{"id":{"repo_id":"mo-state","oai_identifier":"oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-1975"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mo-state/oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-1975","repository":{"repo_id":"mo-state","name":"Missouri State University","base_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Sex-Associated Mitochondrial Genes: Tools for Understanding Unionid Reproduction and Development","abstract":"Gonochoristic species of the bivalve order Unionida possess two types of mitochondria. The female-inherited mitochondria (F-mt) is found in the somatic cells of both sexes, while male-inherited mitochondria (M-mt) is found in the male gonad. These mitochondria possess different open reading frames (M-ORF or F-ORF respectively). Previous studies suggested that two types of sperm might exist, each carrying one or the other mitochondrial haplotype, and it was hypothesized that the presence of either F-mt or M-mt in sperm may be involved in determination of offspring sex. I investigated this hypothesis in Bleedingtooth (Venustaconcha pleasii). Sperm samples were obtained from field-collected males that spawned spontaneously in the lab. M-ORF and F-ORF mitochondrial DNA were cloned and sequenced, and PCR was used to test for the presence of M-ORF and F-ORF genes within spermatozoa. F-ORF was not detected within sperm of V. pleasii despite previous reports of the protein product of F-ORF within sperm of V.ellipsiformis. M-ORF was present within sperm and more than one haplotype of this gene appeared to exist within an individual mussel. M-ORF and F-ORF evolve rapidly and may be useful for phylogenetic comparisons. Comparisons with V. ellipsiformis showed 82.6% (M-ORF) and 76.1% (F-ORF) sequence homology. Comparison of F-ORF and M-ORF in V. pleasii display low sequence homology (20.6%). My results indicate that sperm only deliver the M-mt haplotype and therefore, that sex determination must involve mechanisms other than sperm mtDNA haplotype.","abstract_html":"Gonochoristic species of the bivalve order Unionida possess two types of mitochondria. The female-inherited mitochondria (F-mt) is found in the somatic cells of both sexes, while male-inherited mitochondria (M-mt) is found in the male gonad. These mitochondria possess different open reading frames (M-ORF or F-ORF respectively). Previous studies suggested that two types of sperm might exist, each carrying one or the other mitochondrial haplotype, and it was hypothesized that the presence of either F-mt or M-mt in sperm may be involved in determination of offspring sex. I investigated this hypothesis in Bleedingtooth (Venustaconcha pleasii). Sperm samples were obtained from field-collected males that spawned spontaneously in the lab. M-ORF and F-ORF mitochondrial DNA were cloned and sequenced, and PCR was used to test for the presence of M-ORF and F-ORF genes within spermatozoa. F-ORF was not detected within sperm of V. pleasii despite previous reports of the protein product of F-ORF within sperm of V.ellipsiformis. M-ORF was present within sperm and more than one haplotype of this gene appeared to exist within an individual mussel. M-ORF and F-ORF evolve rapidly and may be useful for phylogenetic comparisons. Comparisons with V. ellipsiformis showed 82.6% (M-ORF) and 76.1% (F-ORF) sequence homology. Comparison of F-ORF and M-ORF in V. pleasii display low sequence homology (20.6%). My results indicate that sperm only deliver the M-mt haplotype and therefore, that sex determination must involve mechanisms other than sperm mtDNA haplotype.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Maynard, Amy Louise"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Biology","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["M. Chris Barnhart"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:00Z","subjects":["Unionida","mussel","Venustaconcha pleasii","mitochondria","sperm","Biology"],"languages":[],"rights":["© Amy Louise Maynard"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/974","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["M. Chris Barnhart"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Maynard, Amy Louise"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Biology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Unionida","mussel","Venustaconcha pleasii","mitochondria","sperm","Biology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© Amy Louise Maynard"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/974"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Gonochoristic species of the bivalve order Unionida possess two types of mitochondria. The female-inherited mitochondria (F-mt) is found in the somatic cells of both sexes, while male-inherited mitochondria (M-mt) is found in the male gonad. These mitochondria possess different open reading frames (M-ORF or F-ORF respectively). Previous studies suggested that two types of sperm might exist, each carrying one or the other mitochondrial haplotype, and it was hypothesized that the presence of either F-mt or M-mt in sperm may be involved in determination of offspring sex. I investigated this hypothesis in Bleedingtooth (Venustaconcha pleasii). Sperm samples were obtained from field-collected males that spawned spontaneously in the lab. M-ORF and F-ORF mitochondrial DNA were cloned and sequenced, and PCR was used to test for the presence of M-ORF and F-ORF genes within spermatozoa. F-ORF was not detected within sperm of V. pleasii despite previous reports of the protein product of F-ORF within sperm of V.ellipsiformis. M-ORF was present within sperm and more than one haplotype of this gene appeared to exist within an individual mussel. M-ORF and F-ORF evolve rapidly and may be useful for phylogenetic comparisons. Comparisons with V. ellipsiformis showed 82.6% (M-ORF) and 76.1% (F-ORF) sequence homology. Comparison of F-ORF and M-ORF in V. pleasii display low sequence homology (20.6%). My results indicate that sperm only deliver the M-mt haplotype and therefore, that sex determination must involve mechanisms other than sperm mtDNA haplotype."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Sex-Associated Mitochondrial Genes: Tools for Understanding Unionid Reproduction and Development"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["M. Chris Barnhart"],"dc:creator":["Maynard, Amy Louise"],"dc:description.abstract":["Gonochoristic species of the bivalve order Unionida possess two types of mitochondria. The female-inherited mitochondria (F-mt) is found in the somatic cells of both sexes, while male-inherited mitochondria (M-mt) is found in the male gonad. These mitochondria possess different open reading frames (M-ORF or F-ORF respectively). Previous studies suggested that two types of sperm might exist, each carrying one or the other mitochondrial haplotype, and it was hypothesized that the presence of either F-mt or M-mt in sperm may be involved in determination of offspring sex. I investigated this hypothesis in Bleedingtooth (Venustaconcha pleasii). Sperm samples were obtained from field-collected males that spawned spontaneously in the lab. M-ORF and F-ORF mitochondrial DNA were cloned and sequenced, and PCR was used to test for the presence of M-ORF and F-ORF genes within spermatozoa. F-ORF was not detected within sperm of V. pleasii despite previous reports of the protein product of F-ORF within sperm of V.ellipsiformis. M-ORF was present within sperm and more than one haplotype of this gene appeared to exist within an individual mussel. M-ORF and F-ORF evolve rapidly and may be useful for phylogenetic comparisons. Comparisons with V. ellipsiformis showed 82.6% (M-ORF) and 76.1% (F-ORF) sequence homology. Comparison of F-ORF and M-ORF in V. pleasii display low sequence homology (20.6%). My results indicate that sperm only deliver the M-mt haplotype and therefore, that sex determination must involve mechanisms other than sperm mtDNA haplotype."],"dc:identifier":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/974"],"dc:rights":["© Amy Louise Maynard"],"dc:subject":["Unionida","mussel","Venustaconcha pleasii","mitochondria","sperm","Biology"],"dc:title":["Sex-Associated Mitochondrial Genes: Tools for Understanding Unionid Reproduction and Development"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Biology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:00Z"}