My thesis focuses on the conservation consequences of the hybridization of Lesser Prairie-Chickens in Kansas. Specifically, examining how past land management practices altering the species ranges impact the distinctiveness of Lesser Prairie-Chickens. Each chapter is an individual publication that addresses if the Greater and Lesser Prairie-Chicken are distinct when applying the morphological and biological species concepts. Chapter 2 compares the evolutionary history and morphological construct of Lesser Prairie-Chickens and other Galliformes using morphometric analysis. Chapter 3 uses low-resolution microsatellite data to reflect recent changes at the population level. This study aims to observe the Greater and Lesser Prairie-Chicken using the morphological and biological species concepts, two of the many species concepts, to determine the distinctiveness and rate of hybridization for these closely related species.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The cellular expression of the enzymes implicated in regulating sucrose metabolism and accumulation in sugarcane is poorly understood. The present study was therefore aimed at the development of an in situ hybridisation (ISH) technique to study differential gene expression among the various cell types of the sugarcane culm. This technique in conjunction with northern and western blotting was then used to determine the sites of cellular and tissue specific expression of the cytosolic enzymes, UDP-Glc dehydrogenase, pyrophosphate dependent phosphofructokinase and UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase, involved in sucrose metabolism. This study revealed that the determination of the influencing parameters associated with the development of an ISH protocol was essential for the successful detection of the endogenous RNA sequences in sugarcane internodal tissues. The parameters that were investigated included the type of embedding medium, duration of fixation period, pre-treatment procedures and hybridisation temperature. It further revealed that fresh internodal tissue sections, fixed for a period of 24 h and thereafter exposed to pre-treatment and hybridisation, facilitated the analysis of cytological gene expression at all stages of sugarcane development. The second part of this study revealed very localised transcript expression for UDP-Glc DH, PFP and UGPase in the different internodal tissue and cell types. The UDP-Glc DH and UGPase transcripts were localised to the phloem elements, whilst xylem tissue only expressed the UDP-Glc DH transcript. Transcripts of UDP-Glc DH, PFP and UGPase were all expressed in the parenchyma cells that were associated with the vascular bundles and the stem storage compartment, suggesting that the parenchyma cells distributed throughout the stem in the different tissue types complement each other in function for the purposes of phloem loading, unloading and assimilate transport processes. Complimentary northern and western hybridisations demonstrated that internode 7 represents a shift in the sink from utilisation to storage. This is evident by the observed decline in both the relative transcript and protein abundances of UDP-Glc DH, PFP and UGPase at this stage of development. The relative mRNA and protein abundances for the three enzymes showed a similar trend. Higher levels of the gene transcripts and translated products were observed in the younger sucrose importing tissues, than in the older sucrose accumulating internodes. At a cellular level, it was found that the sites of cellular UDP-Glc DH, PFP and UGPase expression differed marginally. Whilst UDP-Glc DH was expressed in the phloem, xylem and parenchyma cells of the vascular complex and in storage parenchyma cells, PFP was expressed exclusively in parenchyma cells that were associated with the vascular bundles and those serving a storage function in the stem pith and UGPase was found to be localised in the phloem and parenchyma of the vascular bundles and the storage parenchyma cells. Such findings have demonstrated an increase in resolution with which gene expression can be examined at a cellular level. Hence, the results from this study have demonstrated that the knowledge of metabolic compartmentation between different tissue and cell types is a requisite to understanding the function(s) of individual enzymes within complex structures such as the sugarcane culm. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die sellulêre lokalisering van die ensieme wat geïmpliseer word in die regulering van sukrose metabolisme is onbekend. Met dit in gedagte, was hierdie studie gefokus op die ontwikkeling van 'n in situ hibridisasie (ISH) tegniek om differensiële geenuitdrukking in die verskillende seltipes van die suikerrietstingel te ondersoek. Hierdie tegniek, tesame met RNA-en proteïen gel blots, is volgens aangewend om die areas van sellulêre-en weefselspesifieke uitdrukking van die sitosoliese ensieme UDP-glukose dehydrogenase, pirofosfaat-afhanklike fosfofruktokinase en UDP-glukose pirofosforilase, wat almal betrokke is by sukrosemetabolisme, te bepaal. Dit het duidelik geword gedurende die studie dat die bepaling van die optimale parameters van die ISH protokol vir suikerriet van deurslaggewende belang sou wees vir die opsporing van endogene RNA volgordes. Die parameters wat ondersoek is het ingesluit die tipe inbeddingsmedium, die tydsduur van fiksering, vooratbehandelings- en hibridisasiemetodes. Dit het duidelik geword dat vars internodale weefselsnitte wat vir 24 h gefikseer is en daarna voorafbehandeling en hibridisasie ondergaan het, die bepaling van geenuitdrukking tydens alle fases van suikkerrietontwikkeling moontlik gemaak het. Die tweede fase van hierdie studie het aangetoon dat al drie ensieme spesifiek gelokaliseerde uitdrukkingspatrone gehad het in verskillende internodale weefsels en seltipes. Al drie gene is konstitutief uitgedruk in internodes. Die UDP-glukose dehydrogenase en UDP-glukose pirofosforilase transkripte is gelokaliseer na die floeëm elemente, terwyl xileem slegs die UDP-glukose dehydrogenase transkripte bevat het. Al die gene is in die parenchiemselle uitgedruk wat geassosieer is met die vaatbondels en die stingel stoorkompartement, wat moontlik beteken dat die parenchiem selle wat deur die stingel versprei is 'n sentrale netwerk vorm wat direk of indirek koolstofassimileringsprosesse beïnvloed. RNA-en proteïen gel blots op dieselfde internodes het gewys dat internode sewe 'n verskuiwing, van koolstofverbruik na berging, verteenwoordig. Dit word gerllustreer deur die afname in beide transkrip en proteïen vlakke van die drie ensiem in hierdie stadium van ontwikkeling. Alhoewel beide mRNA en proteïen vlakke vir al die ensieme 'n soortgelyke tendens getoon het, het die sellulêre uitdrukking van die ensieme volgens ISH verskil, wat die krag van die tegniek illustreer. Die resultate van hierdie studie het gedemonstreer dat begrip van die kompartementalisasie van metabolisme tussen verskillende weefsel-en seltipes 'n voorvereiste is om die funksie/s van individuele ensieme in komplekse strukture soos die suikerrietstingel te bepaal.

