Plant Molecular Biology-Metabolic Pathways

There are presently three main axes of research within our laboratory. 

1. Metabolic pathways in the peroxisome and synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates
Our laboratory studies the pathways involved in fatty acid degradation in the peroxisomes of fungi and plants using a novel tool that we have developed, namely the synthesis of the biopolyester polyhydroxyalkanoate from the polymerization of the intermediates of the ß-oxidation cycle.

2. Study of the isoprenoid pathway
Plants synthesize a wide diversity of molecules from the isoprenoid pathway. Of particular interest to our group is the synthesis of rubber and how the carbon flux through the isoprenoid pathway can be modulated to increase rubber biosynthesis.

3. Phosphate transport and metabolism
Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is one of the main nutrients limiting the growth. Our work on Pi transport and metabolism is focused on the characterization of the PHO1 gene family in Arabidopsis and rice. The PHO1 gene is involved in the loading of Pi from the root into the xylem vessels. A family of 10 genes related to PHO1 have recently been identified from the Arabidopsis genome project. Our main goal is to gain a comprehensive view of the role of these genes in phosphate acquisition and distribution throughout the plant.

• PHO1 family members transport phosphate from infected nodule cells to bacteroids in Medicago truncatula
  Nguyen, Nga N. T.; Clua, Joaquin; Vetal, Pallavi V.; Vuarambon, Dominique Jacques; De Bellis, Damien; et al.
  Plant Physiology  10.1093/plphys/kiaa016 Published: JAN 2021
• Modulation of Shoot Phosphate Level and Growth byPHOSPHATE1Upstream Open Reading Frame(1)([OPEN])
  Reis, Rodrigo S.; Deforges, Jules; Sokoloff, Tatiana; Poirier, Yves
  Plant Physiology 10.1104/pp.19.01549  JUL 2020
• Critical Role of Transcript Cleavage in Arabidopsis RNA Polymerase II Transcriptional Elongation
  Antosz, Wojciech; Deforges, Jules; Begcy, Kevin; Bruckmann, Astrid; Poirier, Yves; et al.
  Plant Cell 10.1105/tpc.19.00891 MAY 2020
• The transcription and export complex THO/TREX contributes to transcription termination in plants
  Khan, Ghazanfar Abbas; Deforges, Jules; Reis, Rodrigo S.; Hsieh, Yi-Fang; Montpetit, Jonatan; Antosz, Wojciech; Santuari, Luca; Hardtke, Christian S; Grasser, Klaus D; Poirier, Yves
  Plos Genetics  DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008732 Published: APR 2020
• Symbiosis-induced rice phosphate transporter PT13 mediates cellular phosphate efflux
  Yang, S. Y.; Wu, Y.; de Waard, P.; et al.
  Conference: 18th Congress of International-Society-for-Molecular-Plant-Microbe-Interactions (IS-MPMI) Location: Glasgow, SCOTLAND Date: JUL 14-18, 2019
  MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS 32(10) 191-191 OCT 2019
• Post-translational Regulation of SPX Proteins for Coordinated Nutrient Signaling
  Poirier, Y
  MOLECULAR PLANT, 12 (8):1041-1043; 10.1016/j.molp.2019.06.005 AUG 5 2019
• Prediction of regulatory long intergenic non-coding RNAs acting in trans through base-pairing interactions
  Deforges, J; Reis, RS; Jacquet, P; Vuarambon, DJ; Poirier, Y
  BMC GENOMICS, 20 10.1186/s12864-019-5946-0 JUL 22 2019
• Control of Cognate Sense mRNA Translation by cis-Natural Antisense RNAs
  Deforges, J; Reis, RS; Jacquet, P; Sheppard, S; Gadekar, VP; Hart-Smith, G; Tanzer, A; Hofacker, IL; Iseli, C; Xenarios, I; Poirier, Y
  PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 180 (1):305-322; 10.1104/pp.19.00043 MAY 2019
• Partitioning of above and below ground costs during phosphate stress in Medicago truncatula
  Groenewald, LM; Morcillo, RJL; Midgley, GF; Kleinert, A; Poirier, Y; Valentine, AJ
  JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION, 42 (7):759-771; 10.1080/01904167.2019.1567774 APR 21 2019
• Concerted expression of a cell cycle regulator and a metabolic enzyme from a bicistronic transcript in plants
  Lorenzo-Orts, L; Witthoeft, J; Deforges, J; Martinez, J; Loubery, S; Placzek, A; Poirier, Y; Hothorn, LA; Jaillais, Y; Hothorn, M
  NATURE PLANTS, 5 (2):184-+; 10.1038/s41477-019-0358-3 FEB 2019
• …

• Phosphate transport and homeostasis
• Fatty acid metabolism and peroxisomes
• Biopolymers
• Isoprenoid pathway

• Genomics of Arabidopsis, yeast and Aspergillus nidulans
• Analysis of metabolic pathways
• Biotechnology of biopolymers