Maria Virginia Sanchez Puerta (email: mvsp@umd.edu)

Present Position: PhD student in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland- College Park, USA. (2002-2006)

Undergrad: B.S. Biology, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahia Blanca, Argentina (1996-2000)

Advisor: Dr. Charles F. Delwiche

Publications:

Bachvaroff, T.R., M.V. Sánchez Puerta & C.F. Delwiche. 2005. Evolutionary rates of dinoflagellate chloroplast genes: heterogeneous rates of evolution between plastid-encoded and plastid-targeted genes . J. Mol. Evol. (in press).

Sánchez Puerta, M. V., T.R. Bachvaroff & C.F. Delwiche. 2005. The complete plastid genome sequence of the haptophyte Emiliania huxleyi : a comparison to other plastid genomes. DNAResearch 12:151-156.

Bachvaroff, T.R., M.V. Sánchez Puerta & C.F. Delwiche. 2005. Chlorophyll c containing plastid relationships based on analyses of a multi-gene dataset with all four chromalveolates lineages . Mol. Biol. Evol. 22:1-11

Sánchez Puerta, M. V., T.R. Bachvaroff & C.F. Delwiche. 2004. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the haptophyte Emiliania huxleyi and its relation to heterokonts. DNAResearch 11 (1):1-10.

Sánchez Puerta, M. V.,   P.I. Leonardi & E.J. Cáceres.   2003. Zoospore adhesion and germination upon non-toxic substances in Pseudulvella sp (Chlorophyta).   Hydrobiologia 513:255-258.

Research Interests:

Oxygenic photosynthesis arose once in evolution, in the cyanobacteria. Later, a number of different eukaryotes acquired photosynthesis by engulfing a cyanobacteria or a photosynthetic eukaryote in a primary or secondary endosymbiotic event.

Fig. 1 Plastid acquisition

My research focuses on early events of plastid acquisition in eukaryotes, in particular, in chlorophyll c containing algae. These algae include dinoflagellates, heterokonts, cryptophytes and haptophytes, and they contain secondary plastids derived from the red algae. The plastids from the chl c containing algae are very closely related, but the relationships among the host cells are still unclear.

Fig. 2. Relationships among main groups of eukaryotes, and events of plastid acquisition.

Last updated: October 2005