Brad Binder
Research Statement
I am interested in understanding the control of growth and development in plants. Because plants are sessile, one of the main ways they respond to alterations in their environment is through altered growth. These alterations in growth are mediated by a variety of phytohormones; most of my work is on the phytohormone ethylene. Ethylene is a gas produced by plants that regulates and influences many critical physiological and developmental processes making it of agricultural, horticultural and economic importance to understand its mode of action and to more fully understand how it affects plants.
Most of the research in the lab currently focuses on ethylene signal transduction. Ethylene receptors were the first plant hormone receptors cloned and a great deal is known about the signal transduction pathway. However there are still gaps in our understanding of this pathway. One focus of research in my lab is on the structure and function of the ethylene binding domain. Some of our goals with this are to characterize the ethylene binding pocket and define the conformational changes that occur when ethylene binds to the receptor. Another focus is on the signal output of the receptors. While the receptors have been shown to have protein kinase activity, this activity is not crucial for receptor function. Thus, we are working towards defining the output of the receptors. This is complicated by our observation that there are likely to be multiple outputs from the receptors. A third focus is on better defining components down-stream of the receptors and interactions with other hormone signaling pathways. To pursue these projects we combine biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and physiology. One physiological approach that has been particularly informative lately is high-resolution, time-lapse imaging of growing seedlings. Using this coupled with biochemistry and molecular biology has led to new insights about ethylene signaling and responses. This multifaceted approach is allowing us to gain a better understanding of ethylene signal transduction and the complexity of interactions between ethylene and other signaling systems in plants.
For more details about my research visit my Lab Page.
Selected Publications
Gao Z, Wen C-K, Binder BM, Chang J, Chiang Y-H, Kerris III RJ, Chang C, Schaller GE. (2008). Heteromeric Interactions Among Ethylene Receptors of Arabidopsis. Journal of Biological Chemistry 283: 23801-23810. [Abstract]
Pirrung MC, Bleecker AB, Inoue Y, Rodriguez FI, Sugawara N, Wada T, Zou Y, Binder BM. (2008) Ethylene Receptor Antagonists: Strained Alkenes Are Necessary But Not Sufficient. Chemistry and Biology 15: 313-321. [Abstract]
Binder BM, Rodriguez FI, Bleecker AB, Patterson SE. (2007) The Effects of Group 11 Transition Metals, Including Gold, on Ethylene Binding to the ETR1 Receptor and Growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. FEBS Letters 581: 5105-5109. [Abstract]
Binder BM, Walker JM, Gagne JM, Emborg TJ, Hemmann G, Bleecker AB, Vierstra RD. (2007) The Arabidopsis EIN3-Binding F-Box Proteins, EBF1 and 2 Have Distinct but Overlapping Roles in Regulating Ethylene Signaling. The Plant Cell 19: 509-523. [Abstract]
Wang W, Esch JE, Shiu S-H, Agula H., Binder BM, Chang C, Patterson SE, Bleecker AB. (2006) Identification of Important Regions for Ethylene Binding and Signaling in the Transmembrane Domain of the ETR1 Ethylene Receptor of Arabidopsis The Plant Cell 18: 3429-03442. [Article]
Binder BM, O’Malley RC, Wang W, Zutz TC, Bleecker AB. (2006) Ethylene Stimulates Nutations that are Dependent on the ETR1 Receptor. Plant Physiology 142: 1690-1700. [Article]
Binder BM, O'Malley RC, Moore JM, Parks BM, Spalding EP, Bleecker AB. (2004) Seedling Growth Response and Recovery to Ethylene: A Kinetic Analysis. Plant Physiology 136: 2913-2920. [Abstract ] (Included cover image for ethylene special issue)
Binder BM, Mortimore LA, Stepanova AN, Ecker JR, Bleecker AB. (2004) Short Term Growth Responses to Ethylene in Arabidopsis Seedlings Are EIN3/EIL1 Independent. Plant Physiology 136: 2921-2927. [Abstract] (Included cover image for ethylene special issue)
Rodriguez F, Esch J, Hall A, Binder B, Schaller GE, Bleecker AB. (1999) A Copper Cofactor for the ETR1 Receptor from Arabidopsis. Science 283: 996-998. [Abstract]
Contact Information
Office:
Room 343
Hesler Biology Building
Phone: (865) 974-7994
Lab:
Room 106
Helser Biology Building
Phone: (865) 974-7997
Email: bbinder@utk.edu