Judith (Judy) Strommer
College Professor Emeritus
Email:
Education:
B.S. University of Chicago;
M.S. University of Chicago;
Ph.D. U.C.L.A.
Location:
Edmund C. Bovey Building
Room:
Plant molecular genetics, gene regulation
Many regulatory and enzymatic genes of higher organisms are present in gene families. Research in our lab on the evolution of gene families has focused on alcohol dehydrogenase genes, particularly those of Petunia hybrida. Our recent studies, based on transgenic reporters and RT-PCR, have been directed at defining the roles of individual adh gene family members and provide evidence for a number of unexpected and unique roles for members of this gene family in P. hybrida. Genome mapping in petunia has accompanied this research, and led to the preparation of RFLP and AFLP maps of Petunia hybrida. These in turn are teaching us about meiosis and recombination in this horticultural species created centuries ago as an interspecific hybrid.
We began studies on the regulation of genes involved in anthocyanin production some years ago, and are now initiating a program to learn about regulation of the production of these complex secondary metabolites, along with the closely related stilbenes, in grapes. This work is directed toward the development of cultural and genetic methods for enhancing levels of anthocyanin and stilbene antioxidants in grapes and wine.
In a third project, as part of an interdisciplinary research team combining veterinary pathology, microbiology and plant molecular biology, we are testing concepts for the oral delivery of vaccines to ruminants using transgenic forages as the delivery vehicle. We are constructing chimaeric genes which encode antigenic determinants from proteins of Mannheimia haemolytica, a serious respiratory pathogen, and introducing them into alfalfa and clover so as to maximize their immunogenic potential. In this work we are attempting to modify both the plant transformation system and patterns of gene expression so as to create a special-niche transgenic crop with minimal environmental impact.
Courses:
Relevant Links:
Selected Publications:
Ghosh, A.N., L. Lukens, D.M. Hunter and J.N. Strommer. (2006). European and Asian pears: SSR-PAGE-based analysis of commercially important North American cultivars. HortScience. 41: 304-309.
Garabagi, F. and J.N Strommer. (2005). Selective recruitment of Adh genes for distinct enzymatic functions in Petunia hybrida. Plant Molecular Biology. 58: 283-294.
Garabagi, F. and J.N Strommer. (2004). Distinct genes produce the alcohol dehydrogenases of pollen and maternal tissues in Petunia hybrida. Biochemical Genetics. 42: 199-208.
Ziauddin, A., R.W.H. Lee , R.Y.C. Lo, P. Shewen and J.N. Strommer. (2004). Transformation of alfalfa with a bacterial fusion gene, Mannheimia haemolytica A1leukotoxin 50: Response with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains LBA4404 and C58. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture. 79: 271-278.
Ali, A. and J.N. S trommer. (2003). A simple extraction and chromatographic system for simultaneous analysis of anthocyanins and stilbenes of Vitis spp. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 51: 7246-7251.
Lee, R.W.H., A.N. Pool, A. Ziauddin, R.Y.C. Lo, P.E. Shewen and J.N. Strommer. (2003). Edible vaccine development: Stability of Mannheimia haemolytica A1 leukotoxin 50 during post-harvest processing and storage of field-grown transgenic white clover. Molecular Breeding. 11: 259-266.
Strommer, J.N., J. Peters, J. Zethof, P. deKeukeleire and T. Gerats. (2002). AFLP maps of Petunia hybrida: Building maps when markers cluster. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 105: 1000-1009.
Miller, K.D., J.N. Strommer and L.P. Taylor. (2002). Conservation in divergent solanaceous species of the unique gene structure and enzyme activity of a gametophytically-expressed flavonol 3-O-galactosyltransferase. Plant Molecular Biology. 48: 233-242.
Leen, R.W.H., J.N. Strommer, D. Hodgins, P. Shewen, Y.H. Niu and R.Y.C. Lo. (2001). Toward development of an edible vaccine against bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis using transgenic white4 clover expressing a Mannheimia haemolytica A1 LKT50 fusion protein. Infection and Immunity. 69: 5786-5793. (Chosen as an ASM "research of the month" publication).
Garabagi, F. and J.N. Strommer. (2000). Green fluorescent protein as an all-purpose reporter in petunia. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter. 18: 229-236. (Chosen for cover photo).
Strommer J.N., A.G.M. Gerats, M. Sanago and S. Molnar. (2000). A gene-based RFLP map of petunia. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 100: 899-905. [A printing error cut off three of the chromosomes, which were corrected in an Erratum. (2001). Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 102: 1305-1306].
