BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
NAMEDellaPenna, Dean / POSITION TITLE
Professor and Distinguished Faculty, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, and include postdoctoral training.)
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION / DEGREE
(if applicable) / YEAR(s) / FIELD OF STUDY
Washington State University, Pullman, WA / Postdoctoral / 1989-1990 / Plant Molecular Biology
University of California, Davis, CA / Postdoctoral / 1987-1988 / Plant Molecular Biology
University of California, Davis, CA / Ph.D. / 1984-1987 / Plant Physiology
Ohio University, Athens, Ohio / B.S. / 1980-1984 / Cell Biology (Botanical)
A. Positions and Honors.
Positions
2002-2010 Professor and Distinguished Faculty, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University.
2000-2002 Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State Univ.
1996-2000 Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Reno.
1990-1996 Assistant/Associate Professor, Plant Sciences Department, University of Arizona, Tucson.
Honors
2009 Elected Vice Chair of 2011 Gordon Conference on Plant Metabolic Engineering, Chair for 2013
2009 Elected AAAS Fellow
2008 Distinguished Faculty Award, Michigan State University.
2001 Organizer Keystone meeting on “Manipulating plant metabolism to benefit human health”
2000 President’s Lecture, Experimental Biology Meeting, Society for Nutritional Sciences.
1999 Researcher of the Year, University of Nevada, Reno.
1989 McKnight Postdoctoral Fellowship
1987 Outstanding Graduate Student Award (Dept. of Vegetable Crops, UC Davis)
1985-87 Annual Jastro-Shields Competitive Graduate Research Grant
1984 Outstanding Graduating Senior Award, Promising Young Botanist Award (Botanical Society of America)
1982-84 John and Beth Stoker Academic Scholarship
Significant Professional Activities (selected examples since 1990)
1990-2010 Grant Reviewer (selected examples): Member NSF Integrative Plant Biology and Metabolic Biochemistry panels, ad hoc reviewer for numerous other NSF, NIH, USDA March of Dimes, American Cancer Society and various International Grant Programs.
1990-2010 150 invited seminar and conference presentations, 82 in the past decade.
1990-2010 76 conferences attended, 44 in the past decade.
2001-2009 Editorial Board member for The Plant Journal.
2006 Co Editor of Physiologia Plantarum Special Journal Issue on “ Nutriomics and Biofortification”
2004 Invited speaker to Congressional House and Senate Agriculture Committee to present and answer questions on National Research Council publication.
2002-2003 Member of National Research Council “Committee on Identifying and Assessing Unintended Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods on Human Health”. Report published July 2004.
2000-2004 Member of The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR) advisory committee, the primary web based, bioinformatics interface between the scientific community and the Arabidopsis genome.
2001 Organizer/Chair of Keystone conference on “Manipulating plant metabolism to benefit human health”.
2000 Testified before National Academies Subcommittee on “Environmental Effects Associated with Commercialization of Transgenic Plants: Issues and Approaches to Monitoring”.
1999 US organizer for Neodiet meeting Held Sept. 2000 in Norwich, England.
1999 Invited Speaker to National Research Council. Workshop to Assess “The Regulatory Oversight of GM Crops and the Next Generation of Genetic Modifications for Crop Plants.”
1999 Invited Testimony before the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Subject: Genetic engineering of micronutrient levels in plants to benefit human health.
1996-2000 American Society of Plant Physiologists Western Section Executive Committee Representative.
1996-2000 Member Committee for Status of Women in Plant Physiology (American Society of Plant Physiologists).
1991-1995 Research consultant in plant metabolism for Zeneca, Inc. (England) and Unilever Inc. North American Research group.
B. Peer-reviewed publications (90 total, 56 in the past decade)
Mène-Saffrané L, Jones AD, DellaPenna D. (2010) Plastochromanol-8 and tocopherols are essential lipid-soluble antioxidants during seed desiccation and quiescence in Arabidopsis Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 107:17815-20.
Yan J, Bermudez Kandianis C, Harjes CE, Bai L, Kim EH, Yang X, Skinner DJ, Fu Z, Mitchell S, Li Q, Salas Fernandez MG, Zaharieva M, Babu R, Fu Y, Palacios N, Li J, DellaPenna D, Brutnell T, Buckler ES, Warburton EL, Rocheford T. (2010) Rare Genetic Variation at Zea mays crtRB1 Increases b-carotene in Maize Grain Nature Genetics 42:322-7.
