Person
Peng, Jinrong
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Biography and Research Interest
1. Microarray and Functional Genomics:
Microarray (DNA chips) is a newly developed technology for functional genomics studies. cDNA array is one of the microarray formats, useful in profiling global gene expression patterns in different tissues or same tissue at different developmental stages or mutant vs wild type. The information obtained from the global expression pattern can be used to identify new genes prior to any knowledge of the whole genome sequence. The Functional Genomics Lab has been assigned to set up a microarray facility at IMA to facilitate the identification of genes important for agriculture and fisheries and to strengthen the research capability at IMA. My group is currently focusing on developing zebrafish microarray that will be used for the studies of zebrafish development at IMA.
In recent years, increasing evidence has demonstrated that zebrafish share with mammals not only similarities in many developmental pathways but also similar mechanisms of disease occurrence. Together with its advantage in genetic studies and genome organization, zebrafish has been chosen as a model system for the studies of vertebrate development. The interests in this lab lie mainly on the study of liver development, since liver development is one of the least studied areas in vertebrates. By using a zebrafish array, we can not only identify new genes specifically expressed in liver, but also profile gene expression patterns throughout fish development.
2. Towards Dissecting GA signalling in Arabidopsis:
Gibberellins (GA) are one class of phytohormones that have profound and diverse effects on plant growth and development. These effects include the induction of seed germination, the promotion of hypocotyl and stem elongation, the regulation of pollen development and flower initiation etc. However, the molecular mechanisms of GA actions are basically unknown. To understand GA action, factors involved in their signal perception and transduction must be isolated and characterized.
The Arabidopsis gai (for gibberellic acid insensitive) is a semi-dominant mutation, which confers a dark-green, dwarf phenotype with elevated endogenous GA levels. Dominant mutations conferring similar phenotypes are known in other plants as well, including maize (D8 mutations) and wheat (Rht mutations). The wheat Rht mutations are especially important because they are the genetic basis of the high-yielding, semi-dwarf wheat varieties of the 'green revolution'. Recently, we have cloned GAI/RGA/d8/Rht genes from Arabidopsis, maize and wheat, respectively, and found that these genes are orthologues. These genes encode proteins that resemble nuclear transcription factors and contain an SH2-like domain. We have proposed that these proteins are plant equivalents of the metazoan STATs and that a conserved phosphotyroine may participate in GA signalling. One of the main aims of this group is to identify more genes that are involved in GA signalling and to gain an understanding of the biochemical functions of their encoded products.
Microarray (DNA chips) is a newly developed technology for functional genomics studies. cDNA array is one of the microarray formats, useful in profiling global gene expression patterns in different tissues or same tissue at different developmental stages or mutant vs wild type. The information obtained from the global expression pattern can be used to identify new genes prior to any knowledge of the whole genome sequence. The Functional Genomics Lab has been assigned to set up a microarray facility at IMA to facilitate the identification of genes important for agriculture and fisheries and to strengthen the research capability at IMA. My group is currently focusing on developing zebrafish microarray that will be used for the studies of zebrafish development at IMA.
In recent years, increasing evidence has demonstrated that zebrafish share with mammals not only similarities in many developmental pathways but also similar mechanisms of disease occurrence. Together with its advantage in genetic studies and genome organization, zebrafish has been chosen as a model system for the studies of vertebrate development. The interests in this lab lie mainly on the study of liver development, since liver development is one of the least studied areas in vertebrates. By using a zebrafish array, we can not only identify new genes specifically expressed in liver, but also profile gene expression patterns throughout fish development.
2. Towards Dissecting GA signalling in Arabidopsis:
Gibberellins (GA) are one class of phytohormones that have profound and diverse effects on plant growth and development. These effects include the induction of seed germination, the promotion of hypocotyl and stem elongation, the regulation of pollen development and flower initiation etc. However, the molecular mechanisms of GA actions are basically unknown. To understand GA action, factors involved in their signal perception and transduction must be isolated and characterized.
The Arabidopsis gai (for gibberellic acid insensitive) is a semi-dominant mutation, which confers a dark-green, dwarf phenotype with elevated endogenous GA levels. Dominant mutations conferring similar phenotypes are known in other plants as well, including maize (D8 mutations) and wheat (Rht mutations). The wheat Rht mutations are especially important because they are the genetic basis of the high-yielding, semi-dwarf wheat varieties of the 'green revolution'. Recently, we have cloned GAI/RGA/d8/Rht genes from Arabidopsis, maize and wheat, respectively, and found that these genes are orthologues. These genes encode proteins that resemble nuclear transcription factors and contain an SH2-like domain. We have proposed that these proteins are plant equivalents of the metazoan STATs and that a conserved phosphotyroine may participate in GA signalling. One of the main aims of this group is to identify more genes that are involved in GA signalling and to gain an understanding of the biochemical functions of their encoded products.
Non-Zebrafish Publications
1. Richards, D. E., Peng, J.R., and Harberd, N.P (2000) Plant GRAS and metazoan STATs: one family? Bioassay 22:573-577.2. Peng, J.R., Richards, D. E., Hartley, N. M., Murphy, G. P., Devos, K. M., Flintham, J. E., Beales, J., Fish, L. J., Worland, A. J., Pelica, F., Sudhakar, D., Christou, P., Snape, J. W., Gale, M. D., and Harberd, N. P. (1999) �Green revolution� genes encode mutant gibberellin response modulators. Nature 400:256-261.
3. Peng, J.R., Richards, D. E., Moritz, T., Cano, A., and Harberd, N.P. (1999) Extragenic suppressors of the Arabidopsis gai mutation alter the dose-response relationship of diverse gibberellin responses. Plant Physiology 119:1199-1208.
4. Harberd, N.P., King, K.E., Carol, P., Cowling R.J., Peng, J.R., and Richards, D.E (1998) Gibberellin: inhibitor of an inhibitor of ---? BioEssays 20:1001-1008.
5. Peng, J.R., Carol, P., Richards, D.E., King, K.E., Cowling, R., Murphy, G.P., and Harberd, N.P. (1997) The Arabidopsis GAI gene defines a signalling pathway that negatively regulates gibberellin responses. Genes & Development 11:3194-3205.
6. Peng, J.R. and Harberd, N.P. (1997) Gibberellin deficiency and response mutations suppress the stem elongation phenotype of phytochrome-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology 113:1051-1058.
7. Peng, J.R, and Harberd, N.P. (1993). Derivative alleles of the Arabidopsis gibberellin-insensitive (gai) mutation confer a wild-type phenotype. Plant Cell 5:351-360.
8. Whitelam, G.C., Jonson, E., Peng, J.R., Carol, P., Anderson, M., Cowl, J., and Harberd, N.P. (1993). Phytochrome A null mutants of Arabidopsis display a wild-type phenotype in white-light. Plant Cell 5:757-768.