Faculty — Jae-Heung Ko

Kyung-Hwan Han photoAssistant Professor, Plant/Forest Biotechnology

Ph.D. Plant Molecular Biology, Yonsei University, 1997, Korea

Contact Information

126 Natural Resources
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1222
Phone: (517) 353-1961
Fax: (517) 432-1143
Email: ko@msu.edu


Research Overview

Genetic Regulation of Secondary Growth and Applications to Plant Biomass Increase for Renewable Source of Energy

Selected publications related to secondary growth

Ko, J.-H., Kim, W.-C., and Han, K.-H. 2009. Ectopic expression of MYB46 identifies transcriptional regulatory genes involved in secondary wall biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal, In Press.

Prassinos, C., Ko, J.-H., Lang, G., Iezzoni, A.F., and Han, K.-H. 2009. Rootstock-induced dwarfing in cherries is caused by differential cessation of terminal meristem growth and is triggered by rootstock-specific gene regulation. Tree Physiology, In Press.

Han, K.-H., Ko, J.-H., and Yang, S. 2007. Optimizing Lignocellulosic Feedstock for Improved Biofuel Productivity and Processing. Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining, 1: 135-146.

Ko, J.-H., Yang, S., Park, A., Lerouxel, O., and Han, K.-H. 2007. ANAC012, a member of the plant-specific NAC transcription factor family, negatively regulates xylary fiber development in Arabidopsis thaliana. The Plant Journal, 50(6):1035-1048.

Ko, J.-H., Beers, E.P., and Han, K.-H. 2006. Global comparative transcriptome analysis identifies gene network regulating secondary xylem development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Molecular Genetics and Genomics, 276 (6): 517-31.

Ko, J.-H., Prassinos, C., and Han, K.-H. 2006. Developmental and seasonal expression of PtaHB1, a Populus gene encoding a class III HD-Zip protein, is closely associated with secondary growth and inversely correlated with the level of microRNA (miR166). New Phytologists, 169 (3): 469-478.

Prassinos, C.*, Ko, J.-H.*, Yang, J., and Han, K.-H. 2005. Transcriptome Profiling of Vertical Stem Segments Provides Insights into the Genetic Regulation of Secondary Growth in Hybrid Aspen Trees. Plant and Cell Physiology 46(8):1213-1225.

Ko, J.-H. and Han, K.-H. 2004. Arabidopsis whole-transcriptome profiling defines the features of coordinated regulations that occur during wood formation. Plant Molecular Biology, 55: 433-453.

Ko, J.-H., Han, K.-H., Park, S., and Yang, J. 2004. Plant body weight-induced secondary growth in Arabidopsis and its transcription phenotype revealed by whole-transcriptome profiling. Plant Physiology, 135: 1069-1083.

Ko, J.-H., Yang, J., Oh, S., Park, S., and Han, K.-H. 2004. Genomics of wood formation. In: S. Kumar and M. Fladung (eds), Molecular genetics and breeding of forest trees. Haworth's Food Products Press, New York. pp 113-140.

Abiotic Stress Tolerance; From Model Plants to Crop Plants

Virtually every aspect of plant physiology and metabolism is affected by water availability. In addition to decrease in relative water content, physiological drought (i.e., living cell damage caused by water deficit) also occurs during cold and salt stresses. Plants acquire water stress tolerance through various biochemical and physiological responses and adaptation to the water-stress. Since the gist of water-stress response and adaptation mechanisms is generally considered universal among higher plant species, the information accumulated from model platns should be transferable to other agricultural and forestry crops. Poplar is the most well developed and widely accepted model system for tree biology. Along with the recent completion of genome sequencing and availability of whole-transcriptome genechip arrays, it offers many attributes especially well suited for this research, including small easy clonal propagation which allows for replication of experiments and destructive sampling and available high-throughput transgenic technology. Most importantly, it allows us to take full advantage of our established expertise in functional genomics of poplar.

Selected publications related to abiotic stress tolerance

Lee, B. H., Ko, J.-H., Lee, S., Yi Li, Pak, J.-H., and Kim, J.H. 2009. The Arabidopsis GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR Gene Family Performs an Overlapping Function in Determining Organ Size as well as Multiple Developmental Properties. Plant Physiology, In Press.

Ko, J.-H., Yang, S., and Han, K.-H. 2006. Upregulation of an Arabidopsis RING-H2 Gene, XERICO, Confers Drought Tolerance through Increased ABA Biosynthesis. The Plant Journal, 47: 343-355.

Ko, J.-H., Kim, J.H., Jayanty, S., Howe, G., and Han, K.-H. 2006. Loss of function mutation of COBRA, which is a determinant of oriented cell expansion, invokes cellular defense mechanism in Arabidopsis thaliana. Journal of Experimental Botany, 57:2923-36.

Lee, E.K.*, Kwon, M.*, Ko, J.-H.*, Yi, H., Hwang, M.G., Chang, S., and Cho, M. H. 2004. Binding of sulfonylurea by AtMRP5, an Arabidopsis multidrug resistance-related protein that functions in salt tolerance. Plant Physiology. 134(1): 528-538.

Ko, J.-H., Kim, J.Y., and Lee, S.H. 1999. Molecular Cloning and Characterization of a cDNA encoding Caltractin from Dunaliella salina. Plant and Cell Physiology, 40(3): 457-461.

S.-J. Kim, Ko, J.-H., Park, K.-Y., and Lee, S.H. 1998. Role of active oxygen species (AOS) in the xylanase induced plant defense responses. Journal of Plant Biology, 41: 43-49.

Ko, J.-H., and Lee, S.H. 1996. Purification and characterization ofa novel 21 Kda calcium binding protein from Dunaliella salina. Journal of Plant Biology, 39: 173-177.

Ko, J.-H., and Lee, S.H. 1996. A novel cDNA (Accession No. U62865) encoding a salt stress-related calmodulin-like protein from Dunaliella salina (PGR 96-091). Plant Physiology, 112: 863.

Ko, J.-H., and Lee, S.H. 1995. Role of Calcium in the osmoregulation under salt stress in Dunaliella salina. Journal of Plant Biology, 38: 243-250.