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Laura Wegener Parfrey
Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
(413) 585-3750
Education
PhD Candidate, Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 2005- present
Advisor: Laura A KatzBS Biology, summa cum laude, SUNY Albany, Albany, NY, 2004
Advisors: Sam Bowser and Jeff TravisEukaryotic Relationships
I am working in conjunction with the AToL (Assembling the Tree of Life) project to elucidate the deep relationships within eukaryotes. The current view of eukaryotic classification divides eukaryotic diversity into six supergroups of organisms. These supergroups receive wide acclaim in the literature, but a synthesis of support for the groups revealed the only one group, the Opisthokonta, is widely supported (Parfrey et al in 2006). Support for the remaining groups varies widely by the targeted taxonomic area and origin of the genes used (plastid vs nuclear). Resolving eukaryotic relationships is an important goal, as a resolved phylogeny will provide a framework on which to assemble knowledge of lineages.
Foraminifera
Within the AToL project my focus is on Foraminifera (forams) and there relatives. Forams are single celled amoebae that form intricate granular pseudopodial networks called a granuloreticulopodia, and most also form tests (shells). I recently collected several species of forams in Antarctica with Sam Bowser. I am incorporating these into the AToL project and using them to assess nuclear characteristics.
Relatives of Foraminifera
Recent molecular work in the lab points to a relationship between Foraminifera, Gromia, Corallomyxa, and Haplosporidia (Tekle et al in press). Corallomyxa and Foraminifera also share the formation of reticulate networks and bidirectional streaming of particles (reported by Grell 1991 for Corallomyxa). I am comparing other morphological and biochemical properties of foram and Corallomyxa pseudopodia to further explore this relationship.
Parfrey LW, Barbero E, Lasser E, Dunthorn MS, Patterson DJ, Bhattacharya D, Katz LA. 2006. Evaluating support for the current classification of eukaryotic diversity. PLoS Genetics Vol. 2, No. 12, e220 doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.0020220Yarragudi A, Parfrey LW, Morse RH. 2007. Genome-wide analysis of transcriptional dependence and probable target sites for Abf1 and Rap1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nucleic Acids Res 35(1):193-202 Habura A, Goldstein ST, Parfrey LW, Bowser SS. 2006. Phylogeny and Ultrastructure of Miliammina fusca: Evidence for Secondary Loss of Calcification in a Miliolid Foraminifer. J Euk Microbio 53(3) :204-10. Habura A, Wegener L, Travis JL, Bowser SS. 2005. Structural and Functional Implications of an Unusual Foraminiferal b-Tubulin.Mol Bio Evo. 22(10):2000-2009.
