Peixin
He
Sponsor: Tiffany Lowe-Power, Ph.D. Plant Pathology Ralstonia solanacearum is a plant bacterial pathogen that causes fatal wilt disease in numerous crops such as potatoes and tomatoes. Ralstonia invades the root through small wounds to colonize the xylem. These bacteria are a threat to global food security due its aggressiveness, persistence, and geographic distribution, with genetically diverse phylotypes composed of hundreds of lineages. Our investigation explores the metabolic capacity of two Ralstonia strains isolated from Guatemala. We used KBase to assemble, annotate, and analyze these strains. We will trace the metabolic pathways, chemical reactions and compounds in each genome by creating a metabolic model and utilizing the KEGG database. We will explore the metabolites found in each strain, such as putrescine, to better understand how Ralstonia grows in plants. Comparing our two strains will help us connect the relationship between various metabolic pathways, carbohydrates and the virulence of Ralstonia. In turn, this can increase our understanding of how the availability of nutrients can influence the growth of Ralstonia in various crops and ultimately aid in the research of breeding crops for resistance. Identifying Drosophila Sleep Stages Using Temperature as a Potential Marker
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Peixin He
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In humans and other mammals, different sleep stages, such as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM), are associated with distinct changes in core body temperature. Specifically, deep sleep is linked to lower body temperature and vice-versa. Additionally, previous studies indicate that gamma- aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor activation in mammals induces a shift from REM to NREM sleep and a decrease in body temperature. Drosophila melanogaster exhibits a rapid decline in body temperature with sleep onset, followed by gradual recovery throughout the night, which resembles humans. This suggests temperature changes may also differentiate Drosophila sleep stages. However, exposure to GABA-receptor agonist carbamazepine (CBZ) produces an increase in sleep temperature in wild-type Drosophila, as well as a shift toward longer periods of sleep but overall reduction in total sleep. Taurine, another GABA- receptor agonist, produces similar results but instead induces a shift toward shorter periods of sleep. GABA-receptor activation consistently presents with changes in body temperature, therefore indicating temperature as a potential marker for sleep- regulatory effects. As such, identifying Drosophila sleep stages analogous to humans, and understanding their molecular mechanisms and neural circuits, may translate into and deepen current understandings of human sleep regulation. Microglial Activation and Amyloid Pathology in Aged Rhesus Macaques Payal Hegde
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UC Davis / Neuro Physio & Behavior / 2025
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Peixin He