Fiscal
Year 2002 Awards
Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
Fellow’s Name Host Institution Research Area/Training Plan NSF Award #
Title of Research & Training Plan
Abstract
Paul D. Adams
Cornell University Biophysics 0208064
Structural studies on Cdc42Hs mutant
proteins that may initiate cellular
transformation
NMR spectroscopy is being
used to characterize mutant forms of Cdc42Hs, an intracellular signal
transduction protein cloned in E. coli. This protein binds GTP or GDP and acts
as a molecular timing switch based on the nature of the bound ligand. The
research will determine the structure and dynamics of two Cdc42Hs mutants to
understand the role of Cdc42Hs in processes that lead to cell transformation.
Youhna M. Ayala ICGEB Biophysics 0208077
Understanding
how the TAR binding protein (TDP43) regulates alternative splicing of messenger
RNA
Alternative splicing during mRNA processing greatly contributes to generate the protein diversity necessary for development and function of complex organisms. TDP43 regulates exon inclusion of the CFTR gene presumably through inteaction with nuclear proteins and specific sequences of nucleic acid. This research investigates the molecular determinants and importance of TDP43 protein complex formation and nucleic acid binding.
Lesley Blancas University of California-Irvine Population Biology
0208503
Natural
hybridization and its consequences on the organization of genetic variation and
population genetics of a crop and its wild relative
Hybridization between 2 genetically distinct natural populations can
result in new genetic combinations through the reassortment of genes and
multilocus genotypes. This study examines the evolutionary consequences of
hybridization in co-occurring populations of maize (corn) and its wild relative
teosinte by comparing genetic markers across the genome and among hybridizing
and non-hybridizing populations.
Maria R. Dino
Yale University Neurobiology 0207991
Role
of Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans in Synapse Formation
The project
examines the role of two chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in
synaptogenesis: one unnamed CSPG, recognized by monoclonal antibody Cat-315,
which delineates synaptic sites, and aggrecan, the main CSPG of cartilage. The
unnamed CSPG is being identified using immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry.
Once identified, its function will be blocked to determine if it is essential
to synapse formation. To determine if aggrecan is involved in synaptogenesis,
the expression of synpatic markers is being studied in cultured cortices from
embryonic CMD mice, a naturally occurring aggrecan knockout mouse.
Suzanne R. Estes
Oregon StateUniversity
Animal Behavior 0208328
Influence
of mating system on patterns of parentage and fitness correlates in a garter
snake model, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
This research explores the role of kin recognition in the mating system by asking whether parental relatedness influences paternal contribution and, in turn, maternal fitness in natural populations of the red-sided garter snake. This constitutes the first test for the presence of kin recognition and first rigorous study of inbreeding depression in any snake species.
Kenneth M. Fedorka
University of California-Riverside
Animal Behavior 0208420
Role of Antagonistic Coevolution in the Rate of Male Accessory Gland Protein Divergence
Within a mating system, males and females often have divergent reproductive strategies, creating an antagonistic coevolutionary relationship between the sexes. The objective of this research is to investigate the covariance between sexual conflict intensity and the expression of sexually selected traits, life history traits and the rate of protein divergence in closely related Drosophila species.
Rhea R. Kimpo
Stanford University Animal Behavior 0208400
The
role of the cerebellum in learning the proper timing and amplitude of skilled
motor movements
The specific role of the cerebellum in learning motor movements is unclear. This research examines motor learning in the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), or VOR adaptation, of normal mice and PKCg mutant mice, which have abnormal input to cerebellar Purkinje cells. It compares VOR adaptation, patterns of Purkinje cell activity during learning, and those sufficient for learning, in these mice.
Marta L. Oliva
Binghamton University
Sensor Physiology
0208238
Control of a feeding neural circuit in an
inscet by taste sensory input and hunger status
Manduca sexta larvae become host-specific
when they feed on solanaceous plants due to changes in taste receptor responses
to a host-specific recognition cue. Host-specific larvae often starve to death
if given food lacking this cue. Electrophysiological studies are being
conducted to examine the integration of taste receptor physiology and hunger on
the feeding circuitry of host-specific and non-specific larvae.
Maria Elena Pereyra
University of California-Davis Ecological and Evolutionary
Physiology 0208056
Influence
of Nutritional Cues on Reproduction in Nomadic Songbirds
The objectives of
this project are to investigate the influence of nutritional cues on the neuroendocrine
regulation of reproductive development in two closely related nomadic songbirds
(pine siskin and lesser goldfinch) that depend heavily upon foods that vary
widely in availability between years and across broad geographic ranges.
Christopher L. Reyes
The Scripps Research Institution
Biophysics 0208326
Electron microscopy study of the structure of
ATP Binding Cassette transporter protein MsbA
ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter proteins couple ATP hydrolysis with translocation of various substrate molecules across biological membranes. This study is investigating the model that posits that large conformational changes in the transporter protein allows the substrate to move across the membrane. Electron microscopy and helical image analysis are being used to determine the structure and mechanism of the MsbA transporter.
Daphne Soares
University of Maryland Neurobiology 0208257
Transformation
of neural signals across single neurons
This project
addresses the physiological and biophysical mechanisms of individual neurons
that underlie phase-coding in barn owls, specifically how they encode time.
First, it will focus on verifying the presence of a subthreshold presynaptic
code in postsynaptic cells. Second, morphological and physiological
characteristics of the synapse will be determined.
Christoper E. Tripler University of Louisville Ecology 0208392
Comparing
urban and rural forests: using city environments to model long-term changes in
forests under predicted changes in global climates
Forests are
predicted to change their distributions in response to global changes in
atmospheric nitrogen deposition, carbon dioxide, and temperature. Urban forests
have experienced these conditions for decades and represent unique systems to
look for novel changes in the dynamics of forests under predicted global change
scenarios.