vCardProf. Christine Foyer

Prof. Christine Foyer
Guest Member of Staff

  • Email: christine.foyer@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44 (0)191 222 6932
  • Fax: 44 (0) 191 2226720
  • Address: School of Agriculture,
    Food and Rural Development,
    Agriculture Building,
    The University of Newcastle upon Tyne,
    Newcastle upon Tyne,
    NE1 7RU.
    UK.

I was appointed to the Chair in Molecular Agriculture in 2006. I am also a visiting Professor at the Universities of Essex and The West of England. I am ranked number 7 in the ISI top 10 list of world-wide most cited authors in Plant and Animal Sciences (see above). I am a specialist in redox biology and antioxidant metabolism in plants. I am a trustee of the Annals of Botany Company and the Institute of Biology. I am a member of the International Fellowship Panel of the Royal Society and I sit on the Scientific Advisory Boards of several

Research Interests

General Research Area and Aims
Environmental variability impacts significantly on agricultural yield and profitability. Farmers currently face regular crop losses due to drought and other environmental impacts but predictability of yield will become evenmore unreliable because of climate change. Work in the Foyer lab is focussed on elucidating how primary carbon and nitrogen metabolism in model (Arabidopsis, tobacco) and crop (maize, soybean) plants responds to environmental stress, particularly drought and chilling. Focussing on plant redox biology and carbon/nitrogen interactions, this lab seeks to understand how changes in primary metabolites can alter growth and defence responses when plants are exposed to environmental stress. The impact of redox signals arising from primary energy exchange processes (photosynthesis and respiration) on carbon/nitrogen interactions and signalling is studied, particularly in relation to plant development. Currently a combination of biochemical (metabolite analysis, enzyme activity and protein contents), genetic (mutants) and genomics (micro-array and transcriptomics) approaches are being used to determine how the mitotic cell cycle is limited by environmental stress through modulation of these antioxidants in Arabidopsis and tobacco. The role of redox regulation on plant development is being studied in maize (leaves) and soybean (leaves and nodules) to identify new stress-induced senescence markers and reveal new routes to develop crops that perform well and more predictably in extreme environmental conditions.

Educational Tools

Educational Video
See Also:
Legim Project Website

Key Areas

1) The role of redox processes involving ascorbate and glutathione in the control of the cell cycle

The aim of my current research is to identify factors that govern the relationship between plant growth and defence at cellular level. Recent evidence links levels of reduced glutathione and ascorbate to specific cell cycle effects on the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Depletion of either of these antioxidants blocks mitosis, the cell cycle arresting at the G1-S phase. Moreover these metabolites do not appear to be linked in cell cycle control but have discrete functions. Arabidopsis mutants and synchronized cell cultures are being used to characterize the effects of ascorbate and glutathione on components controlling the G1 checkpoint of the cell cycle. A combinastion of biochemical (metabolite analysis, enzyme activity and protein contents), genetic (mutants) and genomics (micro-array and transcriptomics) approaches are used for this purpose. In addition we will explore the abundance and activity of the enzyme poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in relation to antioxidants and activation of G1 components (3 years). Recent results have shown that down-regulation of PARP provides substantial protection against a range of abiotic stresses in both monocot and broad leaf crops, allowing plants to continue growing under conditions where cintrols not only stop growing but exhibit extreme stress responses including necrosis. This raises the possibilty that PARP may be a key player linking stress responses to growth and division at the cellular level. Redox-dependent mechanisms that activate PARP through chloroplast and/or mitochondrial electron transport systems will be analysed. Common effects on cell cycle activity and stress tolerance will be assessed.

2) The role of cysteine proteinases and cysteine proteinase inhibitors in the regulation of stress-induced cell death and senescence (LEGIM project)

Cellular responses to stress include programmed cell death, a process that involves the induction of proteinases particularly cysteine proteinases. These enzymes that catalyse the hydrolysis of plant proteins play an important role in the mobilization of stored reserves. Moreover, thiol-type proteinases (cysteine proteinases) are highly expressed during plant senescence. They are predominantly localised to the vacuole in vivo but it is considered that cell membranes become increasingly leaky during stress or senescence and thus cytosolic and organelle proteins come into contact with vacuolar cysteine proteinases. My present work explores the role and regulation of these enzymes in leaves (maize,tobacco) and nodules (soybean).

