DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The genetic and epigenetic basis of seed mass

Traditional models in evolutionary biology are founded on a straightforward relationship between genes and traits. However, gene function and the relationship between the genes and their influence on organisms can be quite complex, depending on other genes in the genome, the environment, and even from which parent the gene is inherited. This later case, known as genomic imprinting, is the focus of this research. The evolutionary and developmental consequences of imprinting will be examined in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) with a combination of controlled greenhouse crosses and studies of gene expression levels. In addition to discovering imprinted regions of the genome that influence seed weight, this research also will identify other complex genetic influences on seed traits.

Imprinted genes are common in diverse organisms, including humans, but little is known about the evolutionary and developmental consequences of this phenomenon. Imprinting is important in human health as some genetic diseases are due to mis-expression of imprinting. Additionally imprinting is often a barrier to hybridization and crop improvement especially in the genus Solanum (tomatoes, potatoes and their relatives).