Faculty

Sally Assmann

Waller Professor of Biology

366A Frear North Bldg.
University Park, PA

Email sma3@psu.edu
Phone 814-863-9579

Overview

Molecular biology of plant G-proteins and kinases. Phytohormone regulation of signal transduction and RNA processing. Second messenger regulation of ion channels in plant cells.

Areas of Expertise

Guard Cell Keyphrases
Arabidopsis Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Arabidopsis Keyphrases
G Protein Keyphrases
Abscisic Acid Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Abscisic Acid Keyphrases
G Protein Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Heterotrimeric G Protein Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Gramene 2025
Andrew Olson, Sunita Kumari, Xuehong Wei, Kapeel Chougule, Zhenyuan Lu, Marcela Karey Tello-Ruiz, Vivek Kumar, Peter Van Buren, Audra Olson, Catherine Kim, Janeen Braynen, Lifang Zhang, Sarah Dyer, Jorge Alvarez-Jarreta, Shradha Saraf, Bruno Contreras-Moreira, Guy Naamati, Christina Ernst, Irene Pap..., Jan 6 2026, In: Nucleic acids research
Date: Jan 6 2026

Ca2+ and pH as integrating signals in transport control
Tatiana N. Bibikova, Sarah M. Assmann, Simon Gilroy, Jan 1 2026, In: Membrane Transport in Plants
Date: Jan 1 2026

Apoplastic metabolomics reveals sugars as mesophyll messengers regulating guard cell ion transport under red light
Yotam Zait, Mengmeng Zhu, Eigo Ando, Yunqing Zhou, Adi Yaaran, Sunheng Yon, Mami Okamoto, Yuki Hayashi, Masami Y. Hirai, Timothy Jegla, Toshinori Kinoshita, Sixue Chen, Sarah M. Assmann, Sep 2025, In: Nature Plants
Date: Sep 2025

Translational insights into abiotic interactions
Adrienne H.K. Roeder, Yiting Shi, Shuhua Yang, Mohamad Abbas, Rashmi Sasidharan, Marcelo J. Yanovsky, Jorge José Casal, Sandrine Ruffel, Nicolaus Von Wirén, Sarah M. Assmann, Noah A. Kinscherf, Arkadipta Bakshi, Burcu Alptekin, Simon Gilroy, Malleshaiah Sharathkumar, Salomé Prat, Cristiana T. Arg..., Jul 1 2025, In: Plant Cell
Date: Jul 1 2025

VariantFoldRNA
Kobie J. Kirven, Philip C. Bevilacqua, Sarah M. Assmann, Jun 1 2025, In: NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics
Date: Jun 1 2025

Is GCR1 the GPR157 of plants?
Aditi Gotkhindikar, David Chakravorty, Durba Sengupta, Manali Joshi, Sarah M. Assmann, Feb 2025, In: Plant physiology
Date: Feb 2025

Influence of expression and purification protocols on Gα biochemical activity
Timothy E. Gookin, David Chakravorty, Sarah M. Assmann, 2025, In: Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
Date: 2025

A network-based modeling framework reveals the core signal transduction network underlying high carbon dioxide-induced stomatal closure in guard cells
Xiao Gan, Palanivelu Sengottaiyan, Kyu Hyong Park, Sarah M. Assmann, Réka Albert, May 2024, In: PLoS biology
Date: May 2024

Oryza CLIMtools
Ángel Ferrero-Serrano, David Chakravorty, Kobie J. Kirven, Sarah M. Assmann, Apr 8 2024, In: Plant Communications
Date: Apr 8 2024

Flanking Sequence Cotranscriptionally Regulates Twister Ribozyme Activity
Lauren N. McKinley, Reuben G. Kern, Sarah M. Assmann, Philip C. Bevilacqua, Jan 2 2024, In: Biochemistry
Date: Jan 2 2024

View All Publications →

Light regulation of stomatal movement
Ken Ichiro Shimazaki, Michio Doi, Sarah M. Assmann, Toshinori Kinoshita, 2007, In: Annual Review of Plant Biology
Citations: 826

In vivo genome-wide profiling of RNA secondary structure reveals novel regulatory features
Yiliang Ding, Yin Tang, Chun Kit Kwok, Yu Zhang, Philip C. Bevilacqua, Sarah M. Assmann, 2014, In: Nature
Citations: 666

PDR-type ABC transporter mediates cellular uptake of the phytohormone abscisic acid
Joohyun Kang, Jae Ung Hwang, Miyoung Lee, Yu Young Kim, Sarah M. Assmann, Enrico Martinoia, Youngsook Lee, Feb 2 2010, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Citations: 661

G protein regulation of ion channels and abscisic acid signaling in Arabidopsis guard cells
X. Q. Wang, H. Ullah, A. M. Jones, S. M. Assmann, Jun 15 2001, In: Science
Citations: 453

Hormone interactions in stomatal function
Biswa R. Acharya, Sarah M. Assmann, Mar 2009, In: Plant molecular biology
Citations: 449

Regulation of abscisic acid-induced stomatal closure and anion channels by guard cell AAPK kinase
Sarah M. Assmann, 2000, In: Science
Citations: 406

Two Novel GPCR-Type G Proteins Are Abscisic Acid Receptors in Arabidopsis
Sona Pandey, David C. Nelson, Sarah M. Assmann, Jan 9 2009, In: Cell
Citations: 390

Signal transduction in guard cells
S. M. Assmann, Jan 1 1993, In: Annual Review of Cell Biology
Citations: 386

Predicting essential components of signal transduction networks
Song Li, Sarah M. Assmann, Réka Albert, 2006, In: PLoS biology
Citations: 349

Blue light activates electrogenic ion pumping in guard cell protoplasts of Vicia faba
S. M. Assmann, L. Simoncini, J. I. Schroeder, 1985, In: Nature
Citations: 331

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Centers & Institutes

September 11, 2025

To Eat or To Breathe; That is the Question

August 26, 2025

Hidden messengers tell plants when to eat and breathe

The team's research, conducted on mouse-ear cress — scientific name Arabidopsis thaliana, pictured — and fava beans, or Vicia faba, revealed that sugars, along with maleic acid, a chemical involved in energy production, act as crucial messengers that control how and when plants “breathe” and “eat." Credit: Sarah Assmann / Penn State. Creative Commons

August 25, 2025

Messenger signals that cue plants to ‘eat’ and ‘breathe’ revealed for first time

Credit: Dani Zemba / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

June 30, 2025

Lab Bench to Commercialization program broadens its scope

Sarah Assmann Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

March 10, 2025

Plant biologist awarded the Masatoshi Nei Innovation Prize in Biology

April 17, 2023

Structured Nucleic Acids Day, Robert Simpson and Sons Lecture set for April 18

Genetic variants — called riboSNitches — found among varieties of the plant Arabidopsis can act as environmentally induced switches, changing the 3D structure of the RNA molecules that code for proteins. The image on the left shows the predicted structure of the reference sequence for a segment of the ZR3 gene. The image on the right shows the structure of the same segment with one G-to-A change (indicated by arrows) that was identified and experimentally validated as a riboSNitch. Credit: Ángel Ferrero‑Serrano, Penn State / Penn State. Creative Commons

June 13, 2022