Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2007.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Discipline of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2008. / "March 2008" -- T.P. Includes author's previously published papers. Bibliography: pages 104-118. Also available in print form.

Theses (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains ix, 193 pages. Includes vitae. Bibliography: p. 157-165.

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Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Wollongong, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 376-397.

Bibliography: leaves 363-421. This thesis presents studies relating to the regulation of appetite, body fat stores and energy balance in the marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata. All of the studies presented have been published in international journals, accepted for publication, or submitted for publication. These studies have provided novel data on the regulation of food intake, body fat stores and energy balance in the marsupail Sminthopsis crassicaudata, representing fundamental advances in marsupial biology.

The quolls are among the largest of the remaining carnivorous marsupials in the Australasian region, and thus occupy an important ecological niche as top predators and scavengers. All quolls are currently in decline and threatened to some degree yet the application of molecular information to the conservation and management of quolls has been unexplored until now. In this thesis I use two independent and highly variable genetic marker systems, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region and nuclear microsatellites, to explore various aspects of conservation genetics relevant to the management of quolls. These aspects include an examination of the phylogenetic or evolutionary relationships among all six species of quolls, an examination of the genetic diversity within populations and the degree of differentiation between populations of the four Australian species of quolls, and the definition of units for conservation within these species. The development of suitable nuclear markers was a vital first step in defining levels of genetic variability and differentiation within and between the different populations and species. These markers proved to be highly variable and provided a wealth of information of relevance to the conservation of these species, and will be extremely useful in further studies. The use of the mtDNA control region for phylogenetic analyses was a novel approach to examining this question in quolls and also proved to be highly informative. Results from these phylogenetic analyses highlight the necessity of 1) examining more than one exemplar of each species, as well as 2) finally bringing some consensus to the question of the evolutionary relationships among quolls. Results show that northern quolls form the earliest split from all other quolls and that western quolls are closely related to the two New Guinean species. Furthermore, there is evidence for distinct lineages within species, corresponding to geographically separate or isolated populations. Levels of genetic variability within populations were examined using the microsatellites developed previously. Genetic variation was significantly higher in western quolls than in any other species. This was surprising given the long term and widespread decline of this species. There were also significant differences between populations within species in the level of genetic variability. Low levels of variability were usually found in small or captive bred populations or populations in severe decline. Genetic differentiation between populations was also explored using microsatellites. Significant differentiation in allele frequency distributions was found between most pairwise population comparisons, indicating that each of these populations forms a separate management unit (MU) for conservation purposes. One notable exception was found among populations of tiger quolls from a highly localized area in the Barrington Tops region of New South Wales. Using microsatellites, these populations were not significantly subdivided and thus appeared to be one MU. Using mtDNA, however, these populations were significantly subdivided and thus should be considered separate MUs. Differences in the way these two genetic markers are inherited (mtDNA is maternally inherited, microsatellites are biparentally inherited) provides a clue as to the social structure and organization of these cryptic nocturnal species. Consequently, the use of different genetic marker systems shows that there is sex-biased migration within this species. Finally, the degree of genetic differentiation observed within tiger quolls does not conform to the currently recognized subspecific categories within this species. The major genetic split occurs between the Tasmanian and mainland populations of tiger quolls, not between Dasyurus maculatus maculatus and D. m. gracilis. Thus, the Tasmanian and mainland populations form two distinct evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) for conservation purposes, and I propose that the Tasmanian populations should be elevated to the subspecific status to account for this.

Australian marsupials are unique fauna that have evolved and adapted to unique environments and thus it is likely that their detoxification systems differ considerably from those of well studied eutherian mammals. This poses a problem in applying data from metabolic studies with eutherians to marsupials. Knowledge of these processes in marsupials is therefore vital to understanding the consequences of exposure to xenobiotics. As a result, there is a clear need for improved understanding of the metabolic capabilities of Australian marsupials, particularly at the molecular level. The current PhD candidature therefore focused on characterising the important xenobiotic-metabolising enzyme superfamily, cytochrome P450, with particular emphasis on the CYP3A subfamily, in Australian marsupials, namely koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), Eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) and the Southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons). / Expression of CYP3A-like protein using hepatic microsomes was detected by western blot analysis in all four marsupial species studied. Female koalas were observed to express higher levels of CYP3A-like protein than male koalas. CYP3A activity for each marsupial species was determined in hepatic microsomes using erythromycin, a known human CYP3A4 substrate. Erythromycin N-demethylation activity was detected in all marsupial hepatic microsomes, with highest activity observed in koala. Koalas displayed gender differences in activity with female koalas showing a significant 2-fold increase. Inhibition studies with troleandomycin showed decreased erythromycin activity in both female and male koalas. Erythromycin activity in wallaby and kangaroo microsomes was notably lower than observed in koala. No gender differentiation was noted in wallaby or kangaroo. This observed difference in CYP3A activity between species may be indicative of the koala's eucalyptus diet. / Full-length CYP3A cDNAs were isolated from both koala and Eastern grey kangaroo. These clones are the first CYP3A sequences to be cloned from any marsupial species. Given the significant role that CYP3A enzymes play in the metabolism of both endogenous and exogenous compounds, these clones provide an important step in elucidating the metabolic capacity of marsupials. / The CYP2C subfamily was also investigated in koala using two previously cloned CYP2C members, CYP2C47 and CYP2C48. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to engineer the CYP2C48 cDNA into a suitable form for expression. Stable cell lines were generated for both CYP2C and CYP3A full-length cDNAs using a mammalian expression system. These cell lines were used to determine catalytic activity of the marsupial CYPs. / Multiple protein alignments were used to identify substrate recognition sites and critical residues involved in the metabolism of a variety of substrates. Sequence analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of the CYP3A clones has highlighted important species-specific features, for example a Thr residue at position 119 which has only been found in a limited number of species, including koala, and has been shown to influence steroid metabolism. / Modelling of all marsupial CYP2C and CYP3A full-length cDNAs and phylogenetic analysis of all known marsupial cDNA sequences was performed. These studies highlight the need for inclusion of marsupial information when assessing mammalian evolution. / Collectively, the work presented here provides valuable insights into the marsupial CYP2C and CYP3A subfamilies and highlights the significance of species differences in xenobiotic metabolism. / Thesis (PhDPharmacy)--University of South Australia, 2005.

Bibliography: leaves 363-421. / ix, 421 leaves, [1] leaf of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This thesis presents studies relating to the regulation of appetite, body fat stores and energy balance in the marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata. All of the studies presented have been published in international journals, accepted for publication, or submitted for publication. These studies have provided novel data on the regulation of food intake, body fat stores and energy balance in the marsupail Sminthopsis crassicaudata, representing fundamental advances in marsupial biology. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Medicine, 2000

Thesis (M.D.S. 1976) from the Department of Dental Health, University of Adelaide.