Analysis of leaf senescence and cell death: As well as characterising the different cysteine proteinases and cysteine proteinase inhibitors that are induced by natural and stress (chilling, drought, high carbon dioxide levels)-induced senescence in maize leaves, we are examining the effects of ectopic expression of the rice phytocystatin, oryzacystatin (OC-I), the firts well-defined cystatin of plant origin, in transgenic tobacco on plant development and on chilling- and drought- induced senescence.

Analysis of nodule senescence and cell death: Although it is well established that stress triggers nodule senescense and the symptoms and progression of the processes that underpin nodule death are reasonably well described, the factors that control developmental and stress-induced changes in nodule stability remain unexplored. The identity of the signals that terminate symbiosis is unknown and the metabolic factors that incduce nodule senescense and how they are controlled remain to be identified. The induction of cysteine proteinases during stress has been reported but the role of cysteine proteinases in vivo is unknown and the components involved in the control of these enzymes during the senescence process are largelyunexplored. In a 5-year legume improvement (LEGIM) project funded by the Royal Society (U.K.) and NRF (South Africa), my lab is tackling the problem of early senescence induced by stressful environmental conditions. This project concerns soybean, which ia an important legume food and feed crop. The aim is to identify and characterize the genes involved in nodule senescence by applying a variety of state-of-the-art molecular, biochemical and physiological tools. The questions addressed in this project are (i) which environmental stresses induce nodule senescence and terminate symbiosis, (ii) which genes are expressed during nodule senescence and what is their function, (iii) can nodule senescence be prevented or delayed by protein inhibitor expression or silencing of gene sequences identified as important in nodule senescence. Soybean transformation will be employed as a key technology to answer these questions. Soybean transformation is undertaken by the South African partner (Karl Kunert).

Current Work

Recent publications

Vidal G, Ribas-Carbo M, Garmier M, Dubertret G, Rasmusson A, Foyer CH & De Paepe R (2007) Lack of respiratory chain Complex I impairs AOX engagement and modulates redox signaling during elicitor-induced cell death in tobacco. The Plant Cell. 19: 640-655

Foyer CH, Noctor G & van Emden HF (2007) An evaluation of the costs of making specific secondary metabolites; is the yield penalty incurred by host plant resistance to insects due to competition for resources? International Journal of Pest Management. 53: 175-182.

Ludidi N, Pellny TK, Kiddle G, Dutilleul C, Groten K, van Heerden PDR, Dutt S, Powers SJ, Römer P & Foyer CH (2007) Genetic variation in pea (Pisum sativum L.) maturity genotypes demonstrates the importance of the root but not the shoot C/N raio in the control of plant morphology and reveals a unique relationship between shoot length and nodulation intensity. Plant Cell and Environment. 30: 1256-1268.

Pastori GM, Huttly A, West J, Sparks C, Pieters A, Luna CM, Jones HD & Foyer. CH (2007) The maize Ac/Ds system is functional in hexaploid wheat through successive generations. Functional Plant Biology. 34: 835-843.

Foyer CH & Noctor G (2007) Shape-shifters building bridges? Stromules, matrixules and metabolite channelling in photorespiration. Trends in Plant Science. 12: 381-383.

Soares AS, Driscoll SP, Olmos E, Harbinson J, Arrabaça MC & Foyer CH (2008) Adaxial/Abaxial Specification in the Regulation of Photosynthesis with respect to Light Orientation and Growth with CO2 Enrichment in the C4 species Paspalum dilatatum. The New Pytologist. 177: 186-198

Garmier M, Priault P, Vidal G, Driscoll S, Djebbar R, Boccara M, Mathieu C, Foyer CH & De Paepe R (2008) Light and oxygen are not required for harpin-induced cell death. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 282:37556-37566.

Hoeberichts FA, Vaeck E, Kiddle G, Coppens E, van de Cotte B, Adamantidis A, Ormenese S, Foyer CH, Zabeau M, Inzé D, Périlleux C, Van Breusegem F & Vuylsteke M (2008) A temperature-sensitive mutation in the Arabidopsis thaliana phosphomannomutase gene disrupts protein glycosylation and triggers cell death. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 283: 5708-5718.

Foyer CH, Pellny TK, Locato V & De Gara L (2008) Analysis of redox relationships in the plant cell cycle: determinations of ascorbate, glutathione and poly (ADPribose)polymerase (PARP) in plant cell cultures. In: Redox Mediated Signal Transduction. Methods in Molecular Biology Series. The Humana Press Inc. In Press.

van Heerden PDR, Schlüter U, Mokwala PU, Kunert K and Foyer CH (2008) Inhibition of symbiotic nitrogen fixation by datk chilling in soybean.Proceedings of the 15th International Nitrogen Fixation Congress. (Dakora, F Newton WE, Elmerich C, Newton V, editors) Current Plant Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture series. Springer Science and Business Media, Dordrecht. In Press.

