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Biao Ding

Biao DingDr. Biao Ding
Professor
Ph.D., Cornell University, 1991.

Contact:
The Ohio State University
Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology
207 Rightmire Hall
1060 Carmack Road
Columbus, OH 43210

Office: 614.247.6077
Laboratory: 614.292.2116
Fax: 614.292.5379
e-Mail: Ding.35@osu.edu

Ding Lab Web Site

Focus:

Structure and function of plasmodesmata, intercellular trafficking of proteins, RNAs, viruses and viroids.

Research Interests:

The eukaryotic cell has evolved highly elaborate subcellular organelles/structures that specialize in distinct biochemical/biophysical processes. The biogenesis of organelles/structures, progression of localized biochemical reactions and cellular integration of these processes involve extensive subcellular traffic and localization of a wide variety of molecules. Within an organelle, the spatially clustered biochemical reactions also require traffic and precise localization of all the molecules involved. Thus, organized traffic and localization of molecules are hallmarks of a living cell. Elucidating the underlying pathways and regulatory mechanisms has vast importance to understanding the basic principles of life.

In plants, increasing evidence indicates that a variety of proteins and RNAs traffic from cell to cell through plasmodesmata and from organ to organ through the phloem. Such macromolecular traffic appears to be an important means of global coordination of gene expression. These findings change our traditional view that proteins and RNAs function only in the cells in which they are produced. Thus, elucidating the mechanisms of protein and RNA traffic will help understand how biological processes at the individual cell level are integrated at the whole plant level, which is the basis of how a plant grows, develops, and deals with biotic and abiotic stresses.

Our research addresses the structure of function of plasmodesmata and the phloem in relation to traffic of proteins, nucleic acids, viruses, and viroids. We also study RNA traffic within the nucleus, which is of great importance to the function of a cell and is yet little understood in plants. Finally, we also study how a viroid RNA replicates in a cell and interacts with cellular factors to cause diseases, gaining insights about the mechanisms of RNA regulation of gene expression in plants.

We use a wide range of research methods in our research. These include gene cloning, transgenic plants, mutagenesis, light microscopy, electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, confocal microscopy, in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, genetic screening, biophysics, biochemistry, and RNA structural analysis.

Teaching:

Lab Members:

Graduate Students

Postdoctorates

Selected publications(1988 - Date):

  1. Zhong, X., Archual, A.J., Amin, A.A., and Ding, B. (2008) A genomic map of viroid RNA motifs critical for replication and systemic trafficking. Plant Cell (Published online January 4, 2008; 10.1105/tpc.107.056606). (Highlighted as Editor’s Choice in the February 8, 2008 issue of Science.)

  2. Itaya, A., Bundschuh, R., Archual, A.J., Joung, J.G., Fei, Z., Dai, X., Zhao, P.X., Tang, Y., Nelson, R.S., and Ding, B. (2008) Small RNAs in tomato fruit and leaf development. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1779:99-107. 

  3. Zhong, X., and Ding, B. (2008). Distinct RNA motifs mediate systemic RNA trafficking. Plant Signaling & Behavior 3:1-2. 

  4. Zhou, F., Pu, Y., Wei, T., Liu, H., Deng, W., Wei, C., Ding, B., Omura, T., Li, Y. (2007) The P2 capsid protein of the nonenveloped rice dwarf phytoreovirus induces membrane fusion in insect host cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104:19547-19552. 

  5. Zhong, X., Tao, X., Stombaugh, J., Leontis, N., and Ding, B. (2007). Tertiary structure and function of an RNA motif required for plant vascular entry to initiate systemic trafficking. EMBO J 26:3836-3846. 

  6. Ding, B. and Itaya, A. (2007). Control of macromolecular trafficking across specific cellular boundaries: a key to integrative plant biology. J. Integr. Plant Biol. 49:1227-1234. 

