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Michael K. Wanous,
Ph.D. |
Education/Training
Visiting Scientist, 2004-2005
John Innes Centre
Norwich, England
Postdoctoral fellow,
1994-1997
University of Missouri-Columbia
Ph.D. in Genetics, 1994
University of Missouri-Columbia
M.S. in Plant Breeding, 1989
Texas A&M University
B.S. in Agronomy and International
Agriculture, 1986
University of Minnesota
Teaching at Augustana
College
Genetics
Biological Principles I
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Biology and Human Concerns
Research Projects
My research focuses on
three main areas:
1. Organization of genes and
structural components of plant chromosomes.
My students and I are investigating the structure of plant
chromosomes. One aspect is the relationship between cytological and
recombination genetic maps. A recent realization in genome analysis
is that many organisms in the same taxonomic families share long
stretches of common gene order on the chromosomes. We are looking at
gene order comparisons in the grass family (Gramineae) which includes
rice, corn, wheat, and sorghum.
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Propotional relationship of cytological and recombination maps in rye chromosome 1. |
2. Identification and mapping of
genes important in improving quality of wheat.
The properties of gluten give bread dough its elasticity and
viscosity, allowing leavened bread products to be made. Gluten is a
mixture of over 50 different proteins, but two groups of proteins are
most important in giving gluten its special properties: high
molecular weight glutenins, and gliadins. We are searching the
chromosomes of wheat to identify genes that modify the transcription
of the genes encoding the two important gluten protein groups. These
modifying genes are important in determining the quality of wheat
grown for making flour.
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Scan of a wheat seed protein gel showing the optical density of the individual protein bands. |
3. Identification and mapping of genes involved in conferring environmental stress tolerance to plants. When C3 plants are stressed due to lack of water, their carbon-fixing enzymes discriminate between naturally occurring isotopes of carbon: 12C which is the most abundant, and13C which is rare. This discrimination is an indicator of how efficiently the plants use the water available to them. We are exploring the possibility of using a measurement of plant isotope discrimination to locate specific genes involved in water use efficiency.
Selected Presentations by My
Students and Me (last 10 years)
Augustana student authors
in italics.
Ihry, R., M. Moldan, and M.K. Wanous. 2008. Genomic regions influencing gene expression of the HMW glutenins in wheat. Augustana Symposium, April 26, 2008. Seminar.
Ihry, R., M. Moldan, E. Storlie, and M.K. Wanous. 2008. Genomic regions influencing gene expression of the HMW glutenins in wheat. SD Academy of Science, Oacoma, SD, April 5, 2008. Seminar.
Ihry, R., M. Moldan, J. Anderson-Daniels, M. Bell, E. Storlie, and M. Wanous. 2007. Expression level of genes encoding starch biosynthesis enzymes in hexaploid, tetraploid and diploid Triticeae species. Gordon Research Conference, Tilton, NH, July 15-20, 2007.
Davis, E., K. Harris, R. Ihry, K. Tieszen, and M.K. Wanous. 2007. Searching for the genes regulating the High Molecular Weight glutenins in 'Chinese Spring' wheat. SD Academy of Science, Brookings, SD, April 14, 2007. Poster.
Tieszen, K., R. Ihry, K. Harris, E. Davis, and M.K. Wanous. 2007. Searching for the genes regulating the High Molecular Weight glutenins in 'Chinese Spring' wheat. Augustana Symposium, April 21, 2007. Poster.
Storlie, E.W., E. Davis, K. Harris, R. Ihry, K. Tieszen, and M.K. Wanous. 2007. Identification of chromosome arms influencing gene expression of the HMW glutenins in wheat. Plant & Animal Genome Conference XV. San Diego, CA, January 13-17, 2007. Poster.
Baehr, L.M., J.H. Engbers, A.J. Johnson, and M.K. Wanous. 2005. Measuring gene expression of the high molecular weight glutenins in "Chinese Spring" wheat using RT-PCR. SD Academy of Science, Sioux Falls, SD, April 8, 2005. Poster.
Wanous, M.K. and L.M. Baehr. 2004. Development of a PCR primer set for the HMW glutenin genes expressed in 'Chinese Spring' wheat. Plant & Animal Genome Conference XII. San Diego, CA, January 10-14, 2004. Poster.
Baehr, L.M. and M.K. Wanous. 2004. Development of a PCR primer set for the HMW glutenin genes expressed in 'Chinese Spring' wheat. International Triticeae Mapping Initiative Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, May 23, 2004. Poster.
Baehr, L.M. and M.K. Wanous. 2004. Development of a PCR primer set for the HMW glutenin genes expressed in 'Chinese Spring' wheat. Augustana Symposium, April 17, 2004. Poster.
Baehr, L.M. and M.K. Wanous. 2004. Development of PCR primer set for the HMW glutenin genes expressed in 'Chinese Spring' wheat. SD Academy of Science, Chamberlain, SD, April 3, 2004. Poster.
Wanous, M.K. and L.M. Baehr. 2003. Development of a PCR primer set for the HMW glutenin genes expressed in 'Chinese Spring' wheat. SD Plant Physiol./Plant Biochem. Symp., Brookings, SD August 6-8, 2003. Poster.
Dykstra, A.G., A.M. Lems, N.R. Harden, and M.K. Wanous. 2003. Progress toward identifying genes regulating transcription of the HMW glutenins in wheat. SD Academy of Science, Rapid City, SD, April 4, 2003. Poster.
Dykstra, A.G. and A.M. Lems. 2003. Progress toward identifying genes regulating transcription of the HMW glutenins in wheat. Augustana Symposium, April 12, 2003. Poster.
