Curriculum Vitae Dutch PI (maximum 4 pages)

4a. Personal details

Title(s), initial(s), first name, surname: Prof. Dr. J. C. M. (Sjef) Smeekens

Male / female: Male

Date and place of birth: 26 October 1955, Hoogstraten, Belgium

Nationality: The Netherlands

Birth country of parents: Belgium/The Netherlands

4b. Master's

University / College of Higher Education: Utrecht University

Date (dd/mm/yy):13 December 1982 (cum laude)

Main subject: Molecular Biology

4c. Doctorate

University / College of Higher Education: Utrecht University

Date (dd/mm/yy):17 December 1986 (cum laude)

Supervisor (‘Promotor’): Prof. Dr. P. J. Weisbeek

Title of thesis: Transport of nuclear encoded chloroplast proteins

4d. Current employment

-Type of contract:

Current position / Fixed term / Permanent
Postdoc
Assistant professor (UD)
Associate professor (UHD)
Full professor (HGL) / X
Other, please specify

4f. Work experience since graduating

(per appointment: fte, permanent position (‘vast’) / fixed-term (‘tijdelijk’))

  • Since Sept. 1997: Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology, Universiteit Utrecht. (permanent)
  • July 1994-August 1997: Associate professor, Biology, Universiteit Utrecht. (permanent)
  • 1989-1994: KNAW senior researcher Molecular Cell Biology, Universiteit Utrecht (fixed term).
  • 1987-1988: EMBO Long Term Post-doctoral Fellowship. University of California, Berkeley, Molecular Plant Biology (fixed term).
  • january 1983 tot january 1987: PhD student SON/NWO, Cell Biology, Universiteit Utrecht (fixed term).

4g. Man-years of research 30

4h. Brief summary of research over the last five years

(maximum 250 words)

For over two decades I have been fascinated by the mechanisms used by plants to sense sugars and how this information is linked to resource allocation, energy metabolism and growth strategies. Sugars are best known as metabolic substrate but are also essential signaling molecules in a multitude of processes during the plant life cycle. In the Molecular Plant Physiology laboratory we want to understand at the molecular level how sugars are sensed and how this information feeds into signaling networks that regulate metabolic, physiological and developmental processes in plants. Such studies are important for crop yield improvement in agriculture and for understanding the adaptation processes that allow plants to survive in competitive and changing environments. We

study in detail the S1/C group of transcription factors that are major regulators of metabolism and the trehalose 6-phosphate regulatory molecule that is essential for sugar utilization and growth. These systems are interconnected and are linked to the centrally important SnRK1 (plant AMPK) energy response module in a SnRK1 – S1/C bZIP – T6P regulatory network. Research in the lab is mainly carried out with the plant model species Arabidopsis thaliana that allows for the use of advanced technological and bioinformatics tools developed for this plant. Molecular and functional genomics, natural variation analysis, bioinformatics and computational analysis of regulatory networks are among the technologies used in our research.

4i. International activities

  • Member/chair of many international reviewing, advisory and professorial appointment boards.
  • Organizer of many national and international meetings/summer schools on plant science.
  • Three-four lectures at international scientific meetings each year
  • Editor/advisory member of several international plant science journals.

4j. Other academic activities

  • F1000 (Faculty of 1000) Contributing Member, since 2002
  • Chair NWO-ALW (Neth. Science Foundation) Working group on Experimental Plant Biology (2008-2011)
  • Chair of the Utrecht University committee “UU Metabolomics Centre”, 2004-2008.
  • Board member, Department of Biology, UU, since 2006-2012.
  • Director, Biology Educational Institute, since 2006-2012.
  • Advisory Board, Pisa University Graduate School of Biomolecular Sciences, Pisa, Italy, 2006-2007.
  • Foreign member, Biology Funding Committee, FWO Belgian Fundamental Sciences Organisation 2003-2011, Brussels, Belgium
  • Editor “Plant Physiology” 1998-2005
  • Advisory Editorial Board “The Plant Journal” since 2002, “Trends in Plant Sciences” since 1998, “Plant Molecular Biology” 1998-2003. “Frontiers In”, since 2011.
  • Graduate School 'Experimental Plant Sciences' Theme leader ‘Metabolism’. 1999-2006.
  • Management Team, Centre for Biosystems Genomics (CBSG) Centre of Excellence, Netherlands Genomics Initiative (2002-2007 and 2007-2012) Theme leader ‘Crop Quality’ and ‘Arabidopsis’.