  7. Ding, B. and Itaya, A. (2007). Intracellular and intercellular transport of viroids. In: Plant Cell Monographs: Viral Transport in Plants, Vol. 7/2007 (eds: E. Waigmann and M. Heinlein), Springer Berlin/Heidelberg, pp. 119-126. 

  8. Itaya, A., Zhong, X., Bundschuh, R., Qi, Y., Wang, Y., Takeda, R., Harris, A.R., Molina, C., Nelson, R.S.,  and Ding, B. (2007). A structured viroid RNA is substrate for dicer-like cleavage to produce biologically active small RNAs but is resistant to RISC-mediated degradation. J. Virol. 81:2980-2994. (Highlighted by Faculty 1000 Biology as “Must Read” on April 16, 2007) 

  9. Wang, Y., Zhong, X., Itaya, A., and Ding, B. (2007). Evidence for the in vivo existence of loop E motif of potato spindle tuber viroid. J. Virol. 81:2074-2077. (Published online ahead of print on 29 November 2006. doi:10.1128/JVI.01781-06) 

  10.  Ding, B. and Itaya, A. (2007). Viroid: A useful model for studying the basic principles of infection and RNA biology. Molec. Plant-Microbe Interact.  20:7-20. 

  11.  Ding, B. (2006). Cell biology and genetics of viroid-host interactions. In Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Vol. 5. F. Sánchez, C. Quionto, I.M. López-Lara, and O. Geiger (eds.) International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, St. Paul, USA. pp. 440-445.

  12. Zhong, X., Leontis, N. B., Qian, S., Itaya, A., Boris-Lawrie, K., and Ding, B. (2006). Tertiary structural and functional analyses of a viroid RNA motif by isostericity matrix and mutagenesis reveal its essential role in replication. J. Virol. 80:8566-8581. 

  13. Ding, B., Itaya, A., and Zhong, X. (2005). Viroid trafficking: a small RNA makes a big move. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 8:606-612. 

  14. Cao, X., Zhou, P., Zhang, X., Zhu, S., Zhong, X., Xiao, Q., Ding, B., Li, Y. (2005). Identification of an RNA silencing suppressor from a plant double-stranded RNA virus. J. Virol. 79:13018-13027. (Selected by Editor for Spotlight)

  15. Qi, Y., Zhong, X., Itaya, A., and Ding, B. (2004). Dissecting RNA silencing in protoplasts uncovers novel effects of viral suppressors on the silencing pathway at the cellular level. Nucleic Acids Res. 32(22):e179.

  16. Qi, Y., Pelissier, T., Itaya, A., Hunt, E.,  Wassenegger, M., and Ding, B. (2004).  Direct role of a viroid RNA motif in mediating directional RNA trafficking across a specific cellular boundary. Plant Cell 16:1741-1752.

  17. Ding, B., Itaya, A. and Qi, Y. (2003). Symplasmic traffic of proteins and RNAs: Regulatory points and regulatory factors. Curr Opin. Plant Biol.  6 (6):596-602.[pdf]

  18. Qi, Y. and Ding, B. (2003). Differential subnuclear localization of RNA strands of opposite polarity derived from an autonomously-replicating viroid. Plant Cell 15:2566-2577.

  19. Qi, Y. and Ding, B. (2003). Inhibition of cell growth and shoot development by a specific nucleotide sequence in a noncoding viroid RNA. Plant Cell 15:1360-1374.

  20. Ding, B. and Owens, R. (2003). Movement. In: Viroids  (A. Hadidi, R. Flores, J. W. Randles, J. S. Semancik, eds). CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia. pp. 49-54.

  21. Qi, Y. and Ding, B. (2002). Replication of Potato spindle tuber viroid in cultured cells of tobacco and Nicotiana benthamiana: The role of specific nucleotides in determining replication levels for host adaptation. Virology 302:445-456.

  22. Itaya, A., Ma, F., Qi, Y., Matsuda, Y., Zhu, Y., Liang, G., and Ding, B. (2002). Plasmodesma-mediated selective protein traffic between “symplasmically-isolated” cells probed by a viral movement protein. Plant Cell 14: 2071-2083.

