Research at University of Liverpool 2011-2014
Characterizing the Arabidopsis Nuclear Pore Complex
The Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC) is a large macromolecular complex that facilitates the active transport of molecules between cytoplasm and nucleus as well playing a significant role in cell division. One third of vertebrate NPC proteins reside within the vNUP107-160 complex. The developmental importance of this complex is highlighted in studies performed in Xenopus showing that removal of the complex results in NPC-less nuclei.
At the present time almost no empirical work has been conducted to elucidate the specific members of the plant NPC. Sequence searches have discovered that Arabidopsis contains orthologs of most vNUP107-160 complex members including the previously characterized AtNUP160 and AtNUP96 proteins (see previous work). Plants lacking AtNUP160 and AtNUP96 exhibit a pleiotropic phenotypes and rarely survive past the seedling stage demonstrating the critical developmental importance of these proteins.Expression of 35S-NUP96:GFP in the root tip
The work in the lab focused on a number of strategies to characterization plant NPC. In 2014 we published a manuscript in the Journal of Experimental Botany that can be downloaded below:
Previous Lab Personel:
Co-supervised PhD Student (with Luning Liu):
Yi Fang (Started October 2013 ). Liverpool China Scholarship Council Studentship. Yi investigates the composition of the Arabidopsis NUP62 subcomplex using plant bioassay, genetics, molecular biology and atomic force microscopy.
2014 Undergraduate Summer Students:
2014: Clare Kemp*. BSPP funded project investigating the relationship between the NPC and the viral infection.
2014: Leonard Daly. Worked on the Arabidopsis NUP98 genes
2013: Alex Coleman*: Currently PhD student at University of Leeds In lab of Professor Adrian Whitehouse
2013: Sophie Cowman: Currently PhD student at University of Liverpool in lab of Dr Violaine See
2013: Amber Leckenby: Currently PhD student at University of Liverpool in lab of Professor Neil Hall
2012: Alex Hull: Currently PhD student at University of Manchester
2011: Niedharsan Pooranachandran: Currently PhD student at University of Sheffield
*- included in publication: Kemp C, Coleman A, Wells G, Parry G (2014) Overexpressing components of the Nuclear Transport Apparatus causes severe growth symptoms in tobacco leaves. Accepted: Plant Signalling and Behaviour
| parrynpcpaper.pdf |
