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Laura Beaster-Jones ,
Ph.D. |
Education/Training
Postdoctoral Research, 2003-2006
Scripps Institution of
Oceanography,
University of California, San Diego, California
Ph.D. in Biology, 2003
Laboratory for Molecular Biology,
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
B.A. in Biology, 1996
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington
Vertebrate Embryology
Developmental Biology
Biological Principles I
Biological Principles II
Research Interests
My research focuses upon how spatial and temporal differences in gene expression can affect biological events. These differences determine the specification of cell type and have contributed to changes in animal body plans. This nexus of developmental, molecular and evolutionary biology generates a variety of interesting questions:
• Which mechanisms control where and when genes are differentially expressed?
• How is this differentiation coordinated to form functional units such as organs or tissues?
• How have these mechanisms been conserved or changed through evolution?
To investigate these questions, I focus on the developmental genetics of the invertebrate chordate amphioxus ( Branchiostoma floridae ). Amphioxus is generally considered the closest living relative of the vertebrates: both its body plan and genomic organization are vertebrate-like, but much simpler. Amphioxus adults and embryos are collected in Florida during the spawning season in July and August.
Adult amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) with mature gonads.
Because the sequence, expression and function of developmental genes are remarkably well-conserved across a wide range of animal phyla, we can identify amphioxus developmental genes and compare the expression patterns of these genes to those found in other organisms to determine possible homologies. The long-term goal of this research is to understand the development of vertebrate morphological novelties. Using a comparative approach, my research projects will examine the conservation and changes in the regulatory elements of developmental genes and the basic gene network required for somite development, a novel morphology found only in amphioxus and vertebrates.
Sarasota, Florida. An amphioxus collection site.
Publications
Beaster-Jones, L., Schubert, M. and Holland , L.Z. (2007). Cis-regulation of the amphioxus engrailed gene: insights into evolution of a muscle-specific enhancer. Mechanisms of Development. (Submitted.)
Rasmussen, S.L., Holland, L.Z., Schubert, M., Beaster-Jones, L., and Holland, N.D. (2007). Amphioxus AmphiDelta: evolution of Delta protein structure, segmentation, and neurogenesis. Genesis. 45(3):113-22.
Beaster-Jones, L., Horton, A.C., Gibson-Brown, J.J. and Holland , L.Z. (2006). An amphioxus T-box gene AmphiTbx15/18/22, illuminates the origins of chordate segmentation. Evolution and Development. 8:119-129.
Beaster-Jones L. and Okkema P.G. (2004). DNA binding and in vivo function of C.elegans PEB-1 require a conserved FLYWCH motif. Journal of Molecular Biology. 339:695-706.
Kalb J.M., Beaster-Jones L., Fernandez A.P., Okkema P.G., Goszczynski B., and McGhee J.D. (2002). Interference between the PHA-4 and PEB-1 transcription factors in formation of the C. elegans pharynx. Journal of Molecular Biology. 320:697-704.
Thatcher J.D., Fernandez A.P., Beaster-Jones L., Haun C., and Okkema P.G. (2001). The Caenorhabditis elegans peb-1 gene encodes a novel DNA-binding protein involved in morphogenesis of the pharynx, vulva, and hindgut. Developmental Biology. 229: 480-193.
Comments? Questions? Please contact steven.matzner@augie.edu
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