This proposal requests funds to permit Dr. Lynda J. Goff, Associate Professor of Biology, Crown College, University of California, Santa Cruz, to pursue with Dr. In Kyu Lee, Associate Professor of Botany, Seoul National University, for a period of 24 months, a program of research using the red algal model system Griffithsia to produce heterokaryons to investigate two major problems. The first investigation will examine the phenotypic effect of varying relative nuclear numbers of two different genotypes in the products of heterokaryon fusion. The second will determine if genetically different plastids can coexist in a common heterokaryon. Heterokaryosis is defined as the coexistence and coexpression of genetically different nuclei in a common cytoplasm. It occurs in various fungal groups either upon the fusion of two genetically different nuclei and the subsequent migration of a nucleus from one cell to another, or by the spontaneous mutation of one or more nuclei within the cytoplasm of a multinucleate cell. This project is pioneering research which should have great significance to an understanding of the genetics of red algae. At present there is considerable interest in red algae because of their economic potential as sources of complex carbohydrates such as agar, agarose, and carrageenan. In addition, the inter- and intraspecific crosses of Griffithsia that will be undertaken should provide extremely useful information on the speciation that has occurred within this genus, throughout its Pacific geographic range. Both collaborators are highly respected scientists who have extensive research experience and productive publication records in the field of the proposal. This project is relevant to the objectives of the U.S.-Korea Cooperative Science Program which seeks to increase the level of cooperation between U.S. and Korean scientists and engineers through the exchange of scientific information, ideas, skills, and techniques and through collaboration on problems of mutual benefit.
