gene is activated in response to failed repair of DNA that has been damaged. The gene initiates biochemical pathways by binding to a specific DNA sequence that can either lead to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis(cell death). This mechanism controls the progression of cells through the cell cycle and eliminates potential disease states. Chromium is a known metal carcinogen that is an occupational and environmental hazard. There are two stable forms of chromium found in nature; Cr(III) and Cr(VI). Cr(III) is unable to enter cells, but Cr(VI) enters the cell through a nonspecific anionic transport. After uptake, Cr(VI) is oxidatively reduced to Cr(V), Cr(IV), and finally to Cr(III). It is this oxidative reduction that leads to DNA damage. We plan to investigate the role that the p53 consensus binding sequence plays in the failure of p53 to activate apoptosis and eliminate neoplastic(malignant) cells when exposed to chromium. In vitro applications of Cr(V), which is believed to be the valence state most responsible for carcinogenesis will be used to mutate the p53 binding site. Functional p53 protein will be used to test the binding affinity to the mutated site. Answers to this experiment could lead to a possible etiology of chromium induced neoplasia. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Effects of monovalent and divalent cations on human immunodeficiency virus (type 2) dimerization Research Mentor: Steve Lodmel

Project Description: HIV is a retrovirus which means it contains a diploid genome formed by 2 single stranded RNA molecules. These two RNA molecules physically link to form a dimer during assembly of the virus. While the conditions and location for dimerization for HIV type 1 virus have been determined, the conditions and location(s) of HIV type 2 virus dimerization are not precisely understood. During the first half of my research I will be determining which cations (monovalent and divalent) are required for dimerization of the HIV type 2 virus and how these conditions affect the stability of the dimer. The second half of my research will be devoted to determining the site(s) of dimerization of the HIV type 2 virus. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Isolation and characterization of 65 and 84 kDa protein antigens recognized by serum antibodies in a patient with Endocarditis caused by Bartonella quintana Research Mentor: Mike Minnick

Project Description: Trench fever is a unique hemotrophic disease caused by Bartonella quintana and spread by biting arthropods. Trench fever is currently re-emerging in inner cities throughout the United States and Europe. Some patients with Trench fever also develop Endocarditis. Endocarditis is caused by B. quintana invading the heart muscle. Two protein antigens 65 and 84-kDa are strongly recognized in patients blood serum with Endocarditis that do not appear in patients blood serum who have just Trench fever. There appears to be a correlation between invasion loci of B. quintana in the human heart muscle and these two protein antigens recognized by the patient�s antibodies. My research gathers around the isolation and molecular analysis of two protein antigens, 65 and 84-kDa, recognized using a patient�s serum that has Endocarditis which has been caused by B. quintana. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Vole density and vegetative cover in relation to predation vulnerability Research Mentor: Don Christian

Project Description: Voles, Rodentia: Microtus, are a very common small mammal found in most areas of North America. In the Mission Valley, located in northwestern Montana, voles are an important part of mammalian, bird, and reptile food chains. Voles prefer to live in areas that have tall vegetation as a protection from predators. High densities of voles are found in regions of dense cover, while fewer voles live in areas with sparse cover. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between vole numbers, amount of vegetative cover, and visibility to aerial predators. If voles in open areas spend more time away from the few protective plants they have, it may be more efficient for predators to hunt in open areas, even though there are fewer voles. To test this hypothesis, I will live trap voles in areas with varying degrees of vegetative cover. I will then dust the voles with a fluorescent dye that leaves a mark on anything the voles touch, and release them, coming back 12 hours later to track them using an ultraviolet lamp. Measurements of the trail can then be taken to determine its total length versus the length in open areas. The visibility of voles to predators should be a function of both the number of voles and the type of cover in the area. This will allow predictions to be made about what type of habitat is best for voles, as well as what type of habitat is most efficient for predators, such as hawks and owls. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Does diversity play a role in resistance to invasion by knapweed? Research Mentor: Ray Callaway

