Carol A. Loopstra
Associate Professor
Department of Forest Science
Faculty of Genetics
Faculty of Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences
Faculty of Biotechnology
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Office: Lab: Email:c-loopstra@tamu.edu |
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Ph.D. Forestry and Genetics (1992)
North Carolina State University
Molecular Biology of Forest Trees
The primary areas of interest in our laboratory are understanding wood development and drought resistance in pines. Most of the work focuses on analysis of gene expression including microarrays, real-time RT-PCR, and promoter cloning and analysis. We have recently become very interested in looking at genetic differences in gene expression within and between populations. Unlike most crop plants, loblolly pine still has much of the genetic variation that was present before domestication. Materials in tree improvement programs can usually be traced to the county of origin. Therefore, we can try to relate differences in gene expression to traits of commercial importance. We have identified differences in gene expression between populations for genes associated with drought resistance and cell wall composition. Using real-time RT-PCR, we are looking at members of multigene families and have found that different members of an AGP (arabinogalactan-protein) family, the cellulose synthase family, and a dehydrin are regulated very differently. The xylem work was supported by the National Science Foundation. The drought stress work is supported by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Advanced Technology Program.
GENE / MEPS 411 Biotechnology for Crop Improvement (credit hours: 3)
Use of biotechnology to improve agricultural, horticultural and forest
crops; techniques and methods used and case studies where biotechnology
has been used to alter traits such as pathogen resistance, protein or
oil consumption, ripening, fertility and wood properties. Prerequisite:
BIOL 113 or equivalent. Cross-listed with GENE 411.
FRSC 203 Dendrology (credit hours: 3)
Taxonomy, identification and silvical features of the important timber
and understory species of North America. Prerequisite : BIOL 113 or
equivalent.
Yang S-H, van Zyl L, No E-G, and Loopstra CA (2004) Microarray analysis of genes preferentially expressed in differentiating xylem of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Plant Science 166(5): 1185-1195
Zhang Y, Brown G, Whetten R, Loopstra CA, Neale D, and Sederoff RR. (2003) An arabinogalactan-protein associated with secondary cell wall formation in differentiating xylem of loblolly pine. Plant Molecular Biology- 52:91-102
No E-G and Loopstra CA (2000) Hormonal and developmental regulation of two loblolly pine xylem arabinogalactan-proteins. Physiologia Plantarum – 110: 524-529.
No E-G, Zhou Y, and Loopstra CA. (2000) Sequences upstream and downstream of two xylem-specific pine genes influence their expression. Plant Science 160: 77-86.
Loopstra CA, Puryear JD, and No E-G. (2000) Purification and cloning of an arabinogalactan-protein from xylem of loblolly pine. Planta –210: 686-689
