Leslie Sieburth
Professor
Ph.D. University of Georgia
Graduate Program Membership:
Office/Building: Biol 352
Phone: 801-587-9378
Email: sieburth@biology.utah.edu
Research Statement
Development requires gene expression to be controlled spatially and temporally, and communication between cells and tissues. Using a forward genetic approach in Arabidopsis, we have identified two critical pathways for normal seedling development. The mRNA decapping complex removes the 7-Me-G cap from mRNAs, initiating 5'-to-3' decay. Two of our mutants (vcs and tdt) have defects in mRNA decapping complex proteins; characterizing these mutants revealed that mRNAs show specificity for particular decay pathways (decapping and exosomal). Current work addresses how mRNAs are targeted to particular decay pathways, and the interaction between developmental signals and decay. Our analysis of the bypass1 mutant revealed that mutant roots produce a novel mobile compound that moves to the shoot and arrests shoot development. The mobile compound appears to be a novel plant hormone. We are working on its identification, and to understand its action in shoots and how the BPS1 protein functions.
Research Interests
General Interests
Specific Interests
- Genomics and Metabolomics
- Plant Hormones and Auxin
- Root-to-Shoot Signaling
- mRNA decay
- P-Bodies
- Decapping
Selected Publications
- Lee, D.H., Parrott, D.L., Adhikari, E., Fraser, N., and Sieburth, L.E. The mobile bypass Signal Arrests Shoot Growth by disrupting SAM Maintenance, Cytokinin Signaling, and WUS Expression. 2016. Plant Physiology, 171: 2178-2190.
- Carlos Perea-Resa, Cristian Carrasco-L�pez1, Rafael Catal�, Veronika Turečkov�, Ondrej Novak, Weiping Zhang, Leslie Sieburth, Jos� Manuel Jim�nez-G�mez and Julio Salinas. 2016. The Lsm1-7 Complex Controls Plant Adaptation To Adverse Environmental Conditions By Promoting Selective mRNA Decapping. Plant Cell. 28: 505 � 520.
- Roux, M.E., Rasmussen, M.W., , Palma, K., Lolle, S., Regu�, AM., Bethke, G., Glazebrook, J., Zhang, W., Sieburth, L, Larsen, M.R., Mundy, J., and Petersen, M. 2015. The mRNA decay factor PAT1 functions in a pathway including MAP kinase 4 and immune receptor SUMM2. EMBO J. 34: 593-608.
- Adhikari, E., Lee, D.-K., Giavalisco, P., and Sieburth, L.E. 2013. Long-distance signaling in bypass1 mutants: bioassay development reveals the bps signal to be a metabolite. Molecular Plant. 6 (1): 164-173.
- Lee, Dong-Keun, Van Norman, J. M, Murphy, C., Adhikari, E., Reed, J. W., Sieburth, L. E. 2012. In the absence of BYPASS1-related gene function, the bps signal disrupts embryogenesis by an auxin-independent mechanism. Development 139: 805-815.
- Van Norman, J.M., Murphy, C. Sieburth, L.E. 2011. BYPASS1: synthesis of the mobile root-derived signal requires active root growth and arrests early leaf development. BMC Plant Biol. 11:28.
Courses Taught
- Biol 5130: Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Biol 2020: Principles of Cell Biology
- Biol 3230: Developmental Biology