4k. Scholarships and prizes

  • NWO TOP research grant, 2010
  • Teacher of the year, 1998-1999 (Utrecht University)
  • KNAW senior investigator, 1989-1994.
  • EMBO Long Term Fellowship, 1987-1988 (UC Berkeley)

4l. Publications (maximum 25 key publications)

- International (refereed) journals

- National (refereed) journals

- Books

- Contributions to books

- Other

  • Delatte TL, Schluepmann H, Smeekens SC, de Jong GJ, Somsen GW (2011) Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry analysis of trehalose-6-phosphate in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Anal Bioanal Chem., 400(4):1137-44.
  • Li P, Wind JJ, Shia X, Zhanga H, Hanson J, Smeekens SC and Teng S (2011). Fructose sensitivity is suppressed in Arabidopsis by the transcription factor ANAC089 lacking the membrane-bound domain. Proc NatlAcadSci U S A., 108,3436-41.
  • Ma J, Hanssen M, Lundgren K, Hernandez L, Delatte L, Ehlert A, Liu C-M, Schluepmann H, Droge-Laser W, Moritz T, Smeekens S and Hanson J (2011). The sucrose-regulated Arabidopsis transcription factor bZIP11 reprograms metabolism and regulates trehalose metabolism. New Phytologist. 191(3):733-45
  • Smeekens, S, Ma, J, Hanson, J, Rolland, F (2010) Sugar signals and molecular networks controlling plant growth. Cur Opin Plant Biol in press. CurrOpin Plant Biol. 13:274-9.
  • Wind J,Smeekens S, Hanson J. (2010) Sucrose: metabolite and signaling molecule. Phytochemistry 71, 1610-4.
  • Bentsink L, Hanson J, Hanhart CJ, Blankestijn-de Vries H, Coltrane C, Keizer P, El-Lithy M, Alonso-Blanco C, de Andrés T, Reymond M, van Eeuwijk F, Smeekens S, Koornneef M (2010) Natural variation for seed dormancy is regulated by additive genetic and molecular pathways. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 107:4264-9.
  • Hanson, J. and Smeekens, S.C.M. (2009) Sugar Perception and Signaling – an Update. Curr. Op. Plant Biol. 12, 562-567.
  • Alonso-Blanco, C., Aarts, M.G.M., Bentsink, L., Keurentjes, J.J.B., Reymond, M., Vreugdenhil, D., and Koornneef, M. (2009) What Has Natural Variation Taught Us about Plant Development, Physiology, and Adaptation? Plant Cell 21,1877-1896.
  • Rutjens, B., Bao, D., van Eck-Stouten, E., Brand, M., Smeekens, S., Proveniers M. (2009) Shoot apical meristem function in Arabidopsis requires the combined activities of three BEL1-like homeodomain proteins Plant J. 58, 641–654.
  • Rahmani, F., Hummel, M., Schuurmans, J., Wiese-Klinkenberg A., Smeekens, S. and J. Hanson (2009) Sucrose control of translation mediated by a uORF encoded peptide. Plant Physiology 150, 1356-67.
  • Hummel, M., Rahmani, F., Smeekens, S. and J. Hanson (2009) Sucrose-mediated translational control. Annals of Botany 104, 1-7
  • Delatte, TL, Selman, MHJ, Schluepmann, H, Somsen, GW, Smeekens, SCM, de Jong, GJ (2009). Determination of trehalose-6-phosphate in Arabidopsis seedlings by successive extractions followed by anion exchange chromatography–mass spectrometry. Anal Biochem 389, 12-17.
  • Weltmeier, F., Rahmani, F., Ehlert, A., Dietrich, K., Schütze, K., Wang, X., Chaban, C., Hanson, J., Teige, M., Harter, K., Vicente-Carbajosa, J., Smeekens, S. and Dröge-Laser, W. (2009). Expression patterns within the Arabidopsis C/S1 bZIP transcription factor network: availability of heterodimerization partners controls gene expression during stress response and development. Plant Mol Biol. 69, 107-119.
