Mieke Van Lijsebettens
Chromatin and Growth Control
VIB Department of Plant Systems Biology, UGent

PhD: Univ. of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium, '84 Principal Investigator VIB since 1998

e-mail phone +32 9 331 39 70 ADDRESS

Current team members
Group leader: Mieke Van Lijsebettens
Postdoctoral scientists: Basel Khraiwesh, Kristiina Himanen
Ph.D. Student: Steven De Groeve
Support personnel: Carina Braeckman, Griet Coussens, Pia Neyt, Stijn Aesaert

Keywords
biomass production - leaf formations - chromatin - growth control - forward and reverse genetics

Science

The study of the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that determine growth in Arabidopsis, Brassica and maize using the leaf as experimental system -  i.e. upstream signaling and downstream targets of chromatin modifying complexes that impact growth and their crosstalk with the environment.

Developmental, metabolic and physiological pathways contribute to the complex trait of growth in plants. Their transcriptional or translational control mechanisms are well-studied, however much less is  known on their epigenetic  regulation.  Indeed, the histone code and the genomic DNA methylation state also regulate  gene expression levels and depend on internal and external cues. In the research unit “Chromatin and Growth Control”, headed by Mieke Van Lijsebettens, the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that determine growth are being studied in Arabidopsis and Brassica using the leaf as experimental system. The work focuses on the upstream signaling and downstream targets of chromatin modifying complexes that impact growth in order to gain basic insight into their molecular networks. The crosstalk between the chromatin modifying complexes and the environment is also investigated  in order to identify the molecular determinants  of the plasticity of growth. Efficient transformation of maize has been achieved and will be used for translational research in the C4 grass model.

Nelissen H, De Groeve S, Fleury D, Neyt P, Bruno L, Bitonti M, Vandenbussche F, Van Der Straeten D, Yamaguchi T, Tsukaya H, Witters E, De Jaeger G, Houben A, Van Lijsebettens M
Plant Elongator regulates auxin-related genes during RNA polymerase II transcription elongation
P NATL ACAD SCI USA e-pub, e-pub, 2010



Lolas I, Himanen K, Gronlund J, Lynggaard C, Houben A, Melzer M, Van Lijsebettens M, Grasser K
The transcript elongation factor FACT affects Arabidopsis vegetative and reproductive development and genetically interacts with HUB1/2
PLANT J 61, 686-697, 2010



Robles P, Fleury D, Candela H, Cnops G, Alonso-Peral M, Anami S, Falcone A, Caldana C, Willmitzer L, Ponce M, Van Lijsebettens M, Micol J
The RON1/FRY1/SAL1 gene is required for leaf morphogenesis and venation patterning in Arabidopsis
PLANT PHYSIOL 152, 1357-72, 2010



Fleury D, Himanen K, Cnops G, Nelissen H, Boccardi T, Maere S, Beemster G, Neyt P, Anami S, Robles P, Micol J, Inzé D, Van Lijsebettens M
The Arabidopsis thaliana homolog of yeast BRE1 has a function in cell cycle regulation during early leaf and root growth
PLANT CELL 19, 417-32, 2007



Cnops G, Neyt P, Raes J, Petrarulo M, Nelissen H, Malenica N, Luschnig C, Tietz O, Ditengou F, Palme K, Azmi A, Prinsen E, Van Lijsebettens M
The TORNADO1 and TORNADO2 genes function in several patterning processes during early leaf development in Arabidopsis thaliana
PLANT CELL 18, 852-66, 2006

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