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Ann Depicker
Gene Regulation
VIB Department of Plant Systems Biology, UGent
PhD: Ghent Univ., Ghent, Belgium, '79
VIB Group leader since 1996
VIB Division Coordinator since 2003 |
e-mail
phone +32 9 331 39 40
ADDRESS |
Current team members
Group leader: Ann Depicker
Postdoctoral scientists: Annelies De Paepe, Sylvie De Buck
Ph.D. Students: Kirsten De Wilde, Miguel Lopez Cardoso, Robin Piron, Thomas De Meyer, Vikram Virdi
Support personnel: Els Van Lerberge, Jonah Nolf
Keywords
agrobacterium-mediated transformation - T-DNA integration - RNA silencing in plants - random and targeted plant genome modification - molecular farming
Science
The research objectives of the Genome Dynamics and Gene Regulation group are to understand and explore mechanisms that govern genome organisation and gene expression in plants. For many years, a more in depth study of several aspects of the Agrobacterium mediated plant transformation system is performed. The work focuses on efficiency of T-DNA transfer and T-DNA integration, vector backbone transfer, and the origin of multicopy T-DNA loci. Strategies for gene targeting by T-DNA integration via homologous recombination are explored and existing site-specific recombination systems are being adapted for more efficient T-DNA integration as part of the European Geninteg project (2004-2007). The ultimate goal of the work is to develop optimal vector and transformation conditions that result in silencing-insensitive “elite” transgene DNA inserts. Further at the genome level, the group focuses on epigenetic modifications, DNA repair and recombination. In respect of gene regulation, emphasis is given to transgene approaches that allow studying systematically the significance of particular sequence motives for gene expression. The obtained knowledge is used to achieve high expression levels of neutralising antibodies and antibody fusion proteins in seeds. This work is part of the European Pharma-Planta project (2004-2006) (website www.pharma-planta.org ).
To gain more insight in the biological system of RNA silencing the function and regulation of genes in the pathway are being characterized. Further, we focus on the intriguing aspects of transitive gene silencing and the implication of co-regulation by crosstalk between partially homologous genes. Especially the aspects of signal amplification during transitive and systemic silencing are being characterised.
Recently, we have started working on genetic and epigenetic modifications that would ultimately allow to alter plant genomes in a random or targeted fashion. To this end, expression of heterologous proteins that can increase the mutation frequency will be evaluated. In addition, the link between post-transcriptional gene silencing and mutation or recombination frequencies of transgenes and endogenes will be assessed. Finally, we aim at identifying and characterizing putatively important enzymes in the base excision repair pathway of G:T mismatches in DNA.
Press Release
See also press release (16/01/2007): Producing medicines in plant seeds - based on a publication in PNAS (Van Droogenbroeck et al., PNAS, 2007)
Selected Publications
Krizova K, Fojtova M, Depicker A, Kovarik A
Cell culture-induced gradual and frequent epigenetic reprogramming of invertedly repeated tobacco transgene epialleles
PLANT PHYSIOL 149, 1493-504, 2009
De Paepe A, De Buck S, Hoorelbeke K, Nolf J, Peck I, Depicker A
High frequency of single-copy T-DNA transformants produced by floral dip in CRE-expressing Arabidopsis plants
PLANT J 59, 517-27, 2009
De Buck S, Podevin N, Nolf J, Jacobs A, Depicker A
The T-DNA integration pattern in Arabidopsis transformants is highly determined by the transformed target cell
PLANT J 60, 134-45, 2009
Van Droogenbroeck B, Cao J, Stadlmann J, Altmann F, Colanesi S, Hillmer S, Robinson D, Van Lerberge E, Terryn N, Van Montagu M, Liang M, Depicker A, De Jaeger G
Aberrant localization and underglycosylation of highly accumulating single-chain Fv-Fc antibodies in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds
P NATL ACAD SCI USA 104, 1430-5, 2007
Bleys A, Van Houdt H, Depicker A
Down-regulation of endogenes mediated by a transitive silencing signal
RNA 12, 1633-9, 2006
Search Publications
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