Population Genetic Study Pima Pineapple Cactus (Coryphantha robustispina var. robustispinat) Phoenix Area Office

The summary for the Population Genetic Study Pima Pineapple Cactus (Coryphantha robustispina var. robustispinat) Phoenix Area Office grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Other Agency, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Population Genetic Study Pima Pineapple Cactus (Coryphantha robustispina var. robustispinat) Phoenix Area Office: The two conflicting morphometric studies highlight the importance for population genetic studies in these taxa. Because morphological and phylogenetic variation is ultimately the result of variation in DNA, studies such as Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) and Intersimple Sequence Repeats (ISSRs) should allow for an interpretation that can be assessed in conjunction with morphometric analyses. Both SSRs and ISSRs are extremely powerful methods capable of resolving minute genetic differences between individuals and populations. Indeed, both methods rely on the presence and distribution of strings of tandem-repeated DNA sequences (such as the motif "GA"), which may be repeated many times. The purpose of this grant is to: 1) Compare microsatellite and ISSR methodologies and determine the best and most cost effective method for genetic study in Coryphantha and related cacti; 2) Analyze microsatellite and ISSR methodologies in conjunction with previously published morphological data for Coryphantha robustispina var. robustispina and compare results; 3) Describe the taxonomic relationships at the subspecific level for the Coryphantha robustispina complex.