DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Single Copy Nuclear Genes in Basal Angiosperms

为了了解开花植物的起源和早期扩散，有信心地了解古代开花植物群之间的关系是很重要的。除了少数例外，用于确定被子植物进化的大分子数据集不包含来自细胞核中编码蛋白质的基因的DNA序列。本研究的重点是：1)有代表性的古代开花植物核内10个蛋白质编码基因的DNA序列；3)开花植物核内10个蛋白质编码基因的DNA序列；3)这些基因的重复拷贝在开花植物中的进化动态；4)这些基因在复制后的分子进化。这项研究将制定在植物系统学中使用核基因DNA的方案。当叶绿体的DNA序列还没有清楚地决定开花植物生命树上最古老的分支时，核基因序列有望非常有用。作为这笔资金的结果，一名女研究生、一名女本科生和一名女高中生将接受植物系统学方面的培训。

In order to understand the origin and early dispersion of flowering plants it is important to have a confident understanding of the relationships among ancient flowering plant groups. With few exceptions, the large molecular datasets used in determining the evolution of angiosperms do not contain DNA sequences from genes in the cell nucleus that code for proteins. This study focuses on: 1) DNA sequences of ten protein coding genes in the nucleus of representative ancient flowering plants: Amborella and Nuphar (yellow water lily); the magnolia relatives Persea (avocado), Aristolochia, and Liriodendron (tulip poplar); and an ancient monocot, Acorus (sweet flag); 2) utility of these genes for understanding relationships in flowering plants; 3) evolutionary dynamics of duplicated copies of these genes in flowering plants; and 4) molecular evolution of these genes following duplication. This research will produce protocols for using the DNA of nuclear genes in plant systematics. Nuclear gene sequences promise to be extremely useful where DNA sequences of chloroplasts have not clearly determined the oldest branches of the flowering plant tree of life. As a result of this funding, a female graduate student, a female undergraduate student, and a female high school student will be trained in plant systematics.