  23. Zhu, Y., Qi, Y., Xun, Y., Owens, R., and Ding, B. (2002). Movement of Potato spindle tuber viroid reveals regulatory points of phloem-mediated RNA traffic. Plant Physiol. 130:138-146.

  24. Itaya, A., Matsuda, Y., Gonzales, R. A., Nelson, R.S., and Ding, B. (2002). Potato spindle tuber viroid strains of different pathogenicity induces and suppresses expression of common and unique genes in infected tomato. Molec. Plant-Microbe Interact. 15:990-999.

  25. Matsuda, Y., Liang, G., Zhu, Y., Ma, F., Nelson, R.S., and Ding, B. (2002). The Commelina yellow mottle virus promoter drives companion cell-specific gene expression in multiple organs of transgenic tobacco. Protoplasma 220:51-58.

  26. Itaya, A., Folimonov, A., Matsuda, Y., Nelson, R., and Ding, B. (2001).  Potato spindle tuber viroid as inducer of RNA silencing in infected tomato. Molec. Plant-Microbe Interact. 14:1332-1334.

  27. Owens, R.A., Blackburn, M. and Ding, B. (2001). Possible involvement of phloem protein 2 in long distance viroid movement. Molec. Plant-Microbe Interact. 14:905-909.

  28. Zhu, Y., Green, L., Woo, Y.-M., Owens, R., and Ding, B. (2001). Cellular basis of Potato spindle tuber viroid systemic movement. Virology 279:69-77.

  29. Itaya, A., Liang, G., Nelson, R.S., and Ding, B. (2000). Nonspecific intercellular protein trafficking probed by green fluorescent protein. Protoplasma 213:165-175.

  30. Yang, Y., Ding, B., Baulcombe, D.C., and Verchot, J. (2000). Cell-to-cell movement of the 25K protein of potato virus X is regulated by three other viral proteins. Molec. Plant-Microbe Interact. 13:599-605.

  31. Liu, J., Huang, Y., Ding, B., and Tauer, C.G. (1999). cDNA cloning and expression of a sweetgum gene that shows homology with Arabidopsis AGAMOUS. Plant Sci. 142:73-82.

  32. Woo, Y.-M., Itaya, A., Owens, R.A., Tang, L., Hammond, R.W., Chou, H.-C., Lai, M.M.C., and Ding, B. (1999). Characterization of nuclear import of potato spindle tuber viroid RNA in permeabilized protoplasts. Plant J. 17:627-635.

  33. Ding, B., Itaya, A., and Woo, Y.-M. (1999). Plasmodesmata and cell-to-cell communication in plants. Internatl. Rev. Cytol. 190:251-316.

  34. Ding, B. (1999). Tissue preparation and substructure of plasmodesmata. In: Plasmodesmata: Structure, Function, Role in Cell Communication (A. Van Bel and P. Van Kesteren, eds). Springer-Verlag. pp. 38-49.

  35. Itaya, A., Woo, Y.-M., Masuta, C., Bao, Y., Nelson, R., and Ding, B. (1998). Developmental regulation of intercellular protein trafficking through plasmodesmata in tobacco leaf epidermis. Plant Physiol. 118:373-385.

  36. Ding, B. (1998). Intercellular protein trafficking through plasmodesmata. Plant Mol. Biol. 38:279-310.

  37. Itaya, A., Hickman, H., Bao, Y., Nelson, R. and Ding, B. (1997). Cell-to-cell trafficking of cucumber mosaic virus movement protein:green fluorescent protein fusion produced by biolistic gene bombardment in tobacco. Plant J. 12:1223-1230.

  38. Ding, B., Kwon, M.-O., Hammond, R. and Owens, R. (1997). Cell-to-cell movement of potato spindle tuber viroid. Plant J. 12:931-936.

  39. Ding  B. (1997). Cell-to-cell transport of macromolecules through plasmodesmata: a novel signaling pathway in plants. Trends Cell Biol. 7:5-9.