Project Description: Spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) is recognized as one of the region�s most noxious invasive weeds by the federal government and the states of Montana, Washington, Idaho and Oregon. Other species of Centaurea are also causing widespread ecological and economic problems in other western states. Spraying and the use of biocontrols have had either short-term, or very limited effects on knapweed. When invasions occur, plant community and animal diversity is rapidly diminished, and soil water absorption ability is decreased resulting in soil run off and increased stream sedimentation. Solutions to invasive species such as knapweed will come from knowing more about the ecological mechanisms that allow knapweed to competitively exclude other species. A current theory states that community diversity, the number of species in a community, may play a significant role in enhancing the ability of natural plant communities to resist invasion by exotic species, but it is not clear how diversity, ipso facto, may perform such a function. Other researchers have argued that particular species have attributes that confer resistance to communities. I propose to study the importance of diversity and that of particular species in experimentally constructed Palouse prairie plant communities in the field, subjected to experimental invasion of knapweed. I will use 72 plots, designed to vary in species composition and diversity, to seed with knapweed, and then follow the success of knapweed and the response of the natives for the summer and fall. Evaluation of the response of the communities to knapweed, and the performance of knapweed in these communities, should provide a unique examination of the role of diversity and community composition in resisting knapweed invasion. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Cellular Location of L7/L12 Ribosomal Protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Research Mentor: Ralph Judd

Project Description: The hypothesis to be tested in this application is that ribosomal L7/L12 protein is a surface-exposed protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The hypothesis will be tested using extant polyclonal- and monoclonal antibodies (AMGC-1, BSGC-1, BSGC-2) specific for L7/L12 to explore the cellular location of the L7/L12 protein in biochemical and immunological studies. Demonstration that L7/L12 is exposed on the bacterial surface would have a significant impact on our understanding of how outer membrane proteins are synthesized and exported and would justify efforts to secure funding to further investigate ribosomal function in Gram negative bacteria. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Interaction between Hbb, a small DNA-binding protein from Borrelia burgdorferi, and promoter regions Research Mentor: Scott Samuels

Project Description: Borrelia burgdorferi is the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, an arthritis-like disorder. A major focus of the research performed in Scott Samuels' laboratory is how this bacterium's DNA is processed. The majority of the DNA in B. burgdorferi is in a linear form, more like eukaryotic DNA than the traditional circular DNA found in most bacteria. Proteins play a major part in DNA function. Among these proteins are those that bind directly to the DNA and can influence how the DNA is replicated and how its genes are expressed. Hbb is a small DNA-binding protein in B. burgdorferi. We have recently shown that Hbb binds to the promoter regions of several B. burgdorferi genes. The promoter regions are where the major regulation of DNA expression takes place. We suspect that this protein has a role in gene regulation and/or other DNA transactions. This research will study the specific site of the interaction between the protein and the DNA, including the sequence of the DNA at the binding site and the nature of the binding (whether the protein bends or wraps the DNA). There will also be some additional characterization and purification of the protein involved in the study. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Diauxie Induced Mutations Research Mentor: Barbara Wright

Project Description: Over the years there has been speculation to whether evolution is somehow directed or can be explained entirely as a result of random mutations and natural selection. Some believe that if every mutation had to be tested against the environment for selection or rejection, there would not be enough time to develop the complex systems we see now. This research examines the relationship between environmental stress, transcription, mutation, and evolution. Since optimal nutritional conditions are rare in nature, the metabolism of microorganisms is usually that of starvation. When glucose is present, enzymes essential to the catabolism of alternative carbon sources are repressed. This is known as diauxie or the glucose effect. As glucose becomes limited, genes that can best alleviate starvation become derepressed and then activated by cyclic AMP, which accumulates. As genes are transcribed, mutations occur in the vulnerable, non-transcribed strand and increase the mutant population size. This is significant because the evolutionary process of selection is dependent on the mutant population size from which the fittest is selected. Escherichia coli K-12 will be used to study the mutation rates during diauxie in maltose and lactose systems. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Antibody response to an immunogenic organism Research Mentor: Mary Poss