Prins A, Verrier, P, Kunert KJ, & Foyer CH (2008) CO2 enrichment modulates both proteinase and proteinase inhibitors in maize. Proceedings of thec 14th International Congress on Photosynthesis. (Allen JF, Gantt E, Golbeck JH and Osmond B) Springer publishers. In Press.

Pellny T, Dutilleul C, Wolff T, Groten K, Bor M, De Paepe R Olivier Van Aken, Agnès Reyss Frank Van Breusegem, Noctor G, & Foyer CH (2008) Mitochondrial respiratory pathways modulate nitrate sensing and nitrogen-dependent regulation of plant architecture in Nicotiana sylvestris. Plant J. In Press

Privat I, Foucrier S, Prins A, Epalle T, Eychenne M, Kandalaft L, Caillet V, Lin C, Tanksley S, Foyer C H & McCarthy J. (2008) Differential regulation of grain sucrose metabolism in Arabica and Robusta genotypes through gene expression and activities. The New Phytologist. In Press

Bernard S M, Møller ALB, Dionisio G, Kichey T, Jahn TP, Dubois F, Baudo M, Lopes MS, Tercé-Laforgue T, Foyer CH, Parry M, Forde BG, Araus JL, Hirel B, Schjoerring JK, Z. Habash D (2008) Gene expression, cellular localisation and function of glutamine synthetase isozymes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Plant Molecular Biology. In Press

Prins A, Van Heerden PDR, Olmos E, Kunert KJ, & Foyer CH (2008) Cysteine proteinases regulate chloroplast protein content and composition in tobacco leaves: a model for dynamic interactions with ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) vesicular bodies. J. Expt Bot. In Press

Selected Publications

Projects

Esteem Indicators

ISI ranking: Ranked number 7 in the top 10 list of world-wide most cited authors in Plant and Animal Sciences 'The Most Cited Researched in Plant and Animal Science' , I am the highest ranking woman in Plant and Animal Science citations.
I have over a 140 publications with over 44 citations per paper.

Current Activities
Visiting Professor at the University of Essex.
Visiting Professor at the University of the West of England.
Trustee, Annals of Botany Company.
Member of the International Fellowship Panel of the Royal Society, U.K.
Consultant for Pepsico.
Chair of the Education and Public Affairs Committee of the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB), Member of SEB Council.
Chair of the Fellowship and Membership Committees of the Institute of Biology, U.K.
Trustee, Member of Council, the Professional Affairs Board, the Finance Committee of the Institute of Biology, U.K.
Associate Editor for Plant, Cell and Environment, Journal of Experimental Botany, Physiologia Plantarum and Functional Plant Biology.
Chair of the grants & awards committee for the Federation of European Plant Biologists (FESPB).
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the ZMBP Universitaet Tuebingen, ZMBP – Verwaltung.
Member of the visiting Review Committee on Plant Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Member of the the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the Finnish Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Integrative Photosynthesis and Bioactive Compound Research at Systems Biology Level (2008-2013)

Funding

2005-2010 Royal Society/NRF award.

2005-2008 BBSRC grant BB/C51508X/1.

2007-2010 British Council's Development Partnerships in
Higher Education (DelPHE) programme.

Previous Positions

1977-1979
Postdoctral research worker at the Department of Plant Sciences, Kings College, University of London, U.K.

1979-1988
Senior Research Associate (AFRC) and independent research worker at the Research Institute for Photosynthesis, University of Sheffield, U.K.

1988
Professeur invite at the Departmente de Structure et Metabolisme des Plantes, Universite de Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay, France.

1988-1994
Directeur de Recherche, LAboratoire di Metabolisme et de la Nutrition des Plantes, INRA, Versailles, France.

1994-1998
Head of the Environmental Biology Department, Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, U.K.

1998-2001
Head of the Biochemistry and Physiology Department, Institute of Arable Crops Research, Rothamsted, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, U.K.

2001-2006
Band 3 Individual Merit Promotion Scientist, Crop Productivity and Improvement Division, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, U.K.

2005
Professeur invite at the Departmente de Structure et Metabolisme des Plantes, Universite de Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay, France.

Undergraduate Teaching

N/A

Postgraduate Teaching

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