Song W, Maeda H, DellaPenna D (2010) Mutations of the ER to plastid lipid transporters (TGD1, 2, 3 and 4) and the ER oleate desaturase (FAD2) suppress the low temperature-induced phenotype of the tocopherol deficient Arabidopsis vte2 mutant. The Plant Journal 62:1004-18.
Mehrshahi P, Gonzalez-Jorge S, Akhtar TA, Ward JL, Santoyo-Castelazo A, Marcus SE, Lara-Núñez A, Ravanel S, Hawkins ND, Beale HD, Barrett DA, Knox JP, Gregory III JF, Hanson AD, Bennett MJ and DellaPenna D. (2010) Functional analysis of folate polyglutamylation and its essential role in plant metabolism and development. The Plant Journal. 64:267-279.
Mène-Saffrané L and DellaPenna D. (2010) Biosynthesis, Regulation and Functions of Tocochromanols in Plants. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 8:301-9.
Ohlrogge J, Allen D, Berguson B, DellaPenna D, Shachar-Hill Y, Stymne S (2009) Driving on Biomass. Science 324:1019-1020.
Zhang R, Cruz JA, Kramer DM, Magallanes-Lundback M, DellaPenna D, Sharkey TD (2009) Moderate heat stress reduces the pH component of the transthylakoid proton motive force in light-adapted, intact tobacco leaves. Plant Cell and Environment 32:1538-1547.
Bai L, Kim EH, DellaPenna D, Brutnell TP (2009) Novel lycopene epsilon cyclase activities in maize revealed through perturbation of carotenoid biosynthesis. The Plant Journal 59:588-99.
Kim J, Smith JJ, Tian L, DellaPenna D (2009) The evolution and function of carotenoid hydroxylases in Arabidopsis. Plant and Cell Physiology 50:463-479
Kobayashi, N and DellaPenna D (2008) Tocopherol metabolism, oxidation and recycling under high light stress in Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal. 55:607-618.
DellaPenna, D and Last R (2008) Genome-Enabled Approaches Shed New Light on Plant Metabolism. Science 320:479-481.
Lu Y, Savage LJ, Ajjawi I, Imre KM, Yoder DW, Benning C, DellaPenna D, Ohlrogge JB, Osteryoung KW, Weber AP, Wilkerson CG, Last RL. (2008) New Connections across Pathways and Cellular Processes: Industrialized Mutant Screening Reveals Novel Associations between Diverse Phenotypes in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 146(4):1482-1500
Maeda H, Sage TL, Giorgis Isaac, Ruth Welti and DellaPenna D (2008) Tocopherols Modulate Extra-Plastidic Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Metabolism in Arabidopsis at Low Temperature. The Plant Cell 20(2):452-70. Also featured in “In this Issue”.
Ma Y, Baker RF, Magallanes-Lundback M, DellaPenna D, Braun DM. (2008) Tie-dyed1 and Sucrose export defective1 act independently to promote carbohydrate export from maize leaves. Planta 227(3):527-38.
Maeda, H., Song, W., Sage T.L. and DellaPenna, D. (2007) Tocopherols Play a Limited Role in Photoprotection but a Crucial Role in Chilling Adaptation in Arabidopsis Leaves. The Proceeding of the 17th International Symposium on Plant Lipids, ISBN: 978-1-4276-1965-5
Welsch R, Maass D, Voegel T, Dellapenna D, Beyer P. (2007) Transcription Factor RAP2.2 and Its Interacting Partner SINAT2: Stable Elements in the Carotenogenesis of Arabidopsis Leaves. Plant Physiol. 145:1073-85.
Tian L, DellaPenna D, Dixon RA. (2007) The pds2 mutation is a lesion in the Arabidopsis homogentisate solanesyltransferase gene involved in plastoquinone biosynthesis. Planta. 26(4):1067-73
Maeda H, DellaPenna D. (2007) Tocopherol functions in photosynthetic organisms. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 10(3):260-5.
DellaPenna, D. (2007) Biofortification of plant-based food: enhancing folate levels by metabolic engineering. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 104(10):3675-6
Gilliland LU, Magallanes-Lundback M, Hemming C, Supplee A, Koornneef M, Bentsink L, DellaPenna D. (2006) Genetic basis for natural variation in seed vitamin E levels in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 103(49):18834-41.
