Thesis (M.S.) in Food and Nutrition Sciences--University of Maine, 2007. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-150).

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Investigations into the phylogeny, genome size, and karyotype of microsporidian Nadeispora canceri were initiated to further characterize the organism. Isolates of N. canceri spores were obtained from both Dungeness (Cancer magisrer) and red rock crabs (Cancer productus). Analysis of the ssu rDNA sequence from spore isolates of the two crab species showed 100% sequence identity among 1,081 nucleotide positions, indicating the same species of microsporidian is infecting both species of crabs. Phylogenetic studies based on the ssu rDNA sequences also showed N. canceri to be most closely related to another crustacean parasite, A meson michaelis. Sequence comparison between the two microsporidian species showed 93% sequence identity (1,001/1081 nucleotide positions). Pulsed field gel electrophoresis was used to estimate the genome size and karyotype of N. canceri isolates obtained from Dungeness and red rock crabs. Resolution of DNA bands on the pulsed field gels revealed both isolates to have a karyotype often chromosome-sized DNA bands. Estimation of the genome size revealed spore isolates from C. magister to have a total genome size of 7.44 Mb and spore isolates from C. productus to have a total genome size of 7.32 Mb. Variations detected in chromosome size culminated in a difference in the genome size between the two isolates. However, the variations in chromosome size were found not to be significant based on the Student's t-test. / Graduation date: 2004

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2002. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-105). Also available via the World Wide Web.