James E Jurgenson
Professor

McCollum Science Hall
james.jurgenson@uni.edu
Phone: (319) 273-2539

• University of Arizona 1974-1980 Ph.D. Genetics Molecular Biology
• University of Arizona 1972-1974 M.S. Genetics
• University of Minnesota, 1968-1972 B.S. Biology Chemistry (Morris branch)

Research

My research is divided into three separate but complimentary areas:

1. Genetics of the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum (Gibberella zeae). This organism is the causative agent of scab (head blight) of wheat in the United States and other countries. I have been developing genetic maps using Amplified Fragment Length polymorphism analysis to generate mendelianly inherited genetic markers. My genetic maps have been used to align the Genomic sequence recently produced by the Broad institute.

2. I am also studying the population genetics of more than 20 species of native plants of the tall grass prairie. This effort is designed to assess the genetic diversity of native species in existing remnants of the prairie that exist in Iowa.

3. I am also interested in the ability of plants to resist infection by microorganisms. We are isolating disease resistant gene analogues from the genomes of native plant species. It is expected that these could be used in agronomic crops as genetic protection to disease organism such as Fusarium graminearum.

Selected publications

Patterns of Trichothecene Production, Genetic Variability, and Virulence to Wheat of Fusarium graminearum from Smallholder Farms in Nepal. Desjardins, A. E.; Jarosz, A. M.; Plattner, R. D.; Alexander, N. J.; Brown, D. W.; Jurgenson, J. E.; J. Agric. Food Chem.; (Article); 2004; 52(20); 6341-6346.

Genetic Mapping of Pathogenicity and Aggressiveness of Gibberella zeae (Fusarium graminearum) Toward Wheat. C. J. R. Cumagun, R. L. Bowden, J. E. Jurgenson, J. F. Leslie, and T. Miedaner. 2004. Phytopathology 94(5) 520-526.

Nancy J. Alexander , Susan P. McCormick, Troy M. Larson and James E.Jurgenson. 2004.Expression of Tri15 in Fusarium sporotrichioides. Current genetics 46,157-162

Hilker, C. A. and J. E. Jurgenson 2003.Genetic variation within and among two prairie plant species:A comparison of remnant populations and progeny. Proceedings of the 20th North American Prairie Conference. Held Truman State 182-188.

Jurgenson, J. E., R. L. Bowden, K. A. Zeller, J. F. Leslie, N.J. Alexander, and R. D. Plattner 2002. A Genetic Map of Gibberella zeae (Fusarium graminearum) Genetics 160:1451-1460

Jurgenson, J. E., K. A. Zeller, and J. F. Leslie. 2002. An Expanded Genetic Map of Gibberella moniliformis (Fusarium verticilliodes) AEM 68:1972-1979

Kitchen, Duane J., Daryl D. Smith, James E. Jurgenson and Stephen L. OKane 2000. Genetic variation among Remnant Iowa Populations of Rough Blazing Star (Liatris Aspera MichX.) in Proceedings of the 17th North American Prairie Conference. Held in Mason City July 16-20

Zeller, Kurt A., James E. Jurgenson, Elhamy M. El-Assiuty, and John F. Leslie 2000. Isozyme and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) from Cephalosporium maydis in Egypt. Phytoparasitica. 28:121-130

Beltz, Lisa, Robert Moran, Osama Elsawy, Jeffery Sadler, and James Jurgenson. 1999. The effects of Telomerasse Inhibitors on Lymphocyte Function. Anti Cancer Research 19:3205-3212

Abbas, Jason, B.A.D. Hetrick, and J.E. Jurgenson. 1996. Isolate Specific Detection of Mycorrhizal Fungi using genome specific primer pairs. 88(6):939-946.

Chang, J.C., K.L. Mikkelson, I.M. Simet, J. Dundee, M.R. Steenblock, and J.E. Jurgenson. 1995. Synthesis, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Studies of Some 2-Substituted Benzaldehyde-2 Furanthiocarboxyhydrazones and Their Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) Complexes. Synthesis and Reactivity in Inorganic and Metal-Organic Chemistry 25 (10): 1653-1664.

Jurgenson, J.E. and S.P. Champe 1990. The Sexual and Asexual Spores of Aspergillus nidulans contain partially overlapping sets of mRNAs. Experimental Mycology 14:89-93

Jurgenson, J.E., and P. Biebel 1989. Taxonomy of a Mixed Cylindrocystis Assemblage from Vermont Soil. II Isozyme variations. Archiv für Protistenkunde. 137:299-307

Hildebrand, M., Jurgenson, J.E., Ramage, R.T., and D.P. Bourque 1985. Derivation of a physical map of Chloroplast DNA from Nicotiana tabacum by Two-Dimensional Gel and Computer-Aided Restriction Analysis. Plasmid 14:64-79

Miller, M.E., J.E. Jurgenson, E.M. Reardon, and C.A. Price. 1983. Plastid translation in organello and in vitro during light induced development in Euglena. Journal of Biological Chemistry 258:14478-14484.

Jurgenson, J.E. and D.P. Bourque. 1980. Mapping of rRNA genes in an inverted repeat in Nicotiana tabacum chloroplast DNA. Nucleic Acids Research 8: 3505-3516.

Jurgenson, J.E., S.I. Beale and R.F. Troxler. 1976. Biosynthesis of d-aminolevulinic acid in the unicellular rhodophyte. Cyanidium caldarium. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 69: 149-157.

Recently taught courses

Other courses