People

Professor Jiayang LI

Vice President, Academician, Chinese Academy of Sciences

email: jyli @genetics.ac.cn

Research Interest

My laboratory is mainly interested in molecular genetics of plant development and metabolism, focusing on plant architecture, action of phytohormones and biosynthesis of carbohydrates.

1. Plant development and action of phytohormones

Phytohormones such as auxins, cytokinins and brassinosteroids are key regulators of plant growth and development. The molecular mechanisms and action of these phytohormones on plant architecture of Arabidopsis and rice will be investigated through experimental systems established in the laboratory including T-DNA tagging, in planta sense/antisense RNA expression, cDNA array and mutant characterization.

2. Regulation of plant metabolism

Carbohydrates, fatty acids and lignin are major macromolecules that are composed of plants. The biosynthetic pathways and regulation will be studied by characterization of mutants identified in rice and Arabidopsis.

Key Publications

1. Wang Y and Li J (2006) Genes controlling plant architecture. Curr Opin Biotechnol 17, 123–129

2. Dai Y, Wang H, Li B, Huang J, Liu X, Zhou Y, Mou Z, Li J (2006) Increased Expression of MAPKK7 causes deficiency in polar auxin transport and leads to plant architectural abnormality in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 18: 308-320.

3. Wang Y, Xue Y and Li J (2005) Towards molecular breeding and improvement of rice in China. Trends Plant Sci 10, 610-614.

4. Wang Y and Li J (2005) The plant architecture of rice (Oryza sativa). Plant Mol Biol 59, 75-84.

5. Li Y, Qian Q, Zhou Y, Yan M, Sun L, Zhang M, Fu Z, Wang Y, Han B, Pang X, Chen M and Li J (2003) BRITTLE CULM 1, which encodes a COBRA-like protein, affects the mechanical properties of rice plants. Plant Cell 15, 2020-2031.

6. Li X, Qian Q, Fu Z, Wang Y, Xiong G, Zeng D, Wang X, Liu X, Teng S, Hiroshi F, Yuan M, Luo D, Han B, Li J (2003) Control of tillering in rice. Nature 422, 618-621.

7. Mou Z, Wang X, Dai Y, Bao F, Han C, Ouyang J, Hu Y, Fu F and Li J (2002) Silencing of Phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase results in temperature-sensitive male sterility and salt hypersensitivity in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 14, 2031-2043.

8. Feng Q, et al. (2002) Sequence and analysis of rice chromosome 4. Nature 420, 316-320.

9. Hu Y, Bao F and Li J (2000) The promotive effect of brassinosteroids on cell division involves a distinct CycD3-induction pathway in Arabidopsis. Plant J. 24, 693-701.

10. Ouyang J, Shao X and Li J (2000) Indole-3-glycerol phosphate, a branchpoint of indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis from tryptophan biosynthetic pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J. 24, 327-333.

11. Mou Z, He Y, Dai Y, Liu X and Li J (2000) Deficiency in fatty acid synthase leads to premature cell death and dramatic alterations in plant morphology. Plant Cell 12, 405-417.