  40. Ding, B., Kwon, M.-O., and Warnberg, L. (1996). Evidence that actin filaments are involved in controlling the permeability of plasmodesmata in tobacco mesophyll. Plant J. 10:157-164.

  41. Nguyen, L., Lucas, W. J., Ding, B. and Zaitlin, M. (1996). Viral trafficking is inhibited in replicase-mediated resistant transgenic tobacco plants. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (U.S.A.) 93:12643-12647.

  42. Ding, B. and Lucas, W.J. (1996). Secondary plasmodesmata: Biogenesis, special functions, and evolution. In: Membranes: Specialised Functions in Plant Cells. Smallwood, M., Knox, P., and Bowles, D. eds., BIOS Publishers Inc., Oxford, pp.489-506.

  43. Lucas, W.J., Bouche-Pillon, S., Jackson, D.P., Nguyen, L., Baker, L., Ding, B. and Hake, S. (1995). Selective trafficking of KNOTTED1 homeodomain protein and its mRNA through plasmodesmata. Science 270:1980-1983.

  44. Ding, B., Li, Q-b., Nguyen, L., Palukaitis, P., and Lucas, W.J. (1995). Cucumber mosaic virus 3a protein potentiates cell-to-cell trafficking of CMV-vRNA in tobacco plants. Virology 207:345-353.

  45. Franceschi, V.R., Ding, B., and Lucas, W.J. (1994). Mechanism of plasmodesmata formation in characean algae in relation to evolution of intercellular communication in higher plants. Planta 192:347-358.

  46. Sanger, M., Passmore, B., Falk, B.W., Bruening, G., Ding, B., and Lucas, W.J. (1994). Symptom severity of beet western yellows virus strain ST9 is conferred by the ST9-associated RNA and is not associated with virus release from the phloem. Virology 200:48-55.

  47. Ding, B., Haudenshield, J.S., Willmitzer, L., and Lucas, W.J. (1993). Correlation between arrested secondary plasmodesmal development and onset of accelerated leaf senescence in yeast invertase transgenic tobacco plants. Plant J. 4:179-189.

  48. Fujiwara, T., Giesmann-Cookmeyer, D., Ding, B., Lommel, S.A., and Lucas, W.J. (1993). Cell-to-cell trafficking of macromolecules through plasmodesmata potentiated by the red clover necrotic mosaic virus movement protein. Plant Cell 5:1783-1794.

  49. Lapidot, M., Gafny, R., Ding, B., Wolf, S., Lucas, W.J., and Beachy, R.N. (1993). A dysfunctional movement protein of tobacco mosaic virus that partially modifies the plasmodesmata and limits virus spread in transgenic plants. Plant J.  4:959-970.

  50. Lucas, W.J., Ding, B., and Van der Schoot, C. (1993). Tansley Review # 58: Plasmodesmata and the supracellular nature of plants. New Phytol. 125:435-476.

  51. Ding, B., Haudenshield, J.S., Hull, R.J., Wolf, S., Beachy, R.N., and Lucas, W.J. (1992). Secondary plasmodesmata are specific sites of localization of the tobacco mosaic virus movement protein in transgenic tobacco plants. Plant Cell 4:915-928.

  52. Ding, B., Turgeon, R., and Parthasarathy, M.V. (1992). Substructure of freeze substituted plasmodesmata. Protoplasma 169:28-41.

  53. Ding, B., Turgeon, R., and Parthasarathy, M.V. (1992). Effect of high pressure freezing on plant microfilament bundles. J.  Microsc. 165:367-376.

  54. Ding, B., Turgeon, R., and Parthasarathy, M.V. (1991). Microfilament organization and distribution in freeze substituted tobacco plant tissues. Protoplasma 165:96-105.

  55. Ding, B., Turgeon, R., and Parthasarathy, M.V. (1991). Microfilaments in the preprophase band of freeze substituted tobacco root cells. Protoplasma 165:209-211.          

