Participating Faculty

Research Interests

Plant Reproduction

Research Summary

The distribution of photosynthetic products (photoassimilate partitioning), principally in the form of sugars and amino acids, is a major factor influencing whole plant productivity, crop yield and reproductive success. Photoassimilate partitioning is regulated by the activity of transport proteins located in membranes of sink organs such as seeds that are importing these compounds. The transport of nutrients across biological membranes is essential for cellular function leading to growth, development and responses to environmental influences. However, key transport processes controlling partitioning remain to be identified and regulation of their transport functions elucidated. We are using a combination of biochemical, physiological, genetic and molecular techniques to gain insights into the mechanisms of nitrogen transport, and their importance for development of reproductive flowers and seeds.

Research Publications

2005-2009

Sanders, A., R. Collier, A. Trethewy, G. Gould, R. Sieker, and M. Tegeder (2009) AAP1 regulates import of amino acids into developing Arabidopsis embryos. Plant J 59, 540–552.

Telang, M.A., A.P. Giri, P.S. Pyati, V.S. Gupta, M. Tegeder, and V.R. Franceschi (2009) Winged bean chymotrypsin inhibitors retard growth of Helicoverpa armigera. Gene 431, 80-85.

Komarova, N.Y., K. Thor, A. Gubler, S. Meier, D. Dietrich, A. Weichert, M. Suter Grotemeyer, M. Tegeder, and D. Rentsch (2008) AtPTR1 and AtPTR5 transport dipeptides in planta. Plant Physiol 148, 856-69.

Foster J., Lee Y.H. and Tegeder M. (2008) Distinct expression of members of the LHT amino acid transporter family in flowers indicates specific roles in plant reproduction. Sex Plant Reprod 21, 143–152.

Tan Q., Grennan A., Rentsch D. and Tegeder M. (2008) Isolation and characterization of an amino acid transporter from French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Plant Sci 174, 348-356.

Tegeder M., Tan Q., Grennan A. and Patrick J.W. (2007) Amino acid transporter expression and localisation studies in pea (Pisum sativum L.). Function Plant Biol 34, 1019-1028.

Rentsch D., Schmidt S. and Tegeder M. (2007). Transporters for uptake and allocation of organic nitrogen compounds in plants. FEBS Letters, 581, 2281-2289.

Lee Y.H., Foster J., Chen J., Voll L.M., Weber A.P.M. and Tegeder M. (2007) AAP1 transports uncharged amino acids into roots of Arabidopsis. Plant J 50, 305-319.

Pélissier H.C. and Tegeder M. (2007) PvUPS1 plays a role in source-sink transport of allantoin in French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Funct Plant Biol 34, 282-291.

Tegeder M. and Weber A.P.M. (2006) Metabolite transporters in the control of plant primary metabolism. In Control of primary metabolism in plants (Plaxton, W. and McManus, M., eds.), Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Annu Plant Rev 22, 85-120.