Head of the Research Group: Prof. Dr. CHEN Jianghua
E-mail: jhchen@xtbg.ac.cn
Website: http://groups.xtbg.cas.cn/pfg/pfg_about/201806/t20180626_412939.html
Introduction
Because plants are immobile, many have evolved mechanisms that help them respond to a changing environment. Some plants contain a motor organ that drives circadian leaf movements: The leaves flatten to receive sun during the day and fold at night. Though motor organ anatomy has been well studied, the gene that specifies the identity of the motor organ during plant development remains unknown. Jianghua Chen et al. (pp. 11723–11728) isolated the causative gene from a mutant Medicago truncatula plant that cannot fold its leaves at night because it lacks a motor organ. Genetic tests suggested that the gene, designated ELP1, is normally expressed in primordial cells that give rise to the motor organ. When the researchers introduced the wild-type gene into the mutant plants, the cells gained motor organ characteristics. The researchers identified genes similar to ELP1 in field peas and other model plants, suggesting that the development of various motor organ identities is regulated by a common mechanism. According to the authors, the identification of ELP1 and its functional parallels in other species fills a major gap in the understanding of the genetic control of motor organ development, and provides an opportunity for future researchers to investigate the origin of motor organs during plant evolution.
Research interests
1. The signal transduction mechanism of legume leaf movement.
2. Functional Genomics and molecular marker assisted breeding in legume and rice.
3.The secondary metabolism and regulation of active ingredients in major economic plants at the southwest of China.
Selected Publications
.Chen J, Moreau C, Liu Y, Kawaguchi M, Hofer J, Ellis N, Chen R (2012) Conserved genetic determinant of motor organ identity in Medicagotruncatula and related legumes. ProcNatlAcadSci (PNAS) 109(29):11723-8
2. Uppalapati SR, Ishiga Y, Doraiswamy V, Bedair M, Mittal S, Chen J, Nakashima J, Tang Y, Tadege M, Ratet P, Chen R, Schultheiss H, Mysore KS. (2012) Loss of abaxial leaf epicuticular wax in Medicagotruncatula irg1/palm1 mutants results in reduced spore differentiation of anthracnose and nonhost rust pathogens. Plant Cell 1:353-370
3. Chen J*, Yu J*, Ge L*, Wang H*, Berbel A, Liu Y, Chen Y, Li G, Tadege M, Wen J, Cosson V, Mysore KS, Ratet P, Madueno F, Bai G, Chen R (2010) Control of dissected leaf morphology by a Cys(2)His(2) zinc finger transcription factor in the model legume Medicago truncatula.ProcNatlAcadSci (PNAS) 8:107(23):10754-10759 (*equal contribution, a PNAS Direct Submission)
4. Ge L*, Chen J*, Chen R (2010) Palmate-like pentafoliata1 encodes a novel Cys(2)His(2) zinc finger transcription factor essential for compound leaf morphogenesis in Medicago truncatula.Plant Signal Behav. 5(9):1134-1137. (*equal contribution)
5. Pan J, Fujioka S, Peng J, Chen J, Li G, Chen R. (2009). The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase SCFTIR/AFB and membrane sterols play key roles in auxin regulation of endocytosis, recycling , and plasma membrane accumulation of the auxin efflux transporter PIN2 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell 21: 568-580
6. Wang H*, Chen J*, Wen J, Tadege M, Li G, Liu Y, Mysore KS, Ratet P, Chen R (2008) Control of compound leaf development by FLORICAUL/LEAFY ortholog SINGLE LEAFLET1 in Medicagotruncatula. Plant Physiology 146:1759-1772 (*equal contribution)
7. Chen J, Pang J, Wang L, Luo Y, Li X, Cao X, Lin K, Ma W, Hu X, Luo D. (2006). Wrinkled petals and stamens 1, is required for the morphogenesis of petals and stamens in Lotus japonicus. Cell Res 16: 499-506
8. Feng X, Zhao Z, Tian Z, Xu S, Luo Y, Cai Z, Wang Y, Yang J, Wang Z, Weng L, Chen J, Zheng L, Guo X, Luo J, Sato S, Tabata S, Ma W, Cao X, Hu X, Sun C, Luo D. (2006). Control of petal shape and floral zygomorphy in Lotus japonicus.ProcNatlAcadSci (PNAS)103: 4970-4975
9. Guo X, Zhao Z, Chen J, Hu X, Luo D. (2006). A putative CENTRORADIALIS/TERMINAL FLOWER 1-like gene, Ljcen1, plays a role in phase transition in Lotus japonicus. J Plant Physiol, 163: 436-44
10. Luo JH, Yan J, Weng L, Yang J, Zhao Z,Chen J, Hu XH, Luo D. (2005). Different expression patterns of duplicated PHANTASTICA-like genes in Lotus japonicus suggest their divergent functions during compound leaf development. Cell Res 15: 665-770
11. Wang Z, Chen J, Weng L, Li X, Cao X, Hu X, Luo D, Yang J. (2013) Multiple components are integrated to determine leaf complexity