Sattler SE, Mène-Saffrané L, Farmer EE, Krischke M, Mueller MJ and DellaPenna D (2006) Non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation reprograms gene expression and activates defense markers in tocopherol deficient mutants. The Plant Cell. 18(12):3706-2
Maeda M, Song W, Sage T and DellaPenna D (2006) Tocopherols play a crucial role in low-temperature adaptation and Phloem loading in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell. 18(10):2710-32
Sakuragi Y, Maeda H, DellaPenna D and Bryant DA (2006) Alpha-Tocopherol plays a role in photosynthesis and macronutrient homeostasis of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 that is independent of its antioxidant function. Plant Physiology. 141(2):508-21
DellaPenna, D and Pogson BJ (2006) Vitamin Synthesis in Plants: Tocopherols and Carotenoids. Ann. Rev. Plant. Biol. 57:711-738
Kim, J and DellaPenna D (2006) Defining the primary route for lutein synthesis in plants: The role of Arabidopsis carotenoid b-ring hydroxylase CYP97A3. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 103:3474-9
DellaPenna D and Last RL (2006) Progress in the dissection and manipulation of plant vitamin E biosynthesis. Physiologia Plantarum 126:356-368
Ruebelt MC, Lipp M, Reynolds TL, Schmuke JJ, Astwood JD, DellaPenna D, Engel KH, Jany KD (2006) Application of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to interrogate alterations in the proteome of genetically modified crops. 3. Assessing unintended effects. J Agric Food Chem. 54:2169-77
Auldridge ME, Block A, Dabney-Smith C, Mila I, Bouzayen M, DellaPenna, D and Klee, H. (2006) Characterization of three members of the Arabidopsis carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase family demonstrates the divergent roles of this multifunctional enzyme family. Plant Journal. 45:982-93
Foyer CH, DellaPenna D and Van Der Straeten D (2006) A new era in plant metabolism research reveals a bright future for bio-fortification and human nutrition. Physiologia Plantarum 126: 289-290.
DellaPenna D and Last RL (2006) Progress in the dissection and manipulation of plant vitamin E biosynthesis. Physiologia Plantarum 126:356-368.
DellaPenna, D (2005) Progress in vitamin E synthesis. Trends in Plant Sciences. 10:574-9
Maeda M, Sakuragi Y, Bryant DA and DellaPenna D (2005) Tocopherols protect Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 from lipid peroxidation. Plant Physiol 138:1422-35.
DellaPenna, D (2005) A decade of progress in understanding vitamin E synthesis in plants. J Plant Physiol. 162:729-37
Sattler S, Gilliland L, Magallanes-Lundback M, Pollard M and DellaPenna D. (2004) Vitamin E is essential for seed longevity and preventing lipid peroxidation during germination. The Plant Cell 16:1419-1433
Tian L, DellaPenna, D and Zeevaart, J (2004) Effect of hydroxylated carotenoid deficiency on ABA accumulation in Arabidopsis. Physiologia Plantarum 122(3): 314-320
Tian L and DellaPenna D. (2004) Progress in understanding the origin and functions of carotenoid hydroxylases in plants. Archives Biochem Biophysics 430:22-29.
Sattler, S. E., Cheng Z, and DellaPenna D. (2004) From Arabidopsis to Agriculture: Engineering improved Vitamin E content in soybean. Trends in Plant Sciences 9:365-67
Tian L, Musetti V, Kim J, Magallanes-Lundback M, DellaPenna D. (2004) The Arabidopsis LUT1 locus encodes a member of the cytochrome P450 family that is required for carotenoid epsilon-ring hydroxylation activity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. USA 101:402-7.
Heffron S, Watkins S, Moeller R, Taban AH, Butowt R, DellaPenna D, Jurnak F (2003) Resolving the space-group ambiguity of crystals of tomato fruit polygalacturonase. Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 59:2088-93.
Collakova, E. and D. DellaPenna. (2003) The Role of Homogentisate Phytyltransferase and Other Tocopherol Pathway Enzymes in the Regulation of Tocopherol Synthesis during Abiotic Stress. Plant Physiology 133: 930-940.
Sattler, S. E., E.B. Cahoon, S.J. Coughlan and D. DellaPenna (2003) Characterization of tocopherol cyclases from higher plants and cyanobacteria: Evolutionary implications for tocopherol synthesis and function. Plant Physiology 132: 2184-2195.
