Dr. Bert Ely

Professor of Biological Sciences

Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina

Ph.D., 1973, Johns Hopkins University

Molecular Genetics, Genetics of Fish Populations:

Dr. Ely's laboratory uses DNA technology to study the genetics of fish populations. Techniques such as RFLP analysis, microsatellite assays and nucleotide sequencing have been used in studies with red drum, striped bass, tuna and swordfish to detect genetic variation. The resulting information is then used for a variety of studies ranging from the analysis of the reproductive contributions of individual fish to measures of gene flow between populations. Currently, we are using these techniques to identify genetically distinct sub-populations, to define patterns of migration, and to identify sibling relationships among striped bass and black sea bass.

African-American DNA Roots Project:

The African-American DNA Roots Project has been developed in collaboration with Dr. Bruce A. Jackson at the University of Massachusetts to use specific DNA analysis techniques to attempt to identify unique signature sequences among African-Americans that might link them to particular West African ethnic groups. This study will determine the genetic patterns present in two types of DNA, known as the Y chromosome DNA ("Y DNA") and mitochondrial DNA ("mtDNA"). These unique genetic elements are passed directly through the paternal and maternal lines, respectively. Each person’s Y DNA or mtDNA comes directly and solely from his or her father or mother, who got it from their father or mother, who got it from their father or mother, and so on into the past. This property makes Y DNA and mtDNA very useful for learning about the past history of human populations, because it traces a direct line of paternal and/or maternal descent. Additionally, different paternal and maternal lineages have different genetic signatures in their Y DNAs and mtDNAs, so that all paternal or maternal relatives from a lineage can usually be distinguished from those of other lineages.

As the Y chromosome and mtDNAs are characterized, they will be compared to reference lineages to identify matches. It is relatively easy to identify the continent of origin for many mtDNA and Y chromosome sequences. However, most Africans have mtDNA lineages that are shared among many ethnic groups due to migrations and ethnic mixing. Therefore, mtDNAs are not very useful for tracing maternal ancestry to small geographic regions (see below). Similar studies are underway with African Y chromosome analyses.

We no longer accept requests for DNA testing. Inexpensive DNA tests are available from the National Geographic Society at www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html.

Breast Cancer Genetics:

We have initiated a new research project to study how mutations in various genes affect the risk of getting breast cancer or the properties of the cancer should it occur. African American women have a lower incidence of breast cancer compared to Caucasian women, but the cancers that do occur tend to be more aggressive. Although cultural and environmental factors contribute to this difference, it appears that there is a genetic component as well. Current evidence suggests that mutations in a number of genes impact the risk of breast cancer. We are genotyping breast cancer patients to determine if certain combinations of these mutations might help explain differences in breast cancer risk or tumor aggressiveness.

Application and Information for Graduate Studies

Selected Publications:

Ely, B., J. L. Wilson, F. Jackson, and B. A. Jackson. 2006. African-American mitochondrial DNAs often match mtDNAs found in multiple African ethnic groups. BMC Biology 4:34. Published correction Can a database of mtDNA HvsI sequences properly assign Africans to their country of origin?

Alvarado Bremer, J.R., J. Mejuto, J. Gómez-Márquez, F. Boán, P. Carpintero, J.M. Rodríguez, J. Viñas, T.W. Greig, and B. Ely. 2005. Hierarchical analyses of genetic variation of samples from breeding and feeding grounds confirm the genetic partitioning of northwest Atlantic and South Atlantic populations of swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 327:167-172.

Ely, B., J. Viñas, J. R. Alvarado Bremer, D. Black, L. Lucas, K. Covello, A. Labrie, and E. Thelen. 2005. Consequences of the historical demography on the global population structure of two highly migratory cosmopolitan marine fishes: the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and the skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis). BMC Evolutionary Biology 5:19.

Jackson, B. A., J. L. Wilson, S. Kirbah, S. S. Sidney, J. Rosenberger, L. Bassie, J. A. D. Alie, D. C. McLean, W. T. Garvey, and B. Ely. 2005. Genetic diversity among four ethnic groups in Sierra Leone. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 128:156-163.

Alvarado Bremer, J. R., J. Viñas, J. Mejuto, B. Ely, and C. Pla. 2005. Comparative phylogeography of Atlantic bluefin tuna and swordfish: The combined effects of vicariance, secondary contact, introgression, and population expansion on the regional phylogenies of two highly migratory pelagic fishes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 26:169-187.

Bulak, J. S., C. S. Thomason, K. Han, and B. Ely. 2004. Distinctiveness and management of striped bass populations in the coastal rivers of South Carolina. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 24:1322-1329.

Osborne, R. L., L. O. Taylor, K. Han, B. Ely, and J. H. Dawson. 2004. A. ornata dehaloperoxidase: enhanced activity for the catalytic active globin using MCPBA. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 324 (4): 1194-1198.

