The scientific interest of the research group Plant Reproductive Biology is focussed on plant developmental processes which are related to the recombination of genetic information. Processes such as gametophyte development, fertilization as well as embryogenesis and seed development constitute the main subjects of investigation and manipulation.
The group has special expertise in developing and employing contemporary cell culture systems and genetic transformation technology for cereals and grain legumes which are considered recalcitrant concerning gene transfer. In numerous projects we are aiming to functionally characterise newly identified promoters and genes by ectopic expression or knock-down experiments. By genetic transformation approaches we also want to contribute to crop improvement and molecular farming. Currently running projects focus on resistance against pathogenic viruses and fungi as well as on the employment of crops to produce recombinant vaccines and antibodies.
To establish an experimental platform for the study of zygotic, somatic and pollen embryogenesis, methods have been developed to isolate, culture and manipulate egg cells, zygotes, young embryos and immature pollen. By live-cell monitoring as well as by the use of highly specific cDNA libraries from selected single cells we are approaching a cell-biological and molecular characterisation of early embryogenesis and apomixis-related processes. The group is further engaged in the development and employment of doubled haploid technology to be used for plant breeding and genetic transformation.
VAN DER LINDE, K., C. KASTNER, J. KUMLEHN, R. KAHMANN & G. DOEHLEMANN
Systemic virus-induced gene silencing allows functional characterization of maize genes during biotrophic interaction with Ustilago maydis. New Phytol. 185: 363-365.
The use of cyanobacteria as filler in nitrocellulose capillaries improves ultrastructural preservation of immature barley pollen upon high pressure freezing. Journal of Microscopy, 244(1): 79-84.
HOEFLE, C., C. HUESMANN, H. SCHULTHEISS, F. BÖRNKE, G. HENSEL, J. KUMLEHN, R. HÜCKELHOVEN
A novel barley ROP GTPase activating protein associates with microtubules and regulates entry of the barley powdery mildew fungus into leaf epidermal cells. Plant Cell. 23(6): 2422-2439.
PROELS, R.K., K. OBERHOLLENZER, I.P. PATHURI, G. HENSEL, J. KUMLEHN & R. HÜCKELHOVEN
RBOHF2 of barley is required for normal development of basal penetration resistance to the parasitic fungus Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei. Mol. Plant Mic.-Interact. 23: 1143-1150
WEICHERT, N., I. SAALBACH, H. WEICHERT, S. KOHL, A. ERBAN, J. KOPKA, B. HAUSE, A. VARSHNEY, N. SREENIVASULU, M. STRICKERT, J. KUMLEHN, W. WESCHKE & H. WEBER
Increasing sucrose uptake capacity of wheat grains stimulates storage protein synthesis. Plant Physiol. 2010 152(2): 698-710.
KUMLEHN J., G. ZIMMERMANN, C. BERGER, C. MARTHE, G. HENSEL
Characters of transgenic plants and their application in plant production - Triticeae cereals. In: Genetic modification of plants - Agriculture, Horticulture & Forestry. F. Kempken & C. Jung (Eds.), Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 287-306.
RADCHUK, R., U. CONRAD, I. SAALBACH, M. GIERSBERG, R.J. EMERY, H. KÜSTER, A. NUNES-NESI, A. R. FERNIE, W. WESCHKE & H. WEBER
Abscisic acid deficiency of developing pea embryos achieved by immunomodulation attenuates developmental phase transition and storage metabolism. The Plant J. 64:715-730.
LIPPMANN R., S. KASPAR, T. RUTTEN, M. MELZER, J. KUMLEHN, A. MATROS & H.-P. MOCK
Protein and Metabolite Analysis Reveals Permanent Induction of Stress Defense and Cell Regeneration Processes in a Tobacco Cell Suspension Culture. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 10, 3012-3032.
HENSEL G., C. KASTNER, S. OLESZCZUK, J. RIECHEN & J.KUMLEHN
Agrobacterium-mediated tranformation of cereal crop plants: Current protocols of barley, wheat, triticale and maize. International Journal of Plant Genomics, Article 835608, 9 pages, doi: 10.1155/2009/835608.
Factors influencing transient Agrobacterium-mediated GUS expression in embryogenic callus of date palm. Advances of Horticultural Sciences, 23, 150-157.
Haploidy in tef: gynogenesis. In: TOURAEV, A., B. P. FORSTER & M. S. Jain (EDS.): Advances in Haploid Production in Higher Plants. Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 265-283.
Changing Metabolic pathways to manipulate legume seed maturation and composition. In: Krishnan, H.B. (Ed.) Modification of Seed Composition to Promote Health and Nutrition. Agronomy Monograph 51, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, 55-78.
2009
HEIN I., J. KUMLEHN & R. WAUGH
Functional Validation in the Triticeae. In: C. Feuillet, G. Muehlbauer (Eds.): Genetics and Genomics of the Triticeae,Plant genetics and Genomics: Crops and Models 7, Springer New York, 395-385.
Embryogenic pollen culture: a promising target for genetic transformation. In: TOURAEV, A., B. P. FORSTER & M. S. JAIN (Eds.): Advances in Haploid Production in Higher Plants. Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 295-305.
WEIGELT K., H. KÜSTER, R. RADCHUK, M. MÜLLER, H. WEICHERT, A. FAIT, A.R. FERNIE, I. SAALBACH & H. WEBER
Increasing amino acid supply in pea embryos reveals specific interactions of N and C metabolism and highlights the importance of mitochondrial metabolism. The Plant Journal 55: 909-926.
