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Erich Grotewold Department of Plant Biology |
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Research Interests
My laboratory investigates the mechanisms used by plants to control cellular processes unique to the plant kingdom. We combine molecular, cellular, biochemical and genetic approaches to understand the nuclear events that lead to gene expression. Our studies have focused on understanding how plant Myb-domain proteins regulate gene expression. In contrast to animals, plants express a large number (over a hundred) of different Myb-domain proteins. The P and C1 proteins regulate distinct branches of maize flavonoid biosynthesis, despite the high identitiy between their Myb DNA-binding domains. One major project in my lab is to understand how P and C1 achieve biological specificity by activating overlapping sets of known target genes. Our studies have shown that combinatorial interactions of P and C1 with other cellular factors as well as different DNA-binding affinities of P and C1 for identical DNA-binding sites are important determinants of their distinct regulatory activities. How interactions with other cellular factors modulate the activity of these proteins is not known. Elucidating the mechanisms by which P and C1 regulate gene expression should provide fundamental information on the general mechanisms of Myb-domain protein function.
A second area of research is to understand the cellular roles of other plant Myb-domain proteins, and to understand how Myb-domain proteins played a role in plant evolution. The dramatic expansion of the Myb family of proteins in plants, compared to animals or yeast, opens the possibility that Myb-domain proteins regulate plant-specific processes. We are using reverse genetic approaches to identify mutations caused by insertions of transposable elements in maize Myb genes. So far, we have identified four insertions in novel plant Myb genes. Once insertions are identified, we investigate the phenotypic effect of the mutation to understand the specific processes controlled by plant Myb proteins.
A third area of research in my lab is the study of plant metabolic pathways, and how plants deal with the accumulation of an enormous number of compounds often derived from a few common precursors. Maize flavonoid biosynthesis provides the opportunity to study branched metabolic pathways with common precursors, and how is the transport of different flavonoid compounds to distinct subcellular compartments controlled. Using transgenic maize cultured cells and transgenic maize plants we will further dissect these fundamental aspects of plant metabolism.
The fourth area of research is to understand the role of Myb-domain proteins in the control of polarized cell growth. Polarized cell growth has fundamental implications in morphogenesis and pattern formation in plants. The identification of the targets of the Myb-domain proteins that control cell shape or cell fate in Arabidopsis thaliana should allow us to understand the level at which polarized cell growth is regulated by Myb-domain proteins.
Selected References
- Braun, E.L., and Grotewold, E. (1999) Newly discovered plant c-myb-like genes rewrite the evolution of the plant myb gene family. Plant Phys. In Press
- Rabinowicz, P. D., E. L. Braun., A. D. Wolfe, B. Bowen, and E. Grotewold. (1999) Maize R2R3 Myb genes: Sequence analysis reveals amplification in higher plants. Genetics, In Press
- Mol, J., Grotewold, E., and Koes, R. (1998) How genes paint flowers and seeds. Trends Plant Sci. 3: 212-217.
- Grotewold, E., Chamberlain, M., St. Claire, G., Swenson, J., Siame, B.A., Butler, L.G., Snook, M. and Bowen, B. (1998) Engineering secondary metabolism in maize cells by ectopic expression of transcription factors. Plant Cell. 10: 721-740
- van Aalten, D.M.F., Grotewold, E. and Joshua-Tor, L. (1998) Essential dynamics from NMR structures: dynamic properties of the Myb DNA-binding domain and a hinge-bending enhancing variant. Methods - A companion to Methods in Enzymology. 14: 318-328.
- Sainz, M., Grotewold, E. and Chandler, V. (1997) Evidence for direct activation of an anthocyanin promoter by the maize C1 protein and comparison of DNA-binding by related Myb-domain proteins. The Plant Cell. 9: 611-625.
- Williams, C.E. and Grotewold, E. (1997) Differences between plant and animal Myb domains are fundamental for DNA-binding activity and chimeric Myb domains have novel DNA-binding specificities. Journal Biol. Chem. 272: 563-571.
- Grotewold, E., Drummond, B., Bowen, B. and Peterson, T. (1994). The Myb-homologous P gene controls phlobaphene pigmentation in maize floral organs by directly activating a flavonoid biosynthetic gene subset. Cell 76: 543-553.
- Grotewold, E. and Peterson, T. (1994). Isolation and characterization of a maize gene encoding chalcone flavanone isomerase. Mol. Gen. Genet. 242: 1-8.
Short Reports (last five years)
- Braun, E.L., and Grotewold, E. (1999). Diversification of the R2R3 Myb gene family and the segmental allotetraploid origin of the maize genome. Maize Genet. Coop. Newsl. 73: 26-27.
- Grotewold, E. Ectopic expression of P and R+C1 induce few new proteins. (1999). Maize Genet. Coop. Newsl. 73: 23-24.
- Wang, H., and Grotewold, E. (1999). Aleurone and pericarp pigmentation in the a1-mum2 allele. Maize Genet. Coop. Newsl. 73: 24-25.
- Rabinowicz, P.D., Ma, H., and Grotewold, E. (1997). Consequences of the ectopic expression of the Myb-domain protein P. Maize Genet. Coop. Newsl. 71: 21-22.
- Rabinowicz, P.D., Roberts, C., and Grotewold, E. (1996). A gene encoding a putative Mixta-homologous Myb-domain protein from Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Phys. 112: 863.
- Grotewold, E. (1995). Does P protein require a partner, as C1 protein does? Maize Genet. Coop. Newsl. 69: 32.
Ohio State Department of Plant
Biology
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