Michigan Technological University

About: Michigan Technological University is a education organization based out in Houghton, Michigan, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Volcano. The organization has 8023 authors who have published 17422 publications receiving 481780 citations. The organization is also known as: MTU & Michigan Tech.

Toward a comprehensive theory of language and gender

Abstract: The search for explanatory coherence in language and gender research has fostered a variety of research methods and analyses; this article evaluates the contributions of the Communities of Practice approach, with its focus on the constructive practices of a group – especially mutual engagement of learning a jointly negotiated practice of gender. Rather than presupposing gender differences as a starting point, CofP emphasizes the learning and mutability in gendered linguistic displays across groups; CofP theory thus naturalizes intragroup variation, not marking it as deviant. However, while the CofP approach focuses much-needed attention on the social construction of gender as local and cross-culturally variable, gender research must be augmented by critical study of two other facets of gender: ideology and innateness, which are critical components of a more comprehensive theory of gender for language research. I would like to give thanks to Janet Holmes for organizing the original forum in which the paper developed, and for her very helpful comments; to Sally McConnell-Ginet and Penny Eckert for their sustained support, through their work, of me and others in the field; and to all three of them – plus Alice Freed, Miriam Meyerhoff, and Susan Ehrlich – for stimulating comments and discussion of these issues. Thanks also go to Mary Talbot and Craig Waddell for comments on an earlier draft. All errors remain my own responsibility.

Molecular Cloning of 4-Coumarate:Coenzyme A Ligase in Loblolly Pine and the Roles of This Enzyme in the Biosynthesis of Lignin in Compression Wood

Abstract: Two genomic sequences encoding 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase (4CL; EC 6.2.1.12) in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were cloned. Both sequences contained three introns and four exons with identical coding sequences predicting 537 amino acids. Two of the three introns in these two clones were different both in sequence and in length. Sequences of both 4CL clones were found in all nine megagametophyte DNAs tested, providing genetic evidence that these two 4CL genomic sequences are nonallelic genes. Our analyses suggest that there are at least two distinct, intron-containing 4CL genes, at least one of which is transcribed into 4CL mRNA in developing xylem tissue of loblolly pine. The levels of 4CL gene transcription in xylem were influenced by compressional stress, resulting in an elevated 4CL enzyme activity with 4-coumaric acid. 4CL enzyme activity with ferulic acid remained unchanged, whereas with caffeic acid it was significantly inhibited. Exogenously applied trans-cinnamic acid in the protein extracts from normal wood xylem caused inhibition of 4CL activity toward caffeic acid similar to that under compressional stress. The implications of this cinnamic acid-modulated effect on 4CL enzyme activities toward different substrates in regulating monolignol synthesis in xylem under compressional stress are discussed.