Kynast, Ralf G.
Job TitleCytogeneticist
DepartmentJodrell Laboratory
SectionGenetics
Science Teams:
Joined Kew: 2006
Foreign Language(s): German, Russian, and Latin
Qualifications & Appointments
Dipl.-Ing. agr. (MSc), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany, 1982
Dr. agr. (PhD), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany, 1987
Role
To understand the structural and functional chromosome dynamics during evolution and breeding in inter-species hybrids including crop plant taxa with nutritious and pharmaceutical importance
Research into chromosome behaviour in alien genetic backgrounds is accomplished by using the B-chromosome as a model for investigating genome-wide genetic interactions and chromosome restructuring. Remote inter-species cross-hybridisation allows for species-to-species transfer of chromosomes and chromosome segments, and thus produces plant material, which can simulate and condense in few successive generations evolutionary processes including chromosome structure reshuffling, basic chromosome number changes and genome size alterations. By focusing the experimental work on investigations using molecular and chromosome genetic methods (1) new knowledge and better understanding of relationships, regular and irregular behaviour of plant chromosomes in the context of reproduction biology will be generated, (2) plant lines with special chromosome rearrangements will be produced, analysed and certified, and exchanged worldwide according requests, and (3) biotechnological know-how for efficient chromosome engineering in different plant species and inter-species hybrids as well as guidelines for plant material handling will be developed and disseminated to the scientific and general public.
Projects
Selected Recent Publications
Papadopulos, A.S.T., Baker, W.J., Crayn, D., Butlin, R.K., Kynast, R.G., Hutton, I. & Savolainen, V. (2011). Speciation with gene flow on Lord Howe Island. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 108: 13188-13193.
Kynast, R.G. & Riera-Lizarazu, O. (2011). Development and use of oat-maize chromosome additions and radiation hybrids. Methods in Molecular Biology 701: 259-284.
Kynast, R.G., Joseph, J.A., Phillips, R.L. & Rines, H.W. (2010). Metaphase I pairing of B-chromosomes of Zea mays L. in the alien genetic background of Avena sativa L. Maize Genet. Coop Newsletter 84: 1-14.
Rines, H., Phillips, R., Kynast, R., Okagaki, R., Galatowitsch, M., Huettl, P., Stec, A., Jacobs, M., Suresh, J., Porter, H. & Walch, M. (2009). Addition of individual chromosomes of maize inbreds B73 and Mo17 to oat cultivars Starter and Sun II: maize chromosome retention, transmission, and plant phenotype. Theor. Appl Genet. 119: 1255-1264.
Topp, C.N., Okagaki, R.J., Melo, J.R., Kynast, R.G., Phillips, R.L. & Dawe, R.K. (2009). Identification of a maize neocentromere in an oat-maize addition line. Cytogenet. Genome Res. 124: 228-238.
Selected Earlier Publications
Kynast, R.G., Galatowitsch, M.W., Hanson, L., Huettl, P.A., Lüpke, L., Phillips, R.L. & Rines, H.W. (2008). Maternal and paternal transmission to offspring of B-chromosomes of Zea mays L. in the alien genetic background of Avena sativa L. Maize Genet. Coop Newsletter 82: 19-21.
Okagaki, R.J., Jacobs, M.S., Stec, A.O., Kynast, R.G., Buescher, E., Rines, H.W., Vales, M.I., Riera-Lizerazu, O., Schneerman,M., Doyle, G., Friedman, K.L., Staub, R.W., Weber, D.F., Kamps, T.L., Amarillo, I.F.E., Chase, C.D., Bass, H.W. & Phillips, R.L. (2008). Maize centromere mapping: a comparison of physical and genetic strategies. J. Heredity 99: 85–93.
Kynast, R.G., Galatowitsch, M.W., Huettl, P.A., Phillips, R.L. & Rines, H.W. (2007). Adding B-chromosomes of Zea mays L. to the genome of Avena sativa L. Maize Genet Coop Newsletter 81: 17-19.
Dinu, I.I., Hayes, R.J., Kynast, R.G., Phillips, R.L. & Thill, C.A. (2005). Novel inter-series hybrids in Solanum, section Petota. Theor. Appl Genet. 110: 403-415.
Kynast, R.G., Okagaki, R.J., Galatowitsch, M.W., Granath, S.R., Jacobs, M.S., Stec, A.O., Rines, H.W. & Phillips, R.L. (2004). Dissecting the maize genome by using chromosome addition and radiation hybrid lines. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci USA 101: 9921-9926.
