Research Topics
Department of Agronomy
Ph.D. (1984) Texas A & M University
Research Topics
Research Interests
Understanding how cereal genomes are organized and evolve is the major goal of my research. Corn and wheat have been chosen as model species for this research. Projects in the laboratory may be categorized into one of the following groups:
1) With the development of gene transformation systems in plants, where new genes are inserted in the plant genome is of extreme interest. The location of specific genes and non-coding repeated DNA sequences in the interphase nucleus are being determined in order to study the role of nuclear environment on gene expression and inheritance. In addition, diploid organisms which have been induced to become polyploid are being observed to gain an understanding of how organisms may stabilize their genome after the introduction of new genetic material.
2) The role of non-coding highly repeated DNA sequences in the plant genome is being explored. Plant genomes contain large amounts of these sequences and have the ability to tolerate large fluctuations in their levels. Populations varying in amounts of repeated DNA sequences are being examined in order to determine if changes in total DNA may be correlated with environmental adaptation. Flow cytometry is being employed to detect small variation among plant populations. Specific DNA sequences will be analyzed to observe if certain sequences may fluctuate in response to particular environmental stimuli.
3) The role of proteins in chromatin structure and gene expression is under investigation. Antibodies to specific proteins which are known to bind to DNA (histones, topoisomerase, etc.) are being prepared. These antibodies will be used to determine the location of specific proteins along metaphase and interphase chromosomes. The role of these proteins with respect to areas such as tissue specific gene expression and heterochromatin coiling are being probed.
Key Words Recombinant DNA, Introduction of DNA into Plant Cells, DNA-Protein
Interactions, Molecular Evolution, Genome Organization/RFLP Mapping, Image Analysis,
Plant Cell and/or Tissue Culture