Genome-wide profile of protein domains across angiosperms, relationship with exon-intron structures, and implication on functional diversity and evolution

Abstract:
Protein domains are functional units of proteins and have a variety of activities, from nuclear acid binding to enzymatic activities. Protein domains can be classified into families according to sequence similarity and sometimes known activities. A single protein can contain one or more domains and the same type of domain is present in one or more genes. This talk will present genome-wide landscapes of protein domains from a set of 46 angiosperms and 4 gymnosperms, including model systems and major crops and members of major angiosperm lineages. These profiles suggest functional connection between specific domains, domain organizations related to particular types of functions, evolutionary conservation and diversification of domain and domain organizations, and even hidden domains yet to be identified and studied. Genes encoding proteins and their domains have a variety of exon-intron structures, which can influence the expression and diversity of proteins/domains and present additional levels of protein diversity and potential for evolutionary changes. The relationships between protein domains and gene structures will be examined, with consideration for exon sizes and number per domain, impact of alternative splicing on domain diversity. These results will be discussed with implication on gene expression, protein domain diversity, and functional evolution.

About the Speaker:
Hong Ma is a Professor of Biology and Huck Chair in Plant Reproductive Development and Evolution at Penn State. Prior to becoming a faculty member at Penn State in 1998, he was a principle investigator at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for 8 years and was trained at MIT (Ph.D.) and Caltech (Post-doc). From 2008 to 2016, he served as professor and Dean of School of Life Sciences at Fudan University, before returning to Penn State in early 2017. He also served as Associate Dean for Research and Innovation for the Eberly College of Science, Penn State, from late 2018 to early 2022.

Hong Ma has a long-standing interest in gene function and regulation important for flower development, meiosis, anther/pollen development, and effects of drought and heat on plant reproductive development, using primarily Arabidopsis as the experimental system. He has also studied plant phylogeny and evolution across major plant families (Poaceae, Fabaceae, Brassicaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Orchidaceae, and Solanaceae) and at larger scales (angiosperm-wide, eudicots, rosids, and asterids), with interest in understanding factors shaping the evolution of flower and fruit characteristics, such as floral symmetry and fruit color, and relationships between reproductive trait evolution and organism adaptability and diversity. He actively collaborates with others and values opportunities to train young scientists and mentor both graduate and undergraduate students, with regular contributions to the Plant Biology Graduate Program and other programs.

Contact

  Charles Anderson
  cta3@psu.edu