Wanous, M.K., A.G. Dykstra, A.M. Lems, N.R. Harden, and J.D. Munkvold. 2002. Progress toward identifying genes regulating the expression of the HMW glutenin genes in wheat at the transcriptional level. SD NSF State EPSCoR Conf., Sioux Falls, SD, October 25, 2002. Poster.
Opheim, D.D., K.J. Fuehrer, S.R. Moeckly, M.E. Chapman, P.F. Byrne, and M.K. Wanous. 2001. Carbon isotope discrimination as a marker for heat tolerance in wheat and potential for quantitative trait locus mapping. SD Academy of Science, Vermillion, SD, April 6, 2001. Seminar.
Opheim, D.D. 2001. Carbon isotope discrimination as a marker for heat tolerance in wheat and potential for quantitative trait locus mapping. Augustana Symposium, March 31, 2001. Seminar.
Fuehrer, K.J., S.R. Moeckly, M.E. Chapman, P.F. Byrne, and M.K. Wanous. 2000. Carbon isotope discrimination as a marker for heat-tolerance in wheat. Joint MN, ND, SD Academy of Science, Moorhead, MN, April 29, 2000. Seminar.
Kruse, J.D., J.D. Munkvold, E.E. Lee, E.A. Hamann, E.J. Hamann, and M.K. Wanous. 2000. Chromosome arm dosage effects on the expression of the high molecular weight glutenin proteins of wheat. Joint MN, ND, SD Academy of Science, Moorhead, MN, April 29, 2000. Seminar.
Wanous, M.K. 2000. Mentoring undergraduate students in research: experiences from a liberal arts college. God and the Academy Conf., Atlanta, GA, June, 2000. Poster.
Wanous, M.K., B. Page, and J.A. Birchler. 1998. Maize A chromosome sequences selected with the B centromere clone. 22nd Stadler Genetics Symposium, Columbia, MO, June, 1998. Poster.
Wanous, M.K., and J.A. Birchler. 1997. Analysis of sequences from A chromosomes selected with the B centromere clone. 39th Ann. Maize Genetics Conf., Clearwater Beach, FL, March, 1997. Poster.
Wanous, M.K., O. Heredia-Diaz, X. Ma, P.G. Goicoechea, G. Wricke, E. Ferrer, and J.P. Gustafson. 1996. Progress of molecular and cytological mapping in rye. International Triticeae Mapping Initiative 6th Public Workshop, Sydney, Australia, August, 1996. Seminar.
Selected Publications
Augustana student authors
in italics.
Colas, I., P. Shaw, P. Prieto, M. Wanous, W. Spielmeyer, R. Mago, and G. Moore. 2008. Effective chromosome pairing requires chromatin remodeling at the onset of meiosis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 105:6075-6080.
Griffiths, S., R. Sharp, T. Foote, I. Bertin, M. Wanous, S. Reader, I. Colas, G. Moore. 2006. Molecular characterisation of Ph1 as a major chromosome pairing locus in polyploid wheat. Nature 439: 749-752.
Wanous, M.K., J.D. Munkvold, J.D. Kruse, E.E. Brachman, M.A. Klawiter, and K.J. Fuehrer. 2003. Identification of chromosome arms influencing expression of the HMW glutenins in wheat. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 106: 213-220.
Page, B.T., M.K. Wanous, and J.A. Birchler. 2001. Characterization of a maize chromosome 4 centromeric sequence: evidence for an evolutionary relationship with the B chromosome centromere. The first two authors contributed equally to this paper. Genetics 159: 291-302.
Ma, X.F., M.K. Wanous, K. Houchins, M.A. Rodriguez-Milla, P.G. Goicoechea, Z. Wang, M. Xie, and J.P. Gustafson. 2001. Molecular linkage mapping in rye (Secale cereale L.). Theoretical and Applied Genetics 102: 517-523.
Wanous, M.K. and J.P. Gustafson. 1995. A genetic map of rye chromosome 1R integrating RFLP and cytogenetic loci. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 91: 720-726.
Wanous, M.K., P.G. Goicoechea, and J.P. Gustafson. 1995. RFLP maps of rye chromosomes 6R and 7R including terminal C-bands. Genome 38: 999-1004.
Wanous, M.K. 1990. Origin, taxonomy and ploidy of the millets and minor cereals. Plant Varieties and Seeds 3: 99-112.
Grant Support
M.K. Wanous. Identification and mapping of genes regulating the expression of the HMW glutenins in wheat. USDA, National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, seed grant. 7/1/03 - 6/30/05. $75,000.
M.K. Wanous. Real-time PCR to locate genes influencing the expression of the HMW glutenin genes in wheat. South Dakota NSF EPSCoR College Faculty Fellowship. 5/15/02 - 5/14/03. $15,000.
M.K. Wanous. Discovery of genes controlling the expression of the HMW glutenins in wheat. Augustana Research and Artist Fund. 6/1/01 - 7/31/01. $4,473.
M.K. Wanous. Chromosome mapping of genes modifying gluten expression in wheat. USDA, National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, seed grant. 9/15/98 - 9/30/00. $50,000.
D.L. Carlson, M.R. Diggins, and M.K. Wanous. Acquisition of DNA analysis instrumentation for biological research and undergraduate training at Augustana College. NSF, Major Research Instrumentation. 9/1/98 - 8/31/00. $35,960 (with $15,411 match from Augustana College).
M.K. Wanous. Genome organization in the grass Zingeria biebersteiniana, a species with only two chromosomes. Augustana Research and Artist Fund. 8/1/98 - 7/31/99. $2,790.
M.K. Wanous. Identification of modifier genes affecting quality in wheat. South Dakota Wheat Commission. 7/1/98 - 6/30/99. $3,000.
Comments? Questions? Please contact steven.matzner@augie.edu
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