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Call number: LD2668 .T4 1978 C58 / Master of Science

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Cuphea (Lythraceae) is a genus of interest as a possible domestic source of medium-chain fatty acids. The genus is in the preliminary phases of domestication. An unsuccessful attempt was made to produce interspecific hybrids between species in several sections of the genus and with varying chromosome numbers. An analysis was made of the time of day and size bud to collect for cytological study of meiotic phases. Chromosome numbers were reported for C. ignea and C. pinetorum. Arm-pairing data were collected for 4 species and one interspecific hybrid. Metaphase I bivalent size was measured for 4 species. A genetic study was done in C. procumbens. Hypotheses regarding the inheritance of flower color, viscid plant hairs, seed coat spots, seed coat hairs and seed dormancy are proposed. A PEG osmoticum pre-germination treatment was found ineffective in breaking dormancy.

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Hybridization between species has the potential to exert pleiotropic effects on metabolism. Reduced fitness in hybrids may arise through incompatibilities between nuclear- and mitochondrial-encoded subunits of the enzyme complexes of oxidative phosphorylation. In my thesis, I examined metabolic properties and hypoxia tolerance of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), pumpkinseed (L. gibbosus), and their unidirectional F1 hybrids (male bluegill x female pumpkinseed). Electron transport system (ETS) complex activities were examined in isolated mitochondria of bluegill, pumpkinseed and hybrids. The specific activities (units per mg mitochondrial protein) of complexes I, II, and V were indistinguishable between groups; however, both complex III and IV showed indications of depressed activities in hybrid mitochondria. The nature of sequence differences in complex IV catalytic subunits (CO1, CO2, CO3) were minor, however the mtDNA-encoded subunit of complex III (cytochrome b) showed 8 differences between bluegill and pumpkinseed, several of which could have structural consequences to the multimeric enzyme and contribute to the depressed complex III catalytic activity in hybrids. I next examined hypoxia tolerance in bluegill, pumpkinseed and hybrids to see if metabolic disruption in hybrids would lead to a reduced ability to cope with this stress. Though no difference in critical oxygen concentration (Pcrit) was noted, the time to loss of equilibrium (LOE) in 0.8 mg O2 /ml suggests that hybrids and bluegills have a lower hypoxia tolerance than pumpkinseeds. Hybrids showed a unique independence between size and LOE time. Analysis of tissue metabolite levels during normoxia, after LOE, and after a short-term hypoxia exposure suggest that differences in hypoxia tolerance are not due to differences in starting metabolite levels or differential metabolite use during hypoxia exposure. / Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2013-08-30 15:08:45.779