Member Institutions:

• Bowling Green State U.
• Cleveland State U.
• Kent State U.
• Medical College of Ohio
• Miami U.
• The Ohio State U.
• Ohio U.
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Toledo
• Wright State U.
• Youngstown State U.

Research Interests

Our mission is to understand the molecular evolution of genes and introns within the mitochondria of higher plants, in order to advance the fields of plant genetics, biosystematics, and biochemistry.

Within the area of plant genetics we are interested in motility of group II introns and the mechanism underlying these events. We are interested in structural rearrangements of the mtDNA due to events such as transposition and crossing over. We are interested in other events that modify the flow of information from the gene to the protein including splicing and editing. Since studies on mitochondria are limited because genetic mutants are not available, we are interested in mechanisms of altering the function of mitochondrial genes such as mutation or genetic engineering. The production of genetic mutants for investigation is important in the overall understanding of mitochondria.

Within the area of plant systematics we are interested in the phylogenetic distribution of mitochondrial introns and their structural variants. We are also interested in the evolution of portions of the introns.

Within the area of plant biochemistry we are interested in the cytochrome oxidase system with a primary focus on the mitochondrial protein encoded in the cox2 gene. Since the cytochrome system is found in all organisms, it probably predates the presence of photosynthesis and oxygen. Thus, the role of the cytochromes in primitive systems is not well understood and is of great interest in understanding the nature of life and evolution.

Selected References

• Dong, F.G., Wilson, K.G. and Makaroff, C.A. 1998. Analysis of the four COX2 genes found in turnip (Brassica Campestris, Brassicaceae). American Journal of Botany 85(2):153-161.
• Dong, F.G., Wilson, K.G., and Makaroff, C.A. 1998. The Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) mitochondrial COX2 gene contains an ACG at the predicted translation initiation site. Curr Genet. 34:79-87.
• Rabbi, M. F. and K.G. Wilson. 1993. The mitochondrial coxII intron has been lost in two different lineages of dicots and altered in others. American Journal of Botany 80:1216-23.
• Turano, F.J., Debonte, L.R., Wilson, K.G., and Mathews, B.F. 1987. Cytochrome oxidase subunit II gene from carrot contains an intron. Plant Physiol. 84:1074-1079.
• Newman, D.W. and Wilson, K.G. (editors). 1987. Models in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Vol. I, II, III, CRC Press, Inc.
• DeBonte, L.R., Mathews, B.F., and Wilson, K.G. 1984. Variation of Plastid and Mitochondrial DNAs in the genus Daucus. Amer. J. Botany. 71(7):932-940.

Dr. Wilson's homepage
Miami University Department of Botany
Miami University homepage
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