John Doonan

Project Leader

Cell & Developmental Biology

Research interests

The Doonan lab investigates the molecular and cellular basis of cell growth and proliferation during plant development.

Using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system we are analysing genes that are required for, and regulate, cell division in the shoot apical meristem and growing leaves. Cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs) are key regulators of cell cycle progression and also influence cell growth through the reversible phosphorylation of various proteins in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. We aim to understand the interplay between CDKs and developmental regulators and how their interaction regulates cell proliferation. We also are interested in the targets of CDKs and how phosphorylation modifies key cellular processes during the cell cycle.

There is extensive variation in body size both within species and between species. We are exploiting natural variation in Arabidiopsis and Brachypodium to explore the underlying molecular and cellular basis of size variation in wild populations. In a collaborative project (with Peter Shaw and John Snape) we are exploring the genetic and cellular basis of variation in wheat grain size and shape.

Recent Publications

Dvorackova M., Rossignol P., Shaw P. J., Koroleva O. A., Doonan J. H., Fajkus J. (2010)
AtTRB1, a telomeric DNA-binding protein from Arabidopsis, is concentrated in the nucleolus and shows highly dynamic association with chromatin
Plant Journal 61 (4) 637-649

Gegas V. C., Nazari A., Griffiths S., Simmonds J., Fish L., Orford S., Sayers L., Doonan J. H., Snape J. W. (2010)
A genetic framework for grain size and shape variation in wheat
Plant Cell 22 (4) 1046-1056

Bush M. S., Hutchins A. P., Jones A. M., Naldrett M. J., Jarmolowski A., Lloyd C. W., Doonan J. H. (2009)
Selective recruitment of proteins to 5' cap complexes during the growth cycle in Arabidopsis
Plant Journal 59 (3) 400-412
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-313X.2009.03882.x

Doonan J. H., Kitsios G. (2009)
Functional evolution of cyclin-dependent kinases.
Molecular Biotechnology 42 (1) 14-29
DOI:10.1007/s12033-008-9126-8

Drea S., Derbyshire P., Koumproglou R., Dolan L., Doonan J. H., Shaw P. (2009)
In situ analysis of gene expression in plants
Methods in Molecular Biology 513 229-42
DOI:10.1007/978-1-59745-427-8_12

Pignocchi C., Minns G. E., Nesi N., Koumproglou R., Kitsios G., Benning C., Lloyd C. W., Doonan J. H., Hills M. J. (2009)
ENDOSPERM DEFECTIVE1 is a novel microtubule-associated protein essential for seed development in Arabidopsis
Plant Cell 21 90-105

Wargent J. J., Gegas V. C., Jenkins G. I., Doonan J. H., Paul N. D. (2009)
UVR8 in Arabidopsis thaliana regulates multiple aspects of cellular differentiation during leaf development in response to ultraviolet B radiation.
New Phytologist 183 (2) 315-26
DOI:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02855.x

Wortman J. R., Gilsenan J. M., Joardar V., Deegan J., Clutterbuck J., Andersen M. R., Archer D., Bencina M., Braus G., Coutinho P., von Döhren H., Doonan J., Driessen A. J., Durek P., Espeso E., Fekete E., Flipphi M., Estrada C. G., Geysens S., Goldman G., de Groot P. W., Hansen K., Harris S. D., Heinekamp T., Helmstaedt K., Henrissat B., Hofmann G., Homan T., Horio T., Horiuchi H., James S., Jones M., Karaffa L., Karányi Z., Kato M., Keller N., Kelly D. E., Kiel J. A., Kim J. M., van der Klei I. J., Klis F. M., Kovalchuk A., Krasevec N., Kubicek C. P., Liu B., Maccabe A., Meyer V., Mirabito P., Miskei M., Mos M. (2009)
The 2008 update of the Aspergillus nidulans genome annotation: a community effort.
Fungal Genetics and Biology 46 Suppl 1 S2-13
DOI:10.1016/j.fgb.2008.12.003

Derbyshire P., Drea S., Shaw P. J., Doonan J. H., Dolan L. (2008)
Proximal-distal patterns of transcription factor gene expression during Arabidopsis root development
Journal of Experimental Botany 59 235-245

Kitsios G., Alexiou K. G., Bush M., Shaw P., Doonan J. H. (2008)
A cyclin-dependent protein kinase, CDKC2, colocalizes with and modulates the distribution of spliceosomal components in Arabidopsis
Plant Journal 54 (2) 220-35
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-313X.2008.03414.x

Kitsios G., Tsesmetzis N., Bush M., Doonan J. H. (2008)
The Arabidopsis localizome: subcellular protein localisation and interactions in Arabidopsis
Plant Proteomics: Technologies, Strategies and Applications
Wiley
(5) 61-81

Opanowicz M., Vain P., Draper J., Parker D., Doonan J. H. (2008)
Brachypodium distachyon: making hay with a wild grass
Trends in Plant Science 13 (4) 172-177
DOI:10.1016/j.tplants.2008.01.007

Tsesmetzis N., Couchman M., Higgins J., Smith A., Doonan J. H., Seifert G. J., Schmidt E. E., Vastrik I., Birney E., Wu G., D'Eustachio P., Stein L. D., Morris R. J., Bevan M. W., Walsh S. V. (2008)
Arabidopsis reactome: a foundation knowledgebase for plant systems biology.
Plant Cell 20 (6) 1426-36
DOI:10.1105/tpc.108.057976

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