Laboratory of Plant Physiology, University of Groningen (l.j.de.kok@rug.nl)
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Plant Sulfur Group Research interests: During the last decades research in the 'Plant Sulfur Group' has generally been focused on investigating the physiological processes underlying the mechanism of adaptation of plants to the environment. The significance of membrane lipids and antioxidants (e.g. glutathione) in the adaptation of plants to various stress factors e.g. chilling, frost, salinity and air pollution is investigated. In addition the consequences of global change, in particular the effect of elevated CO2 levels on plants are investigated. During the last decade the physiological significance of sulfur metabolism in plants has become a major research topic. The molecular/biochemical, physiological and agronomic and environmental aspects of sulfur in plants is investigated in close co-operation with other research groups. The regulatory aspects of the sulfur uptake and assimilation in plants in relation to the metabolic requirement for growth and the signals therein involved are investigated. The relation between expression of the various genes involved in sulfur metabolism, the level of transporters and enzymes involved in sulfur metabolism and the actual fluxes of the sulfur metabolites under various physiological conditions is studied. The modulation of sulfur nutrition by changing the levels of atmospheric and pedospheric sulfur sources, for instance by using 35S-labelled sulfur compounds and molecular techniques, have shown promise to elucidate the role and significance of changes in the level and expression of sulfate transporter proteins and sulfate reducing enzymes in the regulation of the sulfur metabolism. The interactions between sulfur and nitrogen assimilation are evaluated. In addition, the pathway and regulation of the synthesis of secondary sulfur compounds, viz alliins in Allium species are investigated. Further studies are carried out on assessing the relation between plant sulfur status and its resistance to environmental stress and pests.
The research in the 'Plant Sulfur Group' is carried out in close cooperation with the following research groups:
Dr. Malcolm J. Hawkesford and Dr. Peter Buchner, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, U.K. Prof. Dr. Ewald Schnug and Prof. Dr. Silvia Haneklaus, JKI Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Braunschweig, GermanyDr. Stanislav Kopriva, John Innes Centre, Norwich, U.K.Dr. Michael Tausz, School of Forest & Ecosystem Science, University of Melbourne, Australia
See for further information:
Publications - book distribution (till 2008)
School of Forest and Ecosystem Science, University of Melbourne, Creswick
Springer Plant Ecophysiology Series
Contact: info@ljdekok.org (Luit J. De Kok, Loppersum, The Netherlands)