Laboratory of Molecular Taxonomy

11. mars 2003. Foto: Geir Arnesen

INTRODUCTION:
The Laboratory of Molecular Taxonomy was established in 2003 with support from the Norwegian Research Council and is dedicated to the studies of molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of various organisms including bacteria, fungi, plants and animals.
The laboratory is part of Department of Botany, Tromsø University Museum, and situated beautifully at the south end of the Tromsø Island. The laboratory is well equipped with modern instruments to be used in molecular taxonomy studies.

ONGOING PROJECTS:

FUNGI
1. Taxonomy, systematics and phylogeny of selected pyrenomycetes.
An application with the project title "Northern Ascomycetes - taxonomy, systematics and phylogeny" was submitted to the Norwegian Research Council (FRIBIOØKO) in June 2004. We applied for a Researcher position and a Doctoral fellowship, but the application was rejected.

However, in 2005 the University of Tromsø granted a University research fellowship (4 years) to the Department of Botany. Therefore, in the application to the Norwegian Research Council in June 2005, we only applied for a Researcher position for dr. Alfred Granmo, but the application was rejected.

The Northern Ascomycota is at present divided into the following two projects:
1) The Lophiostomataceae s. lato: Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis.
2) The Xylariaceae: Taxonomic revision of the genus Entoleuca, and its connection to allied genera in the family.

Northern Ascomycota will focus on the taxonomy and systematics of pyrenomycetes. In this study the subject of investigation will be one family of bitunicate pyrenomycetes, the Lophiostomataceae, and the genus Entoleuca (Xylariaceae), with a selection of its neighbouring genera. We shall delimit and define the taxa included in Lophiostomataceae, and in Entoleuca, and try to work out a phylogeny for the included taxonomic groups (species, genera, family), and relate it to neighbouring groups.

The study will also consider fungus-host relationship, and evaluate ecology and geography of the studied taxa. The permanent research group on Northern Ascomycetes is planned to consist of two professionals in taxonomy, in addition to one dr. scient. student and one expert conducting the laboratory work on DNA-analyses. This group may take advantage of and exchange information and material with several professionals and research groups, with whom we are in contact, e.g. in Oslo (prof. Schumacher, Ø. Stensrud), Umeå (prof. Eriksson), Copenhagen (dr. Læssøe), Wuppertal (dr. Stadler, dr. Wollweber), and in Vladivostok (dr. Vasilyeva). The methods to be used in the study are molecular investigation, common, descriptive taxonomy, and in part chemotaxonomy (xylariaceous taxa). The work on systematics also includes nomenclature, which implies loans from foreign herbaria to study types or authentic material.

Main aims
1) Perform a taxonomic and systematic revision of the family Lophiostomataceae (Pleosporales) by investigating species from most of its genera, and from genera in neighbouring families, and/or genera previously referred to Lophiostomataceae.
2) Perform a taxonomic revision of the genus Entoleuca (Xylariaceae), taking into consideration host connection, pathogenicity and geographical distribution. The study includes a comparison with a core of neighbouring genera.
3) Based on results inferred from the morphological, ecological and molecular data, the aims are to establish a more accurate classification of the species and genera in the Lophiostomataceae and Xylariaceae than present today.

For further information; e-mail:geirm@tmu.uit.no

PLANTS
Genetic diversity and antioxidant content in Alpine leek (Allium victorialis L.).
The purpose of this project is to elucidate the migration pattern of the Norwegian alpine leek. Genetic variation between nine populations of alpine leek from Norway, Russia, Switzerland and Georgia will be investigated by two different methods; RAPD (Restricted Amplified Length Polymorphic DNA) analysis and AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism) technology. In addition to the genetic variation, the total antioxidant activity and content of different antioxidant metabolites will be measured in the nine populations. To see if the total antioxidant capacity and the pattern of different antioxidants are related to the genetic variation between populations of alpine leek. The project is a collaboration between Scottish Crop Research Institute (Scotland), The Norwegian Crop Research Institute (Norway) and Tromsø University Museum (Tromsø, Norway).
For further information; e-mail:inger.martinussen@holt.planteforsk.no

ANIMALS
Population structure of Norwegian grey seal colonies.
The Institute of Marine Research is currently characterising the genetic population structure of grey seal breeding colonies along the Norwegian coast. DNA has been extracted from 311 skin samples taken from pups found in 5 major breeding localities. This work has been carried out at the molecular genetics laboratory at Tromsø Museum under technical supervision of senior engineer John Beck Jensen. The samples are now being analysed both by sequencing of a 400 bp fragment of the mitochondrial control region and by fragment analysis using 9 microsatellite markers. The purpose of this project is to improve the scientific basis for stock delineation. This is important information to the management regime for this species, which includes a quota regulated hunt.
For more information, please contact Anne Kirstine Frie at the Institute of Marine Research, Tromsø Branch: e-mail:anne.kirstine@imr.no, Phone: 77609729

Genetic basis and evolution of ventral plumage melanism in a family of seabirds (skuas)
The genetic basis of phenotypic change and adaptation is one of the major outstanding problems in evolutionary biology. Until recently it has been difficult to identify the genes involved, particularly in wild populations. However, the evolutionary conserved biochemical pathways of melanin-based fur and plumage pigmentation has become a promising model system with several candidate genes available to study the molecular basis of adaptation. One of these genes, the melanocortin-1-receptor gene (MC1R), has recently been shown to be associated with intraspecific melanism in several mammal and bird species. Our recent discovery of the MC1R-based melanism in arctic skuas (Stercorarius parasiticus) has generated an exceptional opportunity to resolve the evolutionary history of plumage variation to a degree not achieved before in any group of birds.
Based on the MC1R-based melanism in arctic skuas, we continue our study on evolutionary genetics in the entire skua family (Stercorariidae) which comprises several species with conspicuous ventral plumage polymorphism and monomorphic congeners. We perform multilocus phylogenetic analyses (neutral markers) in combination with analyses of the evolutionary history of the pigmentation gene(s) involved in phenotypic change (MC1R and other candidate genes potentially involved in melanism). Furthermore, the identification of the genetic basis of melanism enables the use of population genetic data to investigate whether melanic phenotypes have an adaptive advantage in polymorphic species. This will be investigated in several arctic skua populations with different degrees of melanism.

This project is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Nick I. Mundy, University of Cambridge, U.K. and is funded by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Norwegian Research Council. For further information, please contact Kirstin Janssen e-mail:Kirstin.Janssen@tmu.uit.no or phone + 47- 77 64 50 54).

Ecological and immunological effects of persistent organic pollutants in arctic seabirds.
The main purpose of this project is to characterise immunological and ecological effects of persistent organic pollution in three species of seabirds from the Barents Sea; the Glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus), Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) and Puffin (Fratercula arctica). In this study it is essential to know the sex of the birds, however since the birds are monomorphic, sex can not be determinate from plumage colour. Sex can be determinate from body size, a method which includes a large source of error (20-50%). Therefore we use molecular techniques to perform sex determination. By PCR techniques we amplify the CHD gene which results in one and two replicons in male and female birds, respectively. For further information, see Griffiths et al., Mol. Ecol. 7;1071-1075.
The project is part of a research fellow in ecology at the Tromsø University Museum.

For more information, please contact Kjetil Sagerup at the department of zoology, Tromsø University Museum, Tromsø.
e-mail:kjetils@tmu.uit.no, Phone: 77645092.