Gregg A. Howe
Professor
- B.A. 1983, East Carolina University
- Ph.D. 1993, University of California, Los Angeles
- Postdoctoral Fellow, 1993-1997, Washington State University
- NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, 1994-1997
howeg@msu.edu
122 Plant Biology Lab
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1319
Office: 517-355-5159
Lab: 517-355-5197
Publication search:
Gregg A. Howe
Research Interests
Regulation of Plant Anti-herbivore Defense
Plants activate a specific set of defense genes in response to assault by phytophagous insects. Many of these genes encode proteins (e.g., proteinase inhibitors) that interfere with the pests' growth and reproduction. Recent studies indicate that the signal transduction pathway that couples pest attack (i.e., wounding) to the host response involves the metabolism of oxygenated fatty acids called oxylipins. This pathway for defense signaling is analogous to that of eicosanoids (prostaglandins and leukotrienes) in mediating animal responses to infection and injury. Plant oxylipins are produced from linolenic acid via the action of several enzymes in the "octadecanoid" pathway.The bioactive products of octadecanoid metabolism, phytodienoic acid and its p-oxidized derivative, jasmonic acid, are potent regulators of stress-induced genes in virtually all plant species examined. The biosynthesis of oxylipins is regulated by "upstream" signals generated at the site of insect attack. Included among these are oligosaccharide fragments derived from the plant cell wall, and the recently discovered polypeptide signal known as systemin. The cellular pathways that regulate the production and action of wound signals (e.g., systemin, oligosaccharides, and oxylipins) and the means by which they are communicated between cells are relatively unexplored areas of plant biology. MORE
Recent Publications
Chung HS, Koo AJK, Gao X, Jayanty S, Thines B, Jones AD, Howe GA (2008) Regulation and function of Arabidopsis JASMONATE-ZIM domain genes in response to wounding and herbivory. Plant Physiol. 146:952-964. Link to publication
Browse J, Howe GA (2008) Update on jasmonate signaling: New weapons and a rapid response against insect attack. Plant Physiol. 146: 832-383. Link to publication
Howe GA, Jander G. Plant Immunity to Insect Herbivores. Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2007 Nov 21; [Epub ahead of print] Link to publication
Thines B, Katsir L, Melotto M, Niu Y, Mandaokar A, Liu G, Nomura K, He SY, Howe GA, Browse J. 2007. JAZ repressor proteins are targets of the SCF CO11 complex during jasmonate signalling. Nature. 448(7154):661-5. Link to publication
Kandoth PK, Ranf S, Pancholi SS, Jayanty S, Walla MD, Miller W, Howe GA, Lincoln DE, Stratmann JW. 2007. Tomato MAPKs LeMPK1, LeMPK2, and LeMPK3 function in the systemin-mediated defense response against herbivorous insects. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Jul 17;104(29):12205-10. Abstract
Chen H, Gonzales-Vigil E, Wilkerson CG, Howe GA. 2007. Stability of plant defense proteins in the gut of insect herbivores. Plant Physiol. Apr;143(4):1954-67. Abstract
Schilmiller AL, Koo AJ, Howe GA. 2007. Functional diversification of acyl-coenzyme a oxidases in jasmonic acid biosynthesis and action. Plant Physiol. Feb;143(2):812-24. Epub 2006 Dec 15. Abstract
Koo AJ, Chung HS, Kobayashi Y, Howe GA. 2006. Identification of a peroxisomal acyl-activating enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of jasmonic acid in Arabidopsis. J Biol Chem. Nov 3;281(44):33511-20. Epub 2006 Sep 8. Abstract
Powers RA, Rife CL, Schilmiller AL, Howe GA, Garavito RM. 2006. Structure determination and analysis of acyl-CoA oxidase (ACX1) from tomato. Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. Jun;62(Pt 6):683-6. Epub 2006 May 12. Abstract
Chen H, Jones AD, Howe GA. 2006. Constitutive activation of the jasmonate signaling pathway enhances the production of secondary metabolites in tomato. FEBS Lett. May 15;580(11):2540-6. Epub 2006 Apr 7. Abstract MORE