In vitro and ex vitro seed-based propagation methods of Echinops kebericho mesfin: A threatened medicinal plant. Journal of applied Horticulture 10, 164-168
The IPKb vector set: modular binary plasmids for cereal transformation. Information Systems for Biotechnology News Report, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, pp. 3-6.
MATZK, F., S. PRODANOVIC, A. CZIHAL, J. TIEDEMANN, F. ARZENTON, F. BLATTNER, , J. KUMLEHN, L. ALTSCHMIED, I. SCHUBERT, A. JOHNSTON, U. GROSSNIKLAUS & H. BÄUMLEIN
Genetic control of apomixis: preliminary lessons from Poa, Hypericum and wheat egg cells. In: HÖRANDL, E., U. GROSSNIKLAUS, P. VAN DIJK & T.F. SHARBEL (Eds.): Apomixis: Evolution, Mechanisms and Perspectives. A. R. G. Gantner Verlag, Rugell, Liechtenstein, 159-166.
Efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of various barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes. In: Xu, Z. et al. (Eds.): Biotechnology and Sustainable Agriculture 2006 and Beyond, Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 143-145.
KUMLEHN, J., L. SERAZETDINOVA, G. HENSEL, D. BECKER & H. LÖRZ
Genetic transformation of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) via infection of androgenetic pollen cultures with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Plant Biotechnology Journal 4: 251-261.
ALTPETER, F., A. VARSHNEY, O. ABDERHALDEN, D. DOUCHKOV, C. SAUTTER, J. KUMLEHN, R. DUDLER & P. SCHWEIZER
Stable expression of a defense-related gene in wheat epidermis under transcriptional control of a novel promoter confers pathogen resistance. Plant Molecular Biology 57: 271-283.
2005
CORONADO, M.J., G. HENSEL, I. OTTO & J. KUMLEHN
Immature pollen-derived doubled haploid formation in barley cv. Golden Promise as a tool for transgene recombination. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum 27 (4B): 591-599.
2005
FOMITCHEVA, V.W., J. SCHUBERT, I. SAALBACH, A .HABEKUSS, J. KUMLEHN & U. CONRAD
Bacterial expression and characterization of a single-chain variable fragment antibody specific to several replicases of plant (+)RNA viruses. J. Phytopathology 153: 633-639.
2005
GERNAND, D., T. RUTTEN, A. VARSHNEY, M. RUBTSOVA, S. PRODANOVIC, C. BRÜSS, J. KUMLEHN, F. MATZK & A. HOUBEN
Uniparental chromosome elimination at mitosis and interphase in wheat and pearl millet crosses involves micronucleus formation, progressive heterochromatinization, and DNA fragmentation. Plant Cell 17: 2431-2438.
2005
GONZÀLEZ-MELENDI, P., C. RAMÌREZ, P.S. TESTILLANO, J. KUMLEHN & M.C. RISUENO
Three dimensional confocal and electron microscopy imaging define the dynamics and mechanisms of diploidisation at early stages of barley microspore-derived embryogenesis. Planta 222: 47-55.
2005
KUMLEHN, J., U. HÄHNEL, L. ALTSCHMIED & H. BÄUMLEIN
Studies on autonomous embryo formation from Salmon wheat egg cells. Acta Botanica Cracoviensia, Series Botanica 47, Suppl. 1: 22.
2005
ROLLETSCHEK, H., F. HOSEIN, M. MIRANDA, U. HEIM, K.-P. GOETZ, A. SCHLERETH, L. BORISJUK, I. SAALBACH, U. WOBUS & H. WEBER
Ectopic Expression of an amino acid transporter (VfAAP1) in seeds of Vicia narbonensis and pea increases storage proteins. Plant Physiol. 137: 1236-1249.
2005
SCHULTHEISS, H., G. HENSEL, J. IMANI, S. BROEDERS, U. SONNEWALD, K.-H. KOGEL, J. KUMLEHN & R. HÜCKELHOVEN
Ectopic expression of constitutively activated RACB small GTPase in barley enhances susceptibility to powdery mildew and abiotic stress. Plant Physiology 139: 353-362.
2005
STEIN, N., D. PEROVIC, J. KUMLEHN, B. PELLIO, S. STRACKE, S. STRENG, F. ORDON & A. GRANER
The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E confers multiallelic recessive bymovirus resistance in Hordeum vulgare L. The Plant Journal 42: 912-922.
Exclusive generation of true-breeding transgenic plants via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of barley pollen cultures. J. Genet. Plant Breeding 40: 83.
2004
STEIN, N., D. PEROVIC, B. PELLIO, J. KUMLEHN, F. ORDON & A. GRANER
Physical mapping and identification of candidate genes at the virus resistance gene locus rym 4/5. J. Genet. Plant Breeding 40: 55.
2004
ZAKHAROV, A., M. GIERSBERG, F. HOSEIN, M. MELZER, K. MÜNTZ & I. SAALBACH
Seed-specific promoters direct gene expression in non-seed tissue. Journal of Experimental Botany 55(402): 1463-1471.
Gene farming in pea under field conditions. In: FISCHER, R. & S. SCHILLBERG (Eds.) Molecular Farming, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 183-190.
2004
HENSEL, G. & J. KUMLEHN
Genetic transformation of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) by co-culture of immature embryos with Agrobacteria. In: CURTIS, I.S. (Ed.) Transgenic corps of the world - Essential protocols, Kluwer, Dordrecht, 35-44.
