Georg Jander
Associate Scientist
Office/Lab: Room 407/402
Contact: gj32@cornell.edu / 607-254-1365
Affiliations:
Adjunct Assistant Professor in Cornell University’s Department of Plant Biology
Graduate Field: Plant Biology
Curriculum Vitae (PDF; 36 KB)
Research Summary
The Jander Lab uses genetic and biochemical approaches to study plant-insect interactions and plant amino acid metabolism. We employ the small crucifer Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) as a model system for most of our research.
Myzus persicae (green peach aphids) feeding on an Arabidopsis flower stalk.
Plant-insect interactions
The phloem-specific feeding style of aphids poses unique challenges, both to the host plants, which must mount defense responses against herbivores that do little overt damage, and to the aphids, which must adapt to a nutritionally imbalanced and potentially toxic food source. Myzus persicae (green peach aphids) are important agricultural pests and also feed readily from Arabidopsis. We are studying plant recognition of M. persicae salivary components, Arabidopsis gene expression changes induced during aphid feeding, and plant secondary metabolites that contribute to aphid defense. On the aphid side of the interaction, our goals are to identify M. persicae enzymes that detoxify plant metabolites, as well as aphid gene expression changes that are induced in response to plant defenses.
Plant amino acid metabolism
Unlike plants, which can synthesize the complete repertoire of protein amino acids, humans and other animals must obtain certain essential amino acids in their diets. However, despite the nutritional importance of plant-derived amino acids, many aspects of plant amino acid metabolism remain uninvestigated. Recent research in the lab has been focused on studying the function two plant enzymes, threonine aldolase and homocysteine methyltransferase, which were discovered in a mutant screen for Arabidopsis lines with altered seed amino acid content. Whereas threonine aldolase mutations increase seed threonine levels, homocysteine methyltransferase mutations increase seed methionine accumulation. Manipulation of these two enzymes could be used to improve the nutritional value of crop plants in which threonine and/or methionine are limiting for mammalian diets.
Publications
M. de Vos, K. Kriksunov, and G. Jander. 2008. Indole-3-acetonitrile production in Arabidopsis thaliana deters oviposition by Pieris rapae (white cabbage butterfly). Plant Physiology 146: 916-926
M. Lee, T. Toro-Ramos, T. Huang, M. Fraga, R. L. Last, and G. Jander. 2008. Reduced activity of Arabidopsis thaliana HMT2, a methionine biosynthetic enzyme, increases seed methionine content. Plant Journal 54: 310-320
G. Howe, and G. Jander. 2008. Plant immunity to insect herbivores. Annual Review of Plant Biology 146: 801-803
J. H. Kim, B. W. Lee, F. Schroeder, G. Jander. 2008. Identification of indole glucosinolate breakdown products with antifeedant effects on Myzus persicae (green peach aphid). 0: Plant Journal. epub ahead of print
G. Jander, and G. Howe. 2008. Plant interactions with arthropod herbivores: state of the field. Plant Physiology 146: 801-803
N. Agerbirk, M. De Vos, J.H. Kim, and G. Jander. 2008. Indole glucosinolate breakdown and its biological effects. Phytochemistry Reviews, in press 0:
C. Bertin, L. A. Weston, T. Huang, G. Jander, T. Owens, J. Meinwald, and F. C. Schroeder. 2007. Grass roots chemistry: meta-tyrosine, an herbicidal non-protein amino acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 43: 16964-16969
J. S. Ramsey, A. C. C. Wilson., M. de Vos, Q. Sun, C. Tamborindeguy, A. Winfield, G. Malloch, D. M. Smith, B. Fenton, S. M. Gray, and G. Jander. 2007. Genomic resources for Myzus persicae: EST sequencing, SNP identification, and microarray design. BMC Genomics 8: 423
M. de Vos, J. H. Kim, and G. Jander. 2007. Biochemistry and molecular biology of Arabidopsis-aphid interactions. BioEssays 29: 871-883
G. Jander, and C. Barth. 2007. Tandem gene arrays: a challenge for functional genomics. Trends in Plant Science 12: 203-210
Barth, C., G. Jander. 2006. Arabidopsis Myrosinases TGG1 and TGG2 have Redundant Function in Glucosinolate Breakdown and Insect Defense. Plant J 46: 549-562
G. Jander, . 2006. Gene Identification and Cloning by Molecular Marker Mapping. Methods in Molecular Biology 323: 115-126
Bush J, Jander G, Ausubel FM. 2006. Prevention and control of pests and diseases. . Methods Mol Biol 323: 13-25
G. Jander, J. Cui, B. Nhan, N.E. Pierce, and F. M. Ausubel. 2001. The TASTY locus on chromosome 1 of Arabidopsis affects feeding of the insect herbivore Trichoplusia ni. Plant Physiology 126: 890-898
Lab Members
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