Joseph M. Quattro Professor of Biological Sciences and Marine Science Ph.D., 1991, Rutgers University 803-777-3240 quattro@biol.sc.edu

Evolution of multigene families, biogeography, systematics and population/conservation genetics of marine and freshwater animals.

Dr. Quattro's research reflects a broad interest in the mechanisms of genetic evolution at several fundamental levels. Ongoing work on the genetics of marine species, particularly fishes and mollusks, is designed to understand the processes that shape the underlying structure of marine populations. He is currently using sequence analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA genes as markers of population differentiation in open ocean species. He is interested particularly in the stability of gene frequencies within and among populations of marine organisms both spatially and temporally. Past projects have focused on the population genetics of an endangered species of freshwater fish from the desert southwest, the Sonoran topminnow, Poeciliopsis occidentalis. He is interested in determining the implications of the concomitant loss of genetic variation that has accompanied the near extirpation of this species. Studies are planned to follow the loss of genetic diversity through time by assaying museum specimens, and to ascertain the benefits of artificially increasing local genetic diversity in remnant populations. His most recent work involves studies of the molecular level relationships among duplicated loci within the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) gene family. Although most vertebrate species express two LDH loci, Ldh-A and Ldh-B, a third locus, designated Ldh-C, is expressed in the spermatocytes of mammals and a single family of birds, and the eye or liver tissues of teleost fishes. Based on amino acid sequence similarity, we have determined that the LDH-C isozymes in fish and mammals are not orthologous, but derive from independent gene duplications. More recent work with this system has shown that the liver-specific LDH-C of teleost fishes is orthologous to the retina-specific form. We are now interested in determining the evolutionary changes that are necessary to bring about such divergent patterns of tissue-specific expression.

Selected Publications:

Quattro, J. M., R. P. Morgan II, and R. W Chapman. 1990. Mitochondrial DNA variability in brook trout populations from western Maryland. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 7:470-474.

Quattro, J. M. and R. C. Vrijenhoek. 1990. Fitness differences among remnant populations of the endangered Sonoran topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis). Science 245:976-978.

Quattro, J. M., and S. C. Weeks. 1991. Correlation between egg size and egg energetic content within and among biotypes of the genus Poeciliopsis. Journal of Fish Biology 38:331-334.

Weeks, S. C. and J. M. Quattro. 1991. Life-history plasticity under resource stress in a clonal fish (Poeciliidae: Poeciliopsis). Journal of Fish Biology 39:485-494.

Quattro, J. M., J. C. Avise, and R. C. Vrijenhoek. 1991. Molecular evidence for multiple origins of hybridogenetic fish clones (Poeciliidae: Poeciliopsis). Genetics 127:391-398.

Quattro, J. M., J. C. Avise, and R. C. Vrijenhoek. 1992. An ancient clonal lineage in the fish genus Poeciliopsis (Atheriniformes: Poecilidae). Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 89:348-352.

Quattro, J. M., J. C. Avise, and R. C. Vrijenhoek. 1992. Mode of origin and sources of genotypic diversity in triploid gynogenetic fish clones (Poeciliopsis: Poeciliidae). Genetics 130:621-628.

Excoffier, L. E., P. E. Smouse, and J. M. Quattro. 1992. Analysis of molecular variance inferred from metric distances among DNA haplotypes: Application to human mitochondrial DNA restriction data. Genetics 131:479-491.

Avise, J. C., J. M. Quattro, and R. C. Vrijenhoek. 1992. Molecular clones within organismal clones: Mitochondrial DNA phylogenies and the evolutionary history of unisexual vertebrates. Evolutionary Biology 26:225-246.

Quattro, J. M., H. A. Woods, and D. A. Powers. 1993. Sequence analysis of teleost retina-specific lactate dehydrogenase-C: Evolutionary implications for the vertebrate lactate dehydrogenase gene family. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 90:242-246.

Quattro, J. M., D. D. Pollock, M. Powell, H. A. Woods, and D. A. Powers. 1995. Evolutionary relationships among vertebrate muscle-type lactate dehydrogenases. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 4:224-231.

