• Calendar
• A-Z Index

Stephen Dellaporta

 

Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics & Development

Professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology

Education

B.Sc. University of Rhode Island 1978
Ph.D. Worcester Consortium 1981

Research Interests

My lab is interested in unraveling the origin and early diversification of Antp superclass homeobox genes (including Hox genes and the related ParaHox and NK-like genes) in Trichoplax adhaerens. Trichoplax is a simple diploblastic metazoan with the smallest known animal genome, only ten times that of the bacterium E. coli. Our project includes testing the hypothesis that physical clustering of homeobox genes is a unique character of animal genomes, exploited repeatedly during animal evolution. In pursuing this goal, we are developing Trichoplax adhaerens as a new model system for primitive animal studies along with comparative genetic data from sponges, cnidarians, and choanoflagellates. We also study the pathway of sex determination in maize, a process that involves cell death and cell arrest. Zea mays is an ideal organism for molecular genetic studies on the sex determination process. Maize produces unisexual flowers, called florets in grasses, with pistillate (female) florets formed in the ear and staminate (male) florets formed in the tassel. Initially, these floral meristems are bisexual (cosexual). Through the action of sex determination (SD) genes they later become unisexual by the selective elimination of one sex and maturation of preformed organ primordia of the opposite sex. The formation of staminate florets in the tassel involves programmed death of pistil subepidermal cells and sexual maturation of stamen initials. Our mission is to understand these pathways in maize, including the associated processes of tasselseed-mediated pistil cell death, silkless-mediated pistil cell protection, and gibberellin (GA)-mediated stamen cell arrest.

Links

• Dellaporta Homepage

Recent Publications

• Poudyal, M., et al. (2007). Embryonic chimerism does not induce tolerance in an invertebrate model organism. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 104:4559-4564.
• Kamm, K., Schierwater, B., Jakob, W., Dellaporta, S.L., and Miller, D.J. (2006). Axial patterning and diversification in the cnidaria predate the Hox system. Curr. Biol. 16:920-926.

Contact

E-mail
E-mail not published.