Abstract Detail

A Colloquium Honoring Leslie D. Gottlieb

Crawford, Daniel [1].

Leslie D. Gottlieb, Enzyme Electrophoresis, and Plant Systematics.

While usually associated with plant genetics and evolution, Gottlieb made important contributions to plant systematics. His work with isozymes, in which he laid the foundation for interpreting the genetic basis of phenotypes (bands in gels) facilitated the use of enzyme electrophoresis as systematic data in a way that was fundamentally different from employing morphology and secondary chemistry. Gottlieb stressed that the co-linearity between the amino acids of a polypeptide and their coding structural gene locus provides, even with limitations, a more precise equation between genotype and phenotype for isozymes than may be achieved with morphology or secondary chemistry. Co-linearity facilitates the comparison of products of homologous genes, and avoids the problems of convergence and functional correlations inherent with morphological characters. The number and kinds of enzymes can be quantified, permitting a precise statement of the amount of genetic information being studied. Formal genetic tests further refine interpretation of enzyme phenotypes in terms of numbers of loci and alleles included in a study. The ability to detect alternative forms of enzymes alleviates the problems of demonstrating the absence of a character (especially problematic with secondary chemistry) and how to interpret the absence of a character in a taxonomic-phylogenetic context. Gottlieb provided a framework for the analysis of electrophoretic data, and specified how the data may be used most effectively within the context of other biological information. At the same time, he spelled out precisely and lucidly the potential limitations of electrophoretic methodology and the types of questions not effectively addressed with enzyme electrophoresis. Examples of his application of enzyme electrophoresis to plant systematics will be discussed, and the impact of his work in systematics will be considered.

Broader Impacts:

1 - University of Kansas, Department of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS, 66045-7534, USA

Keywords:
Gottlieb
electrophoresis
Systematics.

Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: C1
Location: Grand Ballroom A/Riverside Hilton
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2013
Time: 8:30 AM
Number: C1001
Abstract ID:138
Candidate for Awards:None