  • Teng, S., Rognoni, S., Bentsink, L. and Smeekens, S. C. M.(2008) The Arabidopsis GSQ5/DOG1 Cvi allele is induced by the ABA-mediated sugar signalling pathway, and enhances sugar sensitivity by stimulating ABI4 expression. Plant J. 55:372-381.
  • Hanson, J., Hanssen, M., Wiese, A., Hendriks, M. M. W. B. Smeekens, S. C. M. (2008) The sucrose regulated transcription factor bZIP11 affects amino acid metabolism by regulating the expression of ASPARAGINE SYNTHETASE1 and PROLINE DEHYDROGENASE2. Plant J. 53:935-949.
  • Dekkers, S.J.W, Schuurmans, J. A.M.J., Smeekens S. C.M. (2008) Interaction between sugar and abscisic acid signalling during early seedling development in Arabidopsis
  • Proveniers, M., Rutjens, B., Brand, M. and Smeekens, S. (2007) The Arabidopsis TALE homeobox gene ATH1 controls floral competency through positive regulation of FLC. Plant J. 52, 899-913
  • Rognoni, S., Teng, S., Arru, L., Smeekens, S. C. M., Perata, P. (2007) Sugar effects on early seedling development in Arabidopsis. Plant Growth Regul. 52:217-228.
  • Sugar and Abscisic Acid Regulation of Germination and Transition to Seedling Growth (2007) S. J.W. Dekkers and S. C.M. Smeekens. In: Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination. Eds. Bradford, K and Nonogaki, H. Blackwell Publishing, pp 305-327.
  • De Vos, M., Denekamp, M., Dicke, M., Vuylsteke, M., Van Loon, L.C., Smeekens, S.C.M. and Pieterse, C.M.J. (2006) The Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factor AtMYB102 functions in defense against the insect herbivore Pierisrapae. Plant Signaling & Behavior 1: 305-311.
  • Ritsema T, Hernández L, Verhaar A, Altenbach D, Boller T, Wiemken A and Smeekens S (2006) Developing fructan-synthesizing capability in a plant invertase via mutations in the sucrose-binding box. Plant Journal 48, 228-237.
  • Ehlert,A., Weltmeier,F., Wang,X., Mayer,C.S., Smeekens,S., Vicente-Carbajosa,J., and Droge-Laser,W. (2006) Two-hybrid protein-protein interaction analysis in Arabidopsis protoplasts: establishment of a heterodimerization map of group C and group S bZIP transcription factors. Plant Journal 46:890-900.
  • Lasseur,B., Lothier,J., Djoumad,A., De Coninck,B., Smeekens,S., van Laere,A., Morvan-Bertrand,A., Van den,E.W., and Prud'homme,M.P. (2006) Molecular and functional characterization of a cDNA encoding fructan:fructan 6G-fructosyltransferase (6G-FFT)/fructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase (1-FFT) from perennial ryegrass (Loliumperenne L.). J Exp.Bot. 57:2719-2734.
  • Teng S, Keurentjes J, Bentsink L, Koornneef M and Smeekens S (2005) Sucrose specific induction of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis requires the MYB75/PAP1 gene. Plant Physiol, 139, 1840-1852.
  • Ritsema T, Verhaar A, Vijn I and Smeekens S (2005) Using natural variation to investigate the function of individual amino acids in the sucrose-binding box of fructan:fructan 6G-fructosyltransferase (6G-FFT) in product formation. Plant Mol. Biol. 58, 597–607.
  • Kolbe A., Tiessen A., Schluepmann H., Paul M., Ulrich S. and Geigenberger, P. (2005) Trehalose 6-phosphate regulates starch synthesis via posttranslational redox activation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase. Proc NatlAcadSci U S A. 102, 11118-23.
  • Wiese,A , Elzinga,N, Wobbes, B and Smeekens, S (2005) Sucrose-induced translational repression of plant bZIP-type transcription factors. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 33, 272–275.