Assistant 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
- Established experimental foundation for the study of secondary growth in plants.
- Identified genes involved in the secondary growth in plants by employing genomics and bioinformatics
- Demonstrated the identified genes as critical regulators in the secondary growth
- Established the application to plant Biomass increase for Renewable Energy
- Established the application to plant Biomass increase for Renewable Energy
- An integrated functional genomics and systems biology approach to optimizing lignocellulosic feedstock for improved productivity and processing
Selected publications related to secondary growth
Han, K.-H., Ko, J.-H., and Yang, S. 2007. Optimizing Lignocellulosic Feedstock for Improved Biofuel Productivity and Processing. Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining, in press.
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
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.