Ely, B., D. S. Stoner, J. R. Alvarado Bremer, J. M. Dean, P. Addis, A. Cau, E. J. Thelen, W. J. Jones, D. E. Black, L. Smith, K. Scott, I. Naseri and J. M. Quattro. 2002. Analyses of nuclear ldhA gene and mtDNA control region sequences of Atlantic northern bluefin tuna populations. Marine Biotechnology 4:583-588.

Han, K. and B. Ely. 2002. Use of AFLP analyses to assess genetic variation in Morone and Thunnus species. Marine Biotechnology 4:155-162.

William C. Nierman and 36 others.2001. Complete genome sequence of Caulobacter crescentus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 98:4136-4141

Han, K., S. A. Woodin, D. E. Lincoln, K. T. Fielman, and B. Ely. 2001
Amphitrite ornata, a marine worm, contains two dehaloperoxidase genes. Marine Biotechnology 3: 287-292.

Dhp gene nucleotide sequences

Han, K., Li, L., Leclerc, G. M., Hays,A. M., and B. Ely. 2000. Isolation and Characterization of Microsatellite Loci for striped bass (Morone saxatilis).Molecular Biotechnology 2:405-408.

Diaz, M., D. Wethey, J. Bulak, and B. Ely. 2000. Effect of harvest and effective population size on genetic diversity in a striped bass population. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 129:1250-1255.

Ely, B., T. W. Ely, W. B. Crymes, Jr., and S. A. Minnich. 2000. A family of six flagellin genes contributes to the Caulobacter crescentus flagellar filament. Journal of Bacteriology 182:5001-5004.

Leclerc, G. M., K. Han, G. J. Leclerc, and B. Ely. 1999. Characterization of a highly repetitive sequence conserved among North American Morone species. Marine Biotechnology, 1:122-130.

Crymes, W. B., D. Zhang, and B. Ely. 1999. Regulation of podJ expression during the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle. Journal of Bacteriology 181:3967-3973.

Mangan, E. K., J. Malakooti, A. Caballero, P. Anderson, B. Ely, and J. W. Gober. 1999. FlbT couples flagellum assembly to gene expression in Caulobacter crescentus. Journal of Bacteriology 181:6160-6170.

Alvarado Bremer, J.R., L. Zhang, J.S. Bulak, and B. Ely. 1998. A simple assay for the discrimination of mitochondrial DNA from the Florida and northern subspecies of largemouth bass. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 126:163-165.

Alvarado Bremer, J.R., B. Stequert, N.W. Robertson, and B. Ely. 1998. Evidence for global population structure of bigeye tuna. Marine Biology 132:547-557.

Alvarado Bremer, J. R., B. Stequert, N. W. Robertson, and B. Ely. Genetic evidence for inter-oceanic subdivision of bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus Lowe) populations. Mar. Biol. 132:547-557. 1998.

Alvarado Bremer, J. R., L. Zhang, J. S. Bulak, and B. Ely. A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay for the discrimination of mitochondrial DNA from the Florida and northern subspecies of largemouth bass. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 127:507-511. 1998.

Leclerc, G., S. P. Wang, and B. Ely. 1998. A new class of Caulobacter crescentus flagellar genes. Journal of Bacteriology 180:5010-5019.

Diaz, M., J. Macpherson, B. Ely, and J. Bulak. 1998. Striped bass population subdvision within the Santee-Cooper system, South Carolina . Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 7:191-196.

Diaz, M., G. Leclerc, and B. Ely. 1997. Nuclear DNA markers reveal low levels of genetic divergence among Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico populations of striped bass. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 126:163-165.

Alvarado Bremer, J. R., I. Naseri, and B. Ely. 1997. Sequence of the mitochondrial DNA control region unveils unorthodox phylogenetic relationships among tunas of the genus Thunnus. Journal of Fish Biology 50:540-554.

Mullin, D.A., D.L. Zies, A.H. Mullin, N. Caballero, and B. Ely. 1997. Nucleotide sequence, genetic organization and transposition properties of Caulobacter crescentus IS511 Molecular and General Genetics 254:456-463.

Diaz, M., G. M. Leclerc, and B. Ely. Nuclear DNA markers reveal low levels of genetic divergence among Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico populations of striped bass. Trans. American Fisheries Soc. 126:163-165. 1997.

Alvarado Bremer, J. R., J. Mejuto, and B. Ely. 1996. Global population structure of the swordfish (Xiphias gladius) as revealed by the analysis of the mitochondrial control region. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 197:295-310.

Leclerc, G. M., M. Diaz, and B. Ely. 1996. Use of PCR-RFLP assays to detect genetic variation at single-copy loci in striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 5:138-144.

Leclerc, G., B. Ely, X. L. Xu, and R. M. Harrell. 1996. Gynogen production in hybrid striped bass. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 27:119-125.