Quattro, J. M., P. M. Leberg, M. E. Douglas, and R. C. Vrijenhoek. 1996. Molecular evidence for a unique lineage of endangered Sonoran Desert fish (Genus Poeciliopsis). Conservation Biology 10: 128-135.

Byrd, C. A., P. C. Brunjes, J. Jones, J. M. Quattro, M. Rogers, and R. G. Vogt. 1996. Ontogeny of Odorant Receptor Gene Expression in the Zebrafish, Danio rerio. Journal of Neurobiology 29: 445-458.

Schizas, N. V., G. T. Street, B. C. Coull, G. T Chandler, and J. M. Quattro. 1997. An Efficient DNA Extraction Method for Small Metazoans. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 6: 381-383.

Stock, D. W., J. M. Quattro, G. S. Whitt, and D. A. Powers. 1997. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) gene duplication during chordate evolution: the cDNA sequence of the LDH of the tunicate Styela plicata. Molecular Biology and Evolution 14:1273- 1284.

Stoner, D. S., J. M. Quattro, and I. L. Weissman. 1997. Highly polymorphic microsatellite loci in the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 6:163-171.

James, R. A., P. L. Leberg, J. M. Quattro, and R. C. Vrijenhoek. 1997. Genetic diversity in black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) from Belize. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 102:329-336.

Chase, M. R., R. J. Etter, M. A. Rex, and J. M. Quattro. 1998. Extraction and amplification of mitochondrial DNA from formalin-fixed deep-sea mollusks. Biotechniques 24:243.

Etter, R. J., M. Chase, M. A. Rex and J. M. Quattro. 1998. Bathymetric patterns of genetic variation in a deep-sea protobranch bivalve. Marine Biology 131: 301-308.

Merritt, T. J. S., S. LaForest, G. D. Prestwich, J. M. Quattro, and R. G. Vogt. 1998. Patterns of gene duplication in lepidopteran pheromone binding proteins. Journal of Molecular Evolution 46:272-276.

Merritt T. J. S., L. Shi, M. C. Chase, M. A. Rex, R. J. Etter, and J. M. Quattro. 1998. "Universal" Cytochrome b Primers Facilitate Intraspecific Comparisons in Molluscan Taxa. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 7:7-11

Bailey, K. M., D. A. Powers, J. M. Quattro, R. G. Villa, A. Nishimura, J. J. Traynor, and G. Walters. 1999. Population Ecology and Structural Dynamics of Walleye Pollock (Theragra chalcogramma). Pages 581-614 In: Dynamics of the Bering Sea (eds.T. Loughlin and K. Ohtani). Alaska Sea Grant Press.

Jones, W. J. and J. M. Quattro. 1999. Genetic Structure of Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) Populations North and South of Cape Hatteras. Marine Biology 133:129-135.

Quattro, J. M. and W. J. Jones. 1999. Amplification Primers That Target Locus-Specific Introns in Actinopterygian Fishes. Copeia 1999:171-176.

Jones, W. J. and J. M. Quattro. 1999. Phylogenetic Affinities of Pygmy Sunfishes (Elassoma) Inferred from Mitochondrial DNA Sequences. Copeia 1999:470-476.

Etter, R. J., M. A. Rex, M. C. Chase and J. M. Quattro. 1999. A genetic dimension to deep-sea biodiversity. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 46:1095-1099.

Grady, J. M. and J. M. Quattro. 1999. Using Character Concordance to Define Taxonomic and Conservation Units. Conservation Biology 13:1004-1007

Bennetts, R. Q., J. M. Grady, F. C. Rohde, and J. M. Quattro. 1999. Discordant Patterns of Morphological and Molecular Change in Broadtail Madtoms (Genus Noturus). Molecular Ecology 8:1563-1570.

Schizas, N. V., G. T. Street, B. C. Coull, G. T. Chandler, and J. M. Quattro. 1999. Molecular population structure of the marine benthic copepod Microarthridion littorale along the southeastern and Gulf coasts of the United States. Marine Biology 135:399- 405.

Collins, M. R., T. I. J. Smith, K. Ware, and J. M. Quattro. 1999. Culture and Stock Enhancement of Shortnose and Atlantic Sturgeons. Bulletin of the National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Supplement 1:101-108.