Cheng, Z., Sattler S., Maeda, H., Sakuragi, Y., Bryant, D. and D. DellaPenna (2003) Highly Divergent Methyltransferases Catalyze a Conserved Reaction in Tocopherol and Plastoquinone Synthesis in Cyanobacteria and Photosynthetic Eukaryotes. The Plant Cell 15: 2343-2356.
Tian, L., M. Magallanes-Lundback, V. Musetti,and D. DellaPenna (2003) Functional analysis of beta- and epsilon- ring carotenoid hydroxylases in Arabidopsis thaliana. The Plant Cell 15:1320-32..
Collakova, E. and D. DellaPenna. (2003) Homogentisate Phytyltransferase Activity Is Limiting for Tocopherol Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology 131: 632-642.
Peddibhotla, S., Z. Cheng, D. DellaPenna and J. J. Tepe (2003) Efficient two step synthesis of methylphytylbenzoquinones: precursor intermediates in the biosynthesis of vitamin E. Tetrahedron Letters 44: 237-240.
Tseyage, Y., D. Shintani and D. DellaPenna (2002) Overexpression of hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase in Arabidopsis and the consequence for tocopherol synthesis. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 40:913-920.
Lokstein, H., L. Tian, J.E.W. Polle, and D. DellaPenna (2002) Xanthophyll Biosynthetic Mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana: Altered Nonphotochemical Quenching of Chlorophyll Fluorescence is due to Changes in Photosystem II Antenna Size and Stability. Biochem. Biophys. Acta. 1553:309-319.
Shintani, D. K., Z. Cheng and D. DellaPenna (2002) The role of 2-methyl-6-phytylbenzoquinone methyltransferase in determining tocopherol composition in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. FEBS Letters 511:1-5.
Park, H., S. S. Kreunen, A. J. Cuttriss, D. DellaPenna and B.J. Pogson (2002) A plant gene of apparent bacterial origin redefines carotenoid biosynthesis and reveals a role for carotenoids in prolamellar body formation and photomorphogenesis. The Plant Cell 14:321-332.
Rissler, H., E. Collakova, D. DellaPenna, J. Whelan and B. J. Pogson (2002) Chlorophyll biosynthesis: characterization of the CHL I subunit of the magnesium chelatase in Arabidopsis reveals two gene products with different properties Plant Physiology 128:770-779.
Collakova, E. and D. DellaPenna. (2001) Isolation and functional analysis of homogentisate phytyltransferase from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 127: 1113-24.
Tian, L. and D. DellaPenna (2001) Cloning and characterization of a second carotenoid ß-hydroxylase gene from Arabidopsis. Plant Mol. Biol. 47:379-388.
Niyogi, K.K., C. Shih, W.S. Chow, B.J. Pogson, D. DellaPenna, O. Björkman (2001) Photoprotection in a zeaxanthin- and lutein-deficient double mutant of Arabidopsis. Photosynthesis Research. 67:139-145.
Moehs, C.P., L. Tian, K.W. Osteryoung, D. DellaPenna (2001) Analysis of carotenoid biosynthetic gene expression during marigold petal development. Plant Mol. Biol. 45:281-293.
DellaPenna, D. (2001) Plant Metabolic Engineering. Plant Physiology 125: 160-163.
DellaPenna, D. (2000) Carotenoid Synthesis and function in plants: Insights from mutant studies in Arabidopsis. Pure Appl. Chem. 71:2205-2212.
DellaPenna, D. (1999) Nutritional Genomics: Manipulating Plant Micronutrients to Improve Human Health (Invited Review). Science 285:375-379.
Grusak, M. A., DellaPenna, D. and Welch, R. M. (1999) Physiologic processes affecting the content and distribution of phytonutrients in plants. Nutrition Reviews 57:27-33.
DellaPenna, D. (1999) Carotenoid Synthesis and Function in Plants: Insights from Mutant Studies in Arabidopsis thaliana. Harry Frank (ed.). Advances in Photosynthesis Volume IX: Carotenoids in Photosynthesis. 45 pages.
Grusak, M. and DellaPenna, D (1999) Improving the Nutrient Composition of Plants to Enhance Human Nutrition and Health. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol Plant Molec. Biol. 50:133-161