Member Institutions:

• Bowling Green State U.
• Cleveland State U.
• Kent State U.
• Medical College of Ohio
• Miami U.
• The Ohio State U.
• Ohio U.
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Toledo
• Wright State U.
• Youngstown State U.

Research Interests

The principal projects in my laboratory include studies of: (1) gravity perception mechanisms in plants; (2) the potential role of integrin-like proteins in the transduction of gravitropism; (3) interactions of tropisms in plants; and (4) the developmental physiology of fern gametophytes. In terms of our gravitopism studies, we have been using two model systems: the flowering plant Arabidopsis and the algae Chara.

In the Arabidopsis project, T-DNA mutants that are altered in starch content will be used to test the hypothesis that amyloplasts play a key role in gravity perception. In the Chara project, one of our specific interests is to understand the role of the cell wall during the differential growth and the role of statoliths in gravitropism mechanisms. In both systems, we have been examining the role of integrin-like proteins in gravitropism. Integrins are a large family of integral plasma membrane proteins that link the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton. They have been associated with numerous different processes, including mechanochemical signal transduction. Given their central role in signal transduction pathways in animal cells, it is possible that integrin-like molecules may also play a role in plant cell signal transduction pathways.

Many aspects of our research involve the use of the Electron Microscopy Facility at Miami University. This facility is nationally known for its excellence, particularly in the area of cryo-electron microscopy. In addition, although the research program in my lab is primarily ground-based, we had the opportunity to fly several experiments in microgravity on the U.S. Space Shuttle. We plan to continue to use the unique characteristics of the microgravity environment to help us evaluate hypotheses on gravity perception/transduction mechanisms in plant cells.

Selected References

• Guisinger M.M., J.Z. Kiss. 1999. The influence of microgravity and spaceflight on columella cell ultrastructure in starch-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis. American Journal of Botany 86: 1357-1366.
• Weise S.E., J.Z. Kiss. 1999. Gravitropism of inflorescence stems in starch- deficient mutants of Arabidopsis. International Journal of Plant Sciences 160: 521-527.
• Kiss J.Z., R.E. Edelmann, P.C. Wood. 1999. Gravitropism of hypocotyls of wild-type and starch-deficient Arabidopsis seedlings in spaceflight studies. Planta 209: 96-103.
• MacCleery S.A, J.Z. Kiss. 1999. Plastid sedimentation kinetics in roots of wild-type and starch-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology 120: 183-192.
• Swatzell L.J., R.E. Edelmann, C.A. Makaroff, J.Z. Kiss. 1999. Integrin-like proteins are localized to membrane fractions, not plastids, in Arabidopsis. Plant and Cell Physiology 40: 173-183.
• Katembe W.J., R.E. Edelmann, E. Brinckmann, J.Z. Kiss. 1998. The development of spaceflight experiments with Arabidopsis as a model system in gravitropism studies. Journal of Plant Research 111:463-470.
• Kiss H.G., J.Z. Kiss. 1998. Spore germination in populations of Schizaea pusilla from New Jersey and Nova Scotia. International Journal of Plant Sciences 159:848-852.
• Kiss J.Z., W.J. Katembe, R.E. Edelmann. 1998. Gravitropism and development of wild-type and starch-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis during spaceflight. Physiologia Plantarum 102:493-502.
• Kiss J.Z., M.M. Guisinger, A.J. Miller. 1998. What is the threshold amount of starch necessary for full gravitropic sensitivity? Advances in Space Research 21:1197-1202.
• Kiss, J.Z., M.A. Guisinger, A.J. Miller, K.S. Stackhouse. 1997. Reduced gravitropism in hypocotyls of starch-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis. Plant and Cell Physiology 38:518-525.
• Kiss, J.Z. 1997. Gravitropism in the rhizoids of the alga Chara: a model system for microgravity research. Biological Bulletin 192:134-136.
• Katembe, W.J., L.J. Swatzell, C.A. Makaroff, and J.Z. Kiss. 1997. Immunolocalization of integrin-like proteins in Arabidopsis and Chara. Physiologia Plantarum 99:7-14.
• Kiss, J.Z., T. Caspar, and J.B. Wright. 1996. Gravitropism in roots of intermediate-starch mutants of Arabidopsis. Physiologia Plantarum 97:237-244.
• Swatzell, L.J., M.J. Powell, and J.Z. Kiss. 1996. The relationship of endophytic fungi to the gametophyte of the fern Schizaea pusilla. Intl. J. of Plant Sciences 157:53-62.
• Wang-Cahill, F. and J.Z. Kiss. 1995. The statolith compartment in Chara rhizoids contains carbohydrate and protein. American J. of Botany 82:220-229.
• Kiss, J.Z., F. Wang-Cahill, H.G. Kiss. 1995. The ultrastructure of the early development of Schizaea pusilla gametophytes. Int. J. of Plant Sciences 156:131-142.
• Kiss, J.Z. 1994. Negative phototropism in young gametophytes of the fern Schizaea pusilla. Plant, Cell and Environment 17:1339-1343.
• Kiss, J. Z. 1994. The response to gravity is correlated with the number of statoliths in Chara rhizoids. Plant Physiology 105: 937-940.
• Kiss, J. Z. and K. McDonald. 1993. Electron microscope immunocytochemistry following cryofixation and freeze substitution. Methods in Cell Biology 37:311-341.

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