People

Lysak, Martin A.

Job Title Plant Cytogeneticist
Department Jodrell
Section Genetics
Science Teams Large-Scale Syntheses
Joined Kew 2004
Foreign Language(s) Czech (mother tongue), German.

Qualifications & Appointments

MSc, Palacky Univ., 1996

PhD, Palacky Univ., 2000.

Comparative Genomics and Natural Variation subcommitee, Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee (MASC)

Role

To understand the significance of karyotype evolution and chromosome variation in the process of speciation and genome evolution in plants.

Current research activities: (1) Karyotype evolution in crucifers (Brassicaceae), studying the significance of karyotype and whole-genome reshuffling in speciation within the family in a phylogenetic, taxonomic and ecological context. Crucifers possess a unique genome structure enabling comparative cross-specific chromosomal studies, not feasible elsewhere among higher plants, gaining the unique information on key mechanisms of plant genome evolution and speciation. (2) The role of repetitive DNA in genome size evolution, especially the role of repetitive DNA elements in genome size variation and karyotype evolution. Current work is focusing on repeat evolution in extremely large genomes of Fritillaria species as well as on the evolution of centromeric repeats in very small cruciferous genomes (Brassicaceae). The significance of deviating heterochromatin chromosome patterns is also analyzed.

Projects

Genomic Studies in Angiosperms

Genomic Studies in Monocots

Karyotype Evolution in Crucifers (Brassicaceae)

Selected Publications 2001-2005

Lysak, M.A., Fransz, P.F., Ali, H.B.M. & Schubert, I. (2001). Chromosome painting in Arabidopsis thaliana. The Plant Journal 28: 689-697.

Lysak, M.A., Pecinka, A., Schubert, I. (2003). Recent progress in chromosome painting of Arabidopsis and related species. Chromosome Research 11: 195-204.

Lysak, M.A., Koch, M., Pecinka, A., & Schubert, I. (2005). Chromosome triplication found across the tribe Brassiceae. Genome Research 15: 516–525

Selected Publications pre-2001

Lysak, M.A., Cihalikova, J., Kubalakova, M., Simkova, M., Künzel, G. & Dolezel, J. (1999). Flow karyotyping and sorting of mitotic chromosomes of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Chromosome Research 7: 431-444.

Lysak, M.A., Dolezelova, M., Horry, J-P., Swennen, R. & Dolezel, J.(1999). Flow cytometric esimation of nuclear DNA content in Musa. Theor. Appl. Genet. 98: 1344-1350.

Lysak, M.A., Cihalikova, J., Kubalakova, M., Simkova, M., Kinzzel, G. & Dolezel, J. (19999). Flow karyotyping and sorting of mitotic chromosomes of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Chromosome Research 7: 431-444.

Lysak, M.A., Dolezelova, M., Horry, J-P., Swennen, R. & Dolezel, J. (1999). Flow cytometric analysis of nuclear DNA content in Musa.  Theor. Appl. Genet. 98: 1344-1350.