NMSU - Department of Chemisty and Biochemistry

PETER J. LAMMERS

Professor

B.S. The University of Idaho

Ph.D. Portland State University, 1982
Postdoctoral, The University of Chicago

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form obligate symbioses with most plants species. Plants benefit from the association via improved mineral uptake and water relations while the fungus receives fixed carbon from the plant. In collaboration with Dr. Yair Shachar-Hill, we are utilizing functional genomics to broaden our knowledge of metabolic pathways operating in Glomus intraradices. Specific goals are to identify biochemical pathways functioning in both carbon and nitrogen transfer between the fungal symbiont and host plant roots.

Bioinformatics Research Page

Identifying functions for new genes remains a bottleneck in genome studies. At least some "orphan" genes are likely to assume a known structure despite lacking recognizable sequence similarity. We have proposed that predicted protein secondary structures can be used as the basis for identifying structural homologs in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). We employ hidden Markov Model (HMM) based only on the predicted sequence of helix, sheet or coil elements within each protein sequence. In a validation study 45 of 50 HMMs (90%) correctly identified structural homologs in the PDB. The method is now being systematically applied to all groups of orphan proteins.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

Govindarajulu, M., P.E. Pfeffer, H. Jin, J. Abubaker, D.D. Douds, J.W. Allen, H. Bücking, P.J. Lammers and Y. Shachar-Hill (2005) Nitrogen transfer in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Nature 435, 819-823

Jin, H., P.E. Pfeffer, D.D. Dounds, E. Piotrowski, P.J. Lammers, and Y. Shachar-Hill (2005). Nitrogen assimilation, transport and transfer in an arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. New Phytologist 168: 687–696

S. Torres, Conrad R Fjetland, P.J Lammers (2005) Alkane-induced expression, substrate binding profile, and immuno-localization of a cytochrome P450 encoded on the nifD excision element of Anabaena 7120 BMC Microbiology 5:16

Nitrogen Transfer in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis
Govindarajulu, M; Pfeffer, P.E.; Jin, H.; Abubaker, J.; Douds, D.D; Allen, J.W.; Bücking, H.; Lammers, P.J.; Shachar-Hill, Y. (2005).
Nature In Press
Alkane-induced Expression, Substrate Binding Profile, and Immunolocalization of a Cytochrome P450 Encoded on the nifD Excision Element of Anabaena7120
Torres, S.; Fjetland, C.R.; Lammers, P.J. (2005)
BMC Microbiology 5, 16-28
Quantitative Analysis of Gene Expression in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis
Lammers, P; Abubaker, J.; Govindarajulu, M.; Jun, J.; Krijgsman, O.; de Jong, M. (2004)
In: Basic Research and Applications of Mycorrhizae. Eds. Podila, G.K. and Varma, A. I.K. International, New Delhi
BLAST Filter and GraphAlign: Rule-based Formation and Analysis of Sets of Related DNA and Protein Sequences
Spalding, J.B. and Lammers, P.J. (2004)
Nucleic Acids Research 32, W26-W32.
Symbiotic Signaling: New Roles for Familiar Proteins
Lammers, P. (2004)
New Phytologist 161, 321–324.
In the Wake of the Poplar Genome Sequence - Whole Genome Sequencing of the Endomycorrhizal Glomus Intraradices and the Ectomycorrhizal Laccaria Bicolor for 2004
Martin, F.; Tuskan, G.A.; DiFazio, S.P.; Lammers, P.; Newcombe, G.; Podila, G.K. (2004)
New Phytologist161, 330-335.
Nitrogen Status Modulates the Expression of RNA-binding Proteins in Cyanobacteria.
Mori, S.; Castoreno, A.; Mulligan, M.E.; and Lammers, P.J. (2003).
FEMS Microbiology Letters 227, 203-210.
Carbon Export from Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Roots Involves the Translocation of Carbohydrate as well as Lipid.
Bago, B.; Pfeffer, P.E.; Abubaker, J.; Jun, J.; Allen, J.W.; Brouillette, J.; Douds, D.D.; Lammers, P.J.; Shachar-Hill, Y. (2003)
Plant Physiol. 131, 1496-1507.
Expression in an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus of Genes Involved in Metabolism, Transport, the Cytoskeleton and the Cell Cycle. Plant & Soil.
J.Jun, J. Abubaker, C. Rehrer, P. E. Pfeffer, Y. Shachar-Hill, and P.J Lammers. (2002)
Plant and Soil, v. 244(#1-2) pp. 141-148 Jul 2002.
Tracking Metabolism and Imaging Transport in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi.
Bago B, Pfeffer PE, Zipfel W, Lammers P, Shachar-Hill Y
Metabolism and transport in AM fungi Plant And Soil 244, 189-197(2002).
Transcript Levels of rbcR1, ntcA, and rbcL/S Genes in the Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 are Down Regulated in Response to Cold and Osmotic Stress.
S.Mori, A.Castoreno, and P.J. Lammers (2002).
FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 213, 167-173.
Carbon Export from Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Roots Involves the Translocation of Carbohydrate as well as Lipid.
B.Bago, P.E Pfeffer, J. Abubaker, J. Jun, J.W Allen, J. Brouillette, D.D Douds, P. J Lammers, and Y.Shachar-Hill. (2002).
Plant Physiol. 131, 1496-1507.
Translocation and Utilization of Fungalstorage Lipid in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis.
Bago, B. W. Zipfel, R. Williams, J. Jun, R. Arreola, P. Lammers, P.E. Pfeffer, Y. Schachar-Hill (2002)
Plant Physiology 128, 108-124.

The glyoxylate cycle in an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus: gene expression and carbon flow.

Lammers, P. J., J. Jun, J. Abubaker, R. Arreola, A. Gopalan, B. Bago, C. Hernandez-Sebastia,

Allen, D.D Douds, P.E Pfeffer, Y. Shachar-Hill. (2001).

Plant Physiology, 127, 1287-1298.