03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation Apoptosis: Measuring the Seasonal Cycle Of Ovarian Growth & Regression in the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos Coventry Dougherty Apoptosis: Measuring the Seasonal Cycle Of Ovarian Growth & Regression in the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos ) Coventry Dougherty

03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation West Nile Virus  First Reported Case westnilemaps.usgs.gov/ usa_avian.html  Transmission

03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation American Crow Diets  Omnivorous  Seeds and fruits  Marine and terrestrial organisms organisms  Insects  Small mammals food_plot_study.html  Bird eggs or nestlings

03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation Reproductive Biology  American Crows are seasonal breeders breeders Starling Breeding Cycle Dawson & Goldsmith, 1983

03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation Purpose of Study  The mechanism regulating ovarian growth and regression is unknown growth and regression is unknown Hypothesis  Change in ovarian size is due to apoptosis is due to apoptosis  Goal: To gain an understanding of the molecular & cellular processes molecular & cellular processes regulating ovarian growth & regression regulating ovarian growth & regression

03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation Apoptosis (Programmed Cell Death)

03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation Methodology  Tissue processing ~ Embedding ~ Embedding ~ Sectioning ~ Sectioning  Tissue acquisition ~ CA Dept. of Fish ~ CA Dept. of Fish and Game and Game instruct.tri-c.edu/lfamian/ Ovarian%20Cycle.htm instruct.tri-c.edu/lfamian/ Ovarian%20Cycle.htm  Tissue analysis ~ Follicle state ~ Follicle state ~ ICC ~ ICC ~ TUNEL ~ TUNEL

03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation Preliminary Data  A trend towards increasing ovarian mass March: n = 11 April: n = 11

03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation Expected Results  Change in ovary mass  TUNEL  ICC ~ Bcl-2 ~ Bcl-2 ~ caspase-3 ~ caspase-3

03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation Conclusion  WNV  Omnivorous  Broader Impact ~ species-specific ~ species-specific contraceptive contraceptive  Mechanism regulating ovarian growth and ovarian growth and regression regression

03 May 2004Coventry DoughertyBiol 466H Presentation Acknowledgements  Howard Hughes Medical Institute  Dr. Kelly A. Young, California State University, Long Beach  Dr. A. Z. Mason, California State University, Long Beach  HHMI Program Coordinators Dr. Margaret Merryfield & Cecilia Arriaza, California State University, Long Beach Dr. Margaret Merryfield & Cecilia Arriaza, California State University, Long Beach  Lab Partners Kim Jenkins & Chantelle Moffat-Blue, California State Kim Jenkins & Chantelle Moffat-Blue, California State University, Long Beach University, Long Beach