Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) are sap-sucking insects that feed on the phloem sap of some plants of the family Fabaceae (legumes).Aphids feed on host plants by inserting their stylets between plant cells to feed from phloem sap in sieve elements.Their feeding is of major agronomical importance, as aphids cause hundreds of millions of dollars in crop damage worldwide, annually.Salivary gland transcripts from plant-fed and diet-fed pea aphids were studied byRNASeq to analyze their expression.Most transcripts had higher expression in plant-fed pea aphids, likely due to the need for saliva protein in the aphid/plant interaction.Numerous salivary gland transcripts and saliva proteins have been identified in aphids, including a glutathione peroxidase.Glutathione peroxidases are a group of enzymes with the purpose of protecting organisms from oxidative damage.Here, I present a bioinformatic analysis of pea aphid expressed sequence tag libraries that identified four unique glutathione peroxidases in pea aphids.One glutathione peroxidase, ApGPx1 has high expression in the pea aphid salivary gland.Two glutathione peroxidase genes are present in the current annotation of the pea aphid genome.My work indicates that the two genes need to be revised.Dedication I would like to dedicate this thesis to my parents, Stephen and Debra Aksamit.Over the years, your love and support has driven me to become the man that I am today.Without you, I would be nothing.You've listened to my problems and offered solutions.You've given me way more than I have needed, or ever deserved.You provided me with the opportunity to go off to college and get the education that I have always craved.I would not be me, without you.You have been my greatest advocates over the years, and you will never know how much I appreciate that.I love you, Mom and Dad.Second, I would like to dedicate this to my family and friends who have gone on before me, specifically my grandpa, Clarence Blaha, my aunt, Julie Blaha, and my good friend, Randon Regnier.Grandpa, I miss the days we spent fishing together, watched TV or played games, or just browsed the internet for "useless knowledge".I never knew how much that knowledge would pay off in my life.Aunt Julie, your persistence and encouragement was one of the main reasons that I joined the Marching Band at Kansas State.Joining that organization was one my biggest life changing experiences, and I have met some of my best friends, and traveled many places because of it.Randon, though we are not blood relation, you and your brothers have always been family to me, and always will be.Your unconditional love to everyone around you made you a special person, and I aspire to love others like you did.Ad astra per alas fideles, to the stars on the wings of the faithful ones.You three were always faithful to me, and I cannot thank you enough for that.I carry you in my heart, always.When you walk through the storm, Hold your head up high, And don't be afraid of the dark.At the end of the road, There's a golden sky, And the sweet silver song of a lark.Walk on through the wind, Walk on through the rain, Though your dreams be tossed and blown.Walk on, walk on, With hope in your heart, And you'll never walk alone.You'll never walk alone.Rodgers and Hammerstein, 1945 With all of you, I know that I will never walk alone.
Author: Aksamit, Matthew Stephen
Language: English
Subfield: Insect Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2549145073