Molecular Biology of a Marine Brown Alga
Mary U. Connell
Professor
Ph.D., Kent State University
The work in my lab focuses on molecular biology questions. Specifically, I am most interested in unraveling molecular characteristics of the marine brown alga, Scytosiphon lomentaria. Currently, we are pursuing two different avenues of inquiry using this organism. The first involves an examination of the chloroplast DNA of Scytosiphon to determine if specific genes are encoded in this genome. Throughout the evolution of the algae as well as the land plants, various genes have been transferred from the chloroplast to the nuclear genome. Consequently, determination of chloroplast DNA gene content provides information that can be used to assess phylogenetic relationships within the algal groups.
The second avenue of inquiry involves a search for the genes in Scytosiphon that are responsible for mediating its response to day length. This alga grows as a small crustose basal system that is induced to produce a large macrothallus in response to a short day/long night photoperiod. Previous work has shown that this response is blue light mediated. Blue light responses are known for a wide variety of organisms, but until recently the chemical receptors mediating these responses have been very difficult to identify, especially in photosynthetic organisms. Several flavoproteins belonging to the cryptochrome group have been shown to mediate blue light responses in land plants. Similar photoreceptor chemicals are the likely candidates for such responses in Scytosiphon and we are examining the DNA for the presence of these genes. If they are found we will examine gene expression as well as gene sequence.
Additional projects in my lab involve student research being carried out with another professor but that has a molecular component to it. One such project involves a population and phylogenetic comparison of selected Texas scorpion taxa using mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences. Another project is comparing ectomycorrhizal fungi in different forest types. These fungi are being identified using a molecular approach that involves the amplification by PCR of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA followed by restriction digestion of the PCR product and analysis of the restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs).
Selected Publications
Brunner, J.J., Henson, R.N., and Connell, M.U. (1999) The reevaluation of Diplocentrus sp. using molecular techniques. The ASB Bulletin 46(2):218.
Barthet, M., and Connell, M.U. (2000) Partial gene content of the chloroplast DNA from Scytosiphon lomentaria. The ASB Bulletin 47(2):172.
Brunner, J. J., Henson, R.N., and Connell, M.U. (2000) A molecular analysis of the scorpion complex Diplocentrus using a 500bp section of mitochondrial 16S rDNA. The ASB Bulletin 47(2):172.
Estep, M. C., Henson, R. N., and Connell, M. U. (2001) Phylogeography of the desert scorpion: Paruroctonus utahensis Williams using 16S rDNA sequence. The ASB Bulletin 48(2):134.
Lyerly, B.J. and Connell, M. U. (2001) Analysis of cryptochrome and phototrophin genes in the marine brown alga Scytosiphon lomentaria. The ASB Bulletin 48(2):175.
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