Project Description: This project will investigate the individual antibody responses of wild cougars infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The hypothesis that as time progresses, so does an individual's ability to recognize particular viral antigens will be explored. Antibody responses of two distinct populations of cougars will be compared by immunoblot analysis and it will be determined if these humoral responses differ between populations or within an individual over time. If these cats test negative in an initial flow cytometry serological assay for recognition of FIV envelope protein, then this may be due to two possibilities. First, they may not be infected, and second, they may possess viral antibodies to a protein other than envelope. Data from these two tests will be analyzed and observations of changes in antibody responses over time will be made in cats for which multiple samples taken over time are available. Also, the data will be analyzed for trends in infectivity of males versus females, or varying ages of cougars within a population. Finally, age, gender, and temporal trends will be compared between two genetically isolated populations. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Using harmonic radar to assess habitat use and movement behavior of long-toed salamander Research Mentor: Colin Henderson

Project Description: Efforts to understand causes for the decline of amphibians are hindered by insufficient knowledge of their ecology in the terrestrial phases. In the past, research concerned with the movement and ecology of the land-phase of amphibians was hampered by methodological limitations. New technologies like harmonic radar hold the promise of making active tracking and recovery of marked individuals practical for small and fragile organisms such as salamanders. I propose to develop a procedure for marking and tracking salamanders in forest habitats using harmonic radar. Using this technology, I will be able to describe normal movement and behavior of terrestrial salamanders and their ability to differentiate among small-scale variation in habitat quality. This knowledge is important to further out understanding of why amphibians continue to decline even in pristine, forested environments. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Mutational effects of the HIV envelope gp41 structure Research Mentor: Jack Nunberg

Project Description: The spread of HIV worldwide has lead to a large collaborative effort in the development of an effective vaccine. On area of vaccine research has focused on the viral envelope glycoprotein complex of gp120/gp41. This complex plays a key role in the membrane fusion between virus and target cells, and also amongst infected cells in the formation of cells with multiple nuclei. The fusion activation is driven when the structure of the gp41 conforms into a new structure. The starting and final structures are already known, but the structure of the intermediate of the two is yet to be determined. It is believed by some that the intermediate of these two structures is crucial in the development of a vaccine.One new goal for researchers is to identify and isolate the intermediate gp41. The objective of this research is to introduce subtle mutations into gp41. The mutant envelope protein will then be analyzed to study its biosynthesis, and functionality. The possible results from this experiment are that the mutation will have a severe effect on the structure, rendering it completely inactivated. The mutation may also interfere with the conformation of gp41 and thus isolate the intermediate structure. Lastly, it is possible that the mutation will have no effect and the envelope protein will function identical to its wild type counterpart. BACK TO INDEX

Project Title: Using PCR to detect retroviruses infecting brook trout Research Mentors: Paul Spruell, Mary Poss

Project Description: There are populations of bull trout in the John Day and Grande Ronde Rivers in Oregon that have probably been isolated from each other for over 10,000 years. However, analysis of 9 microsatellite loci has failed to detect genetic differentiation between the two populations. A higher resolution genetic analysis may allow us to resolve genetic differences that coincide with the physical relationship between the populations. Retroviruses have an accelerated rate of mutation due to a short generation time and an error prone reverse transcriptase enzyme. Therefore, their use as markers for genetic differentiation has the potential to give very high resolution. This allows for differentiation among retrovirus populations within a relatively short amount of time. Detection of genetic differentiation between retrovirus populations infecting bull trout may be useful to differentiate between the John Day and Grande Ronde River bull trout populations. I propose to use brook trout that are not listed under the U. S. Endangered Species Act to identify tissues and optimize PCR primers that will detect the presence of a retrovirus in bull trout. Primer screening will be performed using blood and tissue from brook trout. Primers that can be used by sampling bull trout in a non-lethal manner will then be used on bull trout from the John Day and Grand Ronde Rivers. BACK TO INDEX

Home |UG Research | Courses | Features For Faculty | Mentoring | Computing | In The News

For problems or questions regarding this web contact Project IBS-CORE
Last updated: November 10, 2003
�1999, 2000, 2001 Project IBS-CORE, The University of Montana

Home |UG Research | Courses | Features For Faculty | Mentoring | Computing | In The News

For problems or questions regarding this web contact Project IBS-CORE Last updated: November 10, 2003 �1999, 2000, 2001 Project IBS-CORE, The University of Montana

For problems or questions regarding this web contact Project IBS-CORE
Last updated: November 10, 2003
�1999, 2000, 2001 Project IBS-CORE, The University of Montana