Robert W. Lee | Adjunct Professor | Department of Biology | Dalhousie University | 1355 Oxford Street | Halifax, Nova Scotia  

tel: 902-494-2554 | fax: 902-494-3736 | email: robert.lee@dal.ca

Evolution of organelle genetic systems in green algae.

Research Summary

The main focus of our research is to study the evolution of organelle (mitochondrial and plastid) genetic systems in green algae (Chlorophyta). In particular, we are interested in identifying the factors and mechanisms contributing to the five-fold variation in gene content and the apparent structural diversity of the mitochondrial genome (circular, linear, fragmented linear) in different lineages from this group. Moreover, using nucleus-encoded gene sequence (expressed sequence tag or EST) data we are deducing the functions of plastids from the Chlorophyta that have over evolutionary time lost a capacity for photosynthesis and become colorless.

 

Lab News

June 2010

David Smith's PhD defense is booked for Aug. 13, 2010.

September 2009

Dr. Jimeng Hua has joined our lab as a Postdoctoral fellow.

 

Recent Publications

Smith, D.R. and Lee, R.W. (2011) Nucleotide diversity of the colorless green alga Polytomella parva (Chlorophyceae, Chlorophyta): high for the mitochondrial telomeres, surprisingly low everywhere else. J. Euk. Microbiol. (in press).

Hua, J., Smith, D.R., Borza T., and Lee R.W. (2011) Similar relative mutation rates in the three genetic compartments of Mesostigma and Chlamydomonas. Protist. (in press).

Smith D.R., Crosby, K., and Lee RW (2011) Plastids and gene transfer: Correlation between nuclear plastid DNA abundance and plastid number supports the limited transfer window hypothesis. Genome Biol. Evol. 3:365-371.
(A commentary by Nick Lane Genome Biol Evol. 2011; 3:372-374 accompanies this article.)  View PDF.

Smith, D.R., Hua, J. and Lee, R.W. (2010) Evolution of linear mitochondrial DNA in three known lineages of Polytomella. Curr. Genet. 56:427-438.  View PDF.

Smith, D.R. and Lee, R.W. (2010) Low nucleotide diversity for the expanded organelle and nuclear genomes of Volvox carteri supports the mutational-hazard hypothesis. Mol. Biol. Evol. 27:2244-2256.  View PDF.

Smith, D.R., Lee, R.W., Cushman, J.C., Magnuson, J.K., Tran, D. and Polle, J.E.W. (2010) The Dunaliella salina organelle genomes: large sequences, inflated with intronic and intergenic DNA. BMC Plant Biol. 10:83.  View PDF.

Smith, D.R. (2009) Unparalleled GC content in the plastid DNA of Selaginella. Plant Mol. Biol. 71:627-639.  View PDF.
This work was conducted in the laboratory of R.W. Lee and supported by his NSERC grant.

Borza, T., Redmond, E.K., Laflamme, M. and Lee R.W. (2009) Mitochondrial DNA in the Oogamochlamys-clade (Chlorophyceae): high GC content and unique genome architecture for green algae. J. Phycol. 45:1323-1334.  View PDF.

Smith, D.R. and Lee, R.W. (2009) Nucleotide diversity of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii plastid genome: addressing the mutational-hazard hypothesis. BMC Evolutionary Biology 9:120.  View PDF.

Smith, D.R. and Lee, R.W. (2009) The mitochondrial and plastid genomes of Volvox carteri: bloated molecules rich in repetitive DNA. BMC Genomics 10:132.  View PDF.

Smith, D.R. and Lee, R.W. (2008) Nucleotide diversity in the mitochondrial and nuclear compartments of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: investigating the origins of genome architecture. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8:156.  View PDF.

Smith, D.R., Lee, R.W. (2008) Mitochondrial genome of the colorless green alga Polytomella capuana: a linear molecule with an unprecedented GC content. Mol. Biol. Evol. 25:487-496.  View PDF.