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.

• 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
• Control of plant phosphate homeostasis by inositol pyrophosphates and the SPX domain 
  Jung, Ji-Yul; Ried, Martina K.; Hothorn, Michael; et al. 
  CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, 49: 156-162; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2017.08.012 FEB 2018
• PHO1 Exports Phosphate from the Chalazal Seed Coat to the Embryo in Developing Arabidopsis Seeds 
  Vogiatzaki, Evangelia; Baroux, Celia; Jung, Ji-Yul; et al. 
  CURRENT BIOLOGY, 27 (19): 10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.026  OCT 9 2017

• 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