  56. Ding, B., Turgeon, R., and Parthasarathy, M.V. (1991). Routine cryofixation of plant tissue by propane jet freezing for freeze substitution. J. Electron Microsc. Techn. 19: 107-117.

  57. Ding, B., Turgeon, R., and Parthasarathy, M.V. (1991). Plasmodesmatal substructure in cryofixed developing tobacco leaf tissue. In: Recent Advances in Phloem Transport and Assimilate Compartmentation. J.L. Bonnemain, S. Delrot, J. Dainty, and W.J. Lucas, eds., Quest Editions, Nantes, pp. 317-323.

  58. Ding, B., Turgeon, R., Niklas, K., and Parthasarathy, M.V. (1988). A morphometric analysis of the phloem-unloading pathway in developing tobacco leaves. Planta 176:307-318.

    Revised: 21-feb-08

PCMB NEWS

A MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) sponsored post-doctoral position is available in the Department of Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology/Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, starting on August 1st 2008.

The researcher will work in the field of mitochondria biogenesis and study the assembly process of c-type cytochromes, a class of hemoproteins with covalent attachment of the heme co-factor to a CXXCH motif on the apocytochrome. Cytochromes c are versatile molecules that function in electron transfer reactions but also in signaling the death pathways. Their assembly process is not understood and in humans mutations in the only known cytochrome c assembly factor cause a neurodevelopmental disease with cardiomyopathic manifestations.

The future hire will use yeast as an experimental system and focus on 1) elucidating the biochemical activity of Cyc2p a novel mitochondrial flavoprotein that controls a yet-to-be-defined redox step in the heme attachment reaction to apocytochrome and 2) identifying additional mammalian cytochrome-c assembly factors. Because we suspect a role of Cyc2p in thiol-based chemistry, the researcher will also take part in on-going genetic experiments to 3) further dissect the pathway(s) that operate in intermembrane thiol-based redox chemistry. Thiol-based chemistry in the mitochondrial intermembrane space is a recent and novel development in the field since the discovery of catalysts that promote disulfide bond formation. Molecular genetics and biochemical approaches will be used to answer the scientific questions we are interested in. Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and a list of three referees to Dr. Patrice Hamel at hamel.16@osu.edu. Use Post-doctoral Position in the subject line. For additional information, see also Dr. Hamel's Web Site.

Erich Grotewold Receives Grant from US-Israeli Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund

We are pleased to announce that Erich Grotewold has been awarded another new grant. This is a 3-year award from the US-Israeli Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund. It is in the amount of $137,000 and is entitled "Regulation of tomato fruit development by interacting MYB proteins."

Erich Grotewold Receives DOE And NSF Grants

Erich Grotewold has been awarded 3-year grant in the amount o $449,390 from the DOE, entitled "Engineering phenolic metabolism in the grasses using transcription factors."

Erich has also been awarded a second, major grant from NSF (Plant Genome). It is a 3-year award in the amount of $2,479,632 entitled "The Grass Regulome Initiative: Integrating control of gene expression and agronomic traits across the grasses.

David Somers' Lab Published In Nature

David Somers’ group has published an article in Nature (Sept. 20) entitled, “ZEITLUPE is a circadian photoreceptor stabilized by GIGANTEA in blue light.” Woe-Yeon Kim and Sumire Fujiwara are co-first authors.

Erich Grotewold Awarded USDA Grant

Erich Grotewold has been awarded a grant from the USDA in the amount of $201,025 for a two-year study entitled, “Transposons as gene control elements.”

Rebecca Lamb Receives OPBC Award

Rebecca Lamb has received an award of $57,567 over two years from the OPBC for a study entitled, ”Two Arabidopsis WWE-PARP proteins involved in abiotic stress response and development.”

Plant Biotechnology In-Floor Seminar Series Schedule

Follow the link below for a schedule of informal 30-40 min seminars that will take place at noon on Fridays in room 189 of Rightmire Hall.
Schedule [pdf]

News Archive

Read past information and news articles.