{"id":{"repo_id":"texas-state","oai_identifier":"oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/9739"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/texas-state/oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/9739","repository":{"repo_id":"texas-state","name":"Texas State University","base_url":"https://digital.library.txst.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Evolutionary Dynamics of the Alpha-actinin Gene Family","abstract":"The alpha-actinin gene family is a member of the spectrin superfamily of proteins. Other members of this superfamily include the a- and ~-spectrins, ~heavy spectrin and dystrophin. Each member of this superfamily has a unique actin cross-linking distance consequent to the specific number of spectrin repeats within the central repeat region of the superfamily. Alpha-actinin is thought to be the least derived of the spectrin superfamily due to its possession of the smallest number of spectrin repeats. Though many a-actinins are known, the relationships among them are as yet undetermined. I performed phylogenetic analyses on a-actinin sequences to establish the kinship among a-actinin isoforms and to taxonomically treat the sequences. In addition, I sequenced and analyzed a previously unknown rat a-actinin 3. Analyses support four main isoforms of a-actinin. I also investigated homogenizing evolution within the spectrin repeats of the gene family. This was accomplished using gene conversion analyses and a new analysis which implements a continuum of the two known modes of homogenizing evolution: birth-and-death evolution and concerted evolution. This conceptual leap to a continuous model has not previously been made. Furthering these generalized studies of the a-actinin gene family, I used RT-PCR, cloning and automated DNA sequencing to obtain 77bp of sequence for what may be yet another member of the spectrin superfamily, the G3.5 antigen.","abstract_html":"The alpha-actinin gene family is a member of the spectrin superfamily of proteins. Other members of this superfamily include the a- and ~-spectrins, ~heavy spectrin and dystrophin. Each member of this superfamily has a unique actin cross-linking distance consequent to the specific number of spectrin repeats within the central repeat region of the superfamily. Alpha-actinin is thought to be the least derived of the spectrin superfamily due to its possession of the smallest number of spectrin repeats. Though many a-actinins are known, the relationships among them are as yet undetermined. I performed phylogenetic analyses on a-actinin sequences to establish the kinship among a-actinin isoforms and to taxonomically treat the sequences. In addition, I sequenced and analyzed a previously unknown rat a-actinin 3. Analyses support four main isoforms of a-actinin. I also investigated homogenizing evolution within the spectrin repeats of the gene family. This was accomplished using gene conversion analyses and a new analysis which implements a continuum of the two known modes of homogenizing evolution: birth-and-death evolution and concerted evolution. This conceptual leap to a continuous model has not previously been made. Furthering these generalized studies of the a-actinin gene family, I used RT-PCR, cloning and automated DNA sequencing to obtain 77bp of sequence for what may be yet another member of the spectrin superfamily, the G3.5 antigen.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dixson, Jamie D."],"institution":"Southwest Texas State University","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Geography","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Garcia, Dana M."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Forstner, Michael R. J.","Koke, Joseph R."],"year":2001,"date_issued":"2001-12","date_published":"2001-12","updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:22:35Z","subjects":["actin genes","spectrin"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10877/9739","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Garcia, Dana M."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Forstner, Michael R. 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Other members of this superfamily include the a- and ~-spectrins, ~heavy spectrin and dystrophin. Each member of this superfamily has a unique actin cross-linking distance consequent to the specific number of spectrin repeats within the central repeat region of the superfamily. Alpha-actinin is thought to be the least derived of the spectrin superfamily due to its possession of the smallest number of spectrin repeats. Though many a-actinins are known, the relationships among them are as yet undetermined. I performed phylogenetic analyses on a-actinin sequences to establish the kinship among a-actinin isoforms and to taxonomically treat the sequences. In addition, I sequenced and analyzed a previously unknown rat a-actinin 3. Analyses support four main isoforms of a-actinin. I also investigated homogenizing evolution within the spectrin repeats of the gene family. This was accomplished using gene conversion analyses and a new analysis which implements a continuum of the two known modes of homogenizing evolution: birth-and-death evolution and concerted evolution. This conceptual leap to a continuous model has not previously been made. Furthering these generalized studies of the a-actinin gene family, I used RT-PCR, cloning and automated DNA sequencing to obtain 77bp of sequence for what may be yet another member of the spectrin superfamily, the G3.5 antigen."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["Text"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["1 file (.pdf)"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Evolutionary Dynamics of the Alpha-actinin Gene Family"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Garcia, Dana M."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Forstner, Michael R. J.","Koke, Joseph R."],"dc:creator":["Dixson, Jamie D."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2020-04-27T14:27:12Z"],"dc:date.available":["2020-04-27T14:27:12Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2001-12"],"dc:description.abstract":["The alpha-actinin gene family is a member of the spectrin superfamily of proteins. Other members of this superfamily include the a- and ~-spectrins, ~heavy spectrin and dystrophin. Each member of this superfamily has a unique actin cross-linking distance consequent to the specific number of spectrin repeats within the central repeat region of the superfamily. Alpha-actinin is thought to be the least derived of the spectrin superfamily due to its possession of the smallest number of spectrin repeats. Though many a-actinins are known, the relationships among them are as yet undetermined. I performed phylogenetic analyses on a-actinin sequences to establish the kinship among a-actinin isoforms and to taxonomically treat the sequences. In addition, I sequenced and analyzed a previously unknown rat a-actinin 3. Analyses support four main isoforms of a-actinin. I also investigated homogenizing evolution within the spectrin repeats of the gene family. This was accomplished using gene conversion analyses and a new analysis which implements a continuum of the two known modes of homogenizing evolution: birth-and-death evolution and concerted evolution. This conceptual leap to a continuous model has not previously been made. Furthering these generalized studies of the a-actinin gene family, I used RT-PCR, cloning and automated DNA sequencing to obtain 77bp of sequence for what may be yet another member of the spectrin superfamily, the G3.5 antigen."],"dc:format":["Text"],"dc:format.medium":["1 file (.pdf)"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10877/9739"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["actin genes","spectrin"],"dc:title":["Evolutionary Dynamics of the Alpha-actinin Gene Family"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Geography"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Southwest Texas State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:22:35Z"}