Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Genetics and Genomics Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

University of Montana

2017

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Genetics and Genomics

K-Mer Analysis Pipeline For Classification Of Dna Sequences From Metagenomic Samples, Russell Kaehler Jan 2017

K-Mer Analysis Pipeline For Classification Of Dna Sequences From Metagenomic Samples, Russell Kaehler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Biological sequence datasets are increasing at a prodigious rate. The volume of data in these datasets surpasses what is observed in many other fields of science. New developments wherein metagenomic DNA from complex bacterial communities is recovered and sequenced are producing a new kind of data known as metagenomic data, which is comprised of DNA fragments from many genomes. Developing a utility to analyze such metagenomic data and predict the sample class from which it originated has many possible implications for ecological and medical applications. Within this document is a description of a series of analytical techniques used to process …

Go to article

¬Multilocus Phylogeny Of The Lichen Family Megasporaceae, Tim B. Wheeler Jan 2017

¬Multilocus Phylogeny Of The Lichen Family Megasporaceae, Tim B. Wheeler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The lichen symbiosis is one of the oldest studied mutualisms; in fact, Frank and De Bary coined the term "symbiosis" while studying lichens (Frank, 1877; De Bary 1879). The widespread, stable association between the mycobiont and photobiont in lichens offers an ideal system for the study of co-evolution. The recent application of molecular data to lichens has begun to unveil the complexities involved in these associations (Upreti et al. 2015, Spribille et al. 2016). Lichenized fungi make up a huge fraction of fungal diversity (Nash 2008), yet very little is known of their genetic diversity. Fungal taxonomy is notoriously difficult …

Go to article

Responding To Soil Fungal Communities: A Look At Interactions Between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi And The Common Yellow Monkeyflower, Mariah Mcintosh Jan 2017

Responding To Soil Fungal Communities: A Look At Interactions Between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi And The Common Yellow Monkeyflower, Mariah Mcintosh

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The obligate fungal mutualists arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonize the roots approximately 80% of vascular plants, generally thought to provide mineral nutrition, pathogen protection, or drought resistance to plants in exchange for photosynthetic carbon. Because of the ecological and evolutionary significance of these interactions, much work has been done to understand this symbiosis at the community level. However, much remains to be understood about how AMF affect plant fitness on an individual level. In this study, we took advantage of the tractability of the emerging model species Mimulus guttatus, the common yellow monkeyflower, to identify genetic differences in how …

Go to article

Contributions Of Gene Copy Number Variation To Genome Evolution And Local Adaptation Of The Cyanobacterium Acaryochloris, Amy L. Gallagher Jan 2017

Contributions Of Gene Copy Number Variation To Genome Evolution And Local Adaptation Of The Cyanobacterium Acaryochloris, Amy L. Gallagher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Acaryochloris is a recently discovered genus of cyanobacteria, unique in its use of an uncommon chlorophyll as its major photosynthetic pigment, and in its peculiar genome dynamics. Members of this genus exhibit increased genic copy number variation (CNV), which is thought to be primarily derived from gene duplications and horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Acaryochloris provides an ideal system to explore mechanisms behind maintenance of gene duplicates and the influence of CNV in local adaptation. Here, I propose a mechanism for retention of gene duplicates of the bacterial recombinase, RecA, in Acaryochloris genomes and provide preliminary evidence that these paralogs are …

Go to article

Evolution Of Molt Phenology In Dwarf Hamsters, Zachary Clare-Salzler Jan 2017

Evolution Of Molt Phenology In Dwarf Hamsters, Zachary Clare-Salzler

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Environmental seasonality presents many challenges for survival. In response, organisms from across the tree of life exhibit adaptive phenology, which can facilitate survival from season to season. In particular, many species are white in the winter and brown in the summer where winter snow cover alters the visual environment. There is an extensive body of literature describing the physiological and cellular regulation of this trait in the Siberian dwarf hamster (Phodopus sungorus), but there are major shortcomings in our understanding concerning the evolution and molecular regulation of mammalian skin phenology. Notably, little is known about the genetic basis …

Go to article

Ancient Dna Extraction From Stone Tools, Clare Super Jan 2017

Ancient Dna Extraction From Stone Tools, Clare Super

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Proteins and DNA can be trapped in the microcracks on the surface of stone tools, which can then be extracted and analyzed to aid in inferring the use of the tool (Shanks et al. 2001; 2005). This nondestructive method involves the use of sonication to release DNA from the microcracks, then amplification of regions of mitochondrial DNA that are species specific. This technique was applied to stone tools from the Bridge River site in British Columbia by researchers at UMT’s Ancient and Modern Molecular Anthropology labs. Bridge River archaeologists have designated the tools as used in “food processing or tool …

Go to article