Genetic and molecular insights into diatom nanopatterning and cell shape
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Among cell biologists, diatoms are best known for their extraordinary and beautifully nano-patterned cell walls, made of hydrated silicon dioxide—that is, glass. Many of us first encountered diatoms in the form of isolated silica cell walls, known as frustules, mounted on slides used as a measure of resolving power, for dark field alignment of microscopes, or in scanning electron micrographs invoking alien-like architecture. Their exquisite complexity is reminiscent of high-magnification images of snowflakes; however, the diatom frustules are created by genetically encoded developmental programs, and as such are highly reproducible and characteristic for many of the 10,000 to 100,000 estimated species. How do these cells design and build their glass houses? Why do we know so little about the cell biological mechanisms of these exquisite organisms? Classical biochemical methods have identified several important classes of silica-interacting peptides that are tightly associated within biosilica. However, advanced genetic methods have only recently been developed for diatoms, and remain largely inefficient, limiting their use in genome-wide screens. Nevertheless, critical genetic techniques have rapidly improved for key model diatoms in recent years. Improvements to the efficiency of genetic techniques will be key toward our understanding of these mysterious organisms. This work presents molecular genetic data regarding genes and mechanisms by which diatoms control cell shape and metabolism.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2018; ©2018 |
| Publication date | 2018; 2018 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Russell, James J |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Theriot, Julie |
| Thesis advisor | Theriot, Julie |
| Thesis advisor | Grossman, Arthur (Arthur R.) |
| Thesis advisor | Stearns, Tim |
| Degree committee member | Grossman, Arthur (Arthur R.) |
| Degree committee member | Stearns, Tim |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Biology. |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | James J. Russell. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Biology. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2018. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2018 by James John Russell
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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