Lovell, C. R., Y. M. Piceno, J. M. Quattro, and C. E. Bagwell. 2000. Molecular Analysis of Diazotroph Diversity in the Rhizosphere of the Smooth Cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora. Applied Environmental Microbiology 66:3814-3822

Kovatch, C. E., N. V. Schizas, G. T. Chandler, B. C. Coull, and J. M. Quattro. 2000. Tolerance and genetic relatedness of three meiobenthic copepod populations exposed to sediment-associated contaminant mixtures: Role of environmental history. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19:912-919.

Quattro, J.M., W. J. Jones, and F. C. Rohde. 2001. Evolutionarily Significant Units of Rare Pygmy Sunfishes (Genus Elassoma). Copeia 101:514?520.

Quattro, J. M., W. J. Jones, J. M. Grady, and F. C. Rohde. Gene-Gene Concordance and the Phylogenetic Relationships Among Rare and Widespread Pygmy Sunfishes (Genus Elassoma). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 18:217-226 .

Grady, J. M., D. K. Coykendall, B. B. Collette, and J. M. Quattro. 2001. Taxonomic diversity, origin, and conservation status of Bermuda killifishes (Fundulus) based on mitochondrial cytochrome b phylogenies. Conservation Genetics 2:41-52.

Schizas, N. V., G. T. Chandler, B. C. Coull, S. L. Klosterhaus, and J. M. Quattro. Differential Survival of Three Mitochondrial Lineages of a Marine Benthic Copepod Exposed to a Pesticide Mixture. Environmental Science and Technology 35:535-538.

Merritt, T. J. M. and J. M. Quattro. 2001. Evidence for a Period of Directional Selection Following Gene Duplication in a Neurally Expressed Locus of Trisephosphate Isomerase. Genetics 159: 689?697.

Quattro, J. M., W. J. Jones and K. J. Oswald. 2001. PCR Primers for an Aldolase-B Intron in Acanthopterygian Fishes. BMC Evolutionary Biology 1:9.

Quattro, J. M., M. R. Chase, M. A. Rex , T. W. Greig, and R. J. Etter. 2001. Extreme Mitochondrial DNA Divergence Within Populations of the Deep-Sea Gastropod Frigidoalvania brychia. Marine Biology 139:1107-1113.

Staton, J. L., N. V. Schizas, G. T. Chandler, B. C. Coull, and J. M. Quattro. 2001. Ecotoxicology and population genetics: the emergence of "phylogeographic and evolutionary ecotoxicology". Ecotoxicology 10:217-222.

Quattro, J. M., T. W. Greig, D. K. Coykendall, B.W. Bowen and J. D. Baldwin. 2002. Genetic Issues in Aquatic Species Management: the Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) in the Southeastern United States. Conservation Genetics 3:155-166.

Schizas, N. V., B. C. Coull, G. T. Chandler and J. M. Quattro. 2002. Sympatry of distinct mitochondrial DNA lineages in a copepod inhabiting estuarine creeks in the southeastern USA. Marine Biology 140: 585-594

Moore, M. K., J. A. Bemiss, S. M. Rice, J. M. Quattro, and C. M. Woodley. Use of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms to Identify Sea Turtle Eggs and Cooked Meats to Species. Conservation Genetics (in press).

Merritt, T. J. S. and J. M. Quattro. Negative Charge Correlates With Neural Expression in Vertebrate Aldolase Isozymes. Journal of Molecular Evolution (in press).

Merritt, T. J. S. and J. M. Quattro. Evolution Of The Vertebrate Cytosolic Malate Dehydrogenase Gene Family: Duplication and Divergence in Actinopterygian Fishes. Journal of Molecular Evolution (in press).

Stoner, D. S., J. M. Grady, K. A. Priede and J. M. Quattro. Amplification Primers for Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Loci in Elasmobranch Fishes. Conservation Genetics (in press).

Stoner, D. S., J. M. Grady, W. B. Driggers, K. A. Priede and J. M. Quattro. Molecular Evidence for a Cryptic Species of Hammerhead Shark (Genus Sphyrna). Marine Biology (submitted).