Institute for Biological Chemistry Washington State University Pullman, WA 99164-6340   Phone: 509-335-2293 Email:jab@wsu.edu   Ph.D. University of Auckland, 1977 B.Sc. University of Auckland, 1974   RESEARCH INTERESTS: Plant Reproduction RESEARCH SUMMARY: One of the research programs in my laboratory encompasses a diverse set of projects that have at their base our investigation of the biosynthesis and function of membrane and storage lipids in plants using Arabidopsis as a model. These projects include the isolation and characterization of genes that control the elongation, desaturation, or other modifications of fatty acid. The genes have been used to produce transgenic plants with altered membrane compositions or improved vegetable oils. We have several research projects that focus on the roles of membrane lipids in the cell biology and physiology of plants using a large number of mutants with alterations in the lipid composition of their membranes. In addition, our isolation of jasmonate-deficient and jasmonate-responsive mutants of Arabidopsis has allowed us to make new discoveries about the involvement of jasmonate in pollen development, plant fertility and plant defense. These discoveries have wide implications for plant biology in areas ranging from hybrid to crop protection. A second research program uses mutational analysis and molecular genetics to investigate lipid structure and membrane function in the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Mutants deficient in may steps of polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis have been isolated and several of these display growth and neurological effects. Our mutants provide new tools to understand the roles of polyunsaturated fatty acids in membrane biology and cell function in this animal model. REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS: Metz, J. G., Roessler, P., Facciotti, D., Levering, C., Dittrich, F., Lassner, M., Valentine, R., Lardizabal, K., Domergue, F., Yamada, A., Yazawa, K., Knauf, V., and Browse, J. 2001 Polyketide Synthases Produce Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Both Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. Science 293:290-293. Watts, J.L. and Browse, J. 2002 Genetic Dissection of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Synthesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99:5854-5859. Shockey, J.M., Fulda, M.S. and Browse, J. 2002 Arabidopsis Contains Nine Long-Chain Acyl-Coenzyme A Synthetase Genes that Participate in Fatty Acid and Glycerolipid Metabolism. Plant Physiol. 129:1710-1722. Wallis, J.G., Watts, J.L. and Browse, J. 2002 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Synthesis. What Will They Think of Next? Trends Biochem. Sci. 27:467-473. Fulda, M., Schnurr, J., Abbadi, A., Heinz, E. and Browse, J. 2004 Peroxisomal Acyl-CoA Synthetase Activity is Essential for Seedling Development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell 16:394-405. Tilton, G.B., Shockey, J.M. and Browse, J. 2004 Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of ACH2, an Acyl-CoA Thioesterase from Arabidopsis thaliana. J. Biol. Chem. 279:7487-7494. Schnurr, J., Shockey, J. and Browse, J. 2004 The Acyl-Coenzyme A Synthetase Encoded by LACS2 is Essential for Normal Cuticle Development in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 16:629-642. Kahn-Kirby, A.H., Dantzker, J.L.M., Apicella, A.J., Schafer, W.R., Browse, J., Bargmann, C.I. and Watts, J.L. 2004 Specific Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Drive TRPV-Dependent Sensory Signaling In Vivo. Cell 119:889-900. Mandaokar, A., Thines, B., Shin, B., Lange, B.M., Choi, G., Koo, Y.J., Yoo, Y.J., Choi, Y.D., Choi, G. and Browse, J. 2006 Transcriptional Regulators of Stamen Development in Arabidopsis Identified by Transcriptional Profiling. Plant J. 46: 984-1008. Watts, J.L., Phillips, E. and Browse, J. 2006 Dietary Manipulation Implicates Lipid Signaling in C. elegans Germline Stem Cell Fate. Developmental Biology 292:381-392. Ma, X. and Browse, J. 2006 Altered Rates of Protein Transport in Arabidopsis Mutants Deficient in Chloroplast Membrane Unsaturation. Phytochemistry (in press).