Curriculum vitae of Dr. Thomas Eulgem
Dept. of Biology, University of North Carolina
108 Coker Hall, CB 3280
Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3280, USA
Phone: 919 962 5838 (office)
919 960 9408 (home)
Fax:
919 962 1625
E-mail: eulgem@email.unc.edu
Qualifications:
Plant Molecular Biologist/ Geneticist (“Diplom Biologe”)
PhD (Dr. rer. nat.)
Chemistry Technican (“Chemisch-technischer Assistent”; CTA)
Education & Experience:
Rheinische Akademie, Cologne, Germany: Chemistry technician (“ CTA”), August 1987
to June 1989
Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany: 5 semesters of Biology study,
October 1989 to April 1992
Albertus Magnus-Universität, Cologne, Germany: continuation of Biology study, April
1992 to April 1995
Max-Planck-Institut fuer Zuechtungsforschung, Cologne, Germany
(Dr. Imre Somssich’s lab, Prof. Dr. Klaus Hahlbrock’s Department):
- Diploma work: Cloning and analysis of parsley WRKY genes, June 1995- June
1996
- PhD work: WRKY-transcription factors as signal transducers during plant
pathogen defenses, August 1996- July 1999 , Dissertation: “mit Auszeichnung”
(“summa cum laude”)
- Postdoc project: Studies on WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis, August
1999 – December 1999
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA:
- Postdoc project in Prof. Jeff Dangl’s lab: Genetic studies of resistance to
Peronospora parasitica in Arabidopsis thaliana; Gene expression profiling,
since January 2000
Awards, Grants & Memberships
Associate member of
“DFG Graduiertenkolleg Molecular Analysis of Plant
Developmental Processes” (Chairman: Prof. Ulf-Ingo Fluegge, “Albertus MagnusUniversität”, Cologne, Germany), February 1997 to July 1999
“Otto-Hahn-Medal” award by “Max-Planck-Gesellschaft”, Muenchen, Germany (for
studies on WRKY transcription factors), June 2000
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft postdoctoral fellowship for project in J. Dangl’s
lab, January 2000 to December 2001
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft postdoctoral fellowship for project in J. Dangl’s lab, January
2002 to December 2002
Publications:
- Diploma thesis (1996). Klonierung und Analyse von elizitorinduzierbaren Genen, die für DNA-bindende
Proteine mit Zink-Finger-Motiven (WRKY-Proteine) kodieren. Universität zu Köln. Köln.
- PhD thesis (1999). WRKY-Transkriptionsfaktoren
Pathogenabwehr. Dissertation, Universität zu Köln, Köln.
als
Signalüberträger
in
der
pflanzlichen
- Eulgem T, Rushton PJ, Schmelzer E, Hahlbrock K, Somssich IE. Early nuclear events in plant defence
signalling: rapid gene activation by WRKY transcription factors. EMBO J. 1999 Sep 1; 18(17):4689-99.
- Eulgem T, Rushton PJ, Robatzek S, Somssich IE. The WRKY superfamily of plant transcription factors.
Trends Plant Sci. 2000 May;5(5):199-206.
- Maleck K, Levine A, Eulgem T, Morgan A, Schmid J, Lawton KA, Dangl JL, Dietrich RA. The
transcriptome of Arabidopsis thaliana during systemic acquired resistance. Nature Genetics 2000
Dec;26(4):403-10.
- Wenqiong Chen, Nicholas Provart, Jane Glazebrook, Fumiaki Katagiri, Hur-Song Chang, Thomas
Eulgem, Felix Mauch, Sheng Luan, Guangzhou Zou, Steve Whitham a, Paul Budworth, Yi Tao, Zhiyi Xie, Xi
Chen, Steve Lam, Joel Kreps, Jeffery Harper, Azzedine Si-Ammour, Brigitte Mauch-Mani, Manfred Heinlein,
Kappei Kobayashi, Thomas Hohn, Jeff Dangl, Xun Wang and Tong Zhu. Expression Profile Matrix of
Arabidopsis Transcription Factor Genes implies Their Putative Functions in Response to Environmental
Stresses. Plant Cell, 2002, 14: 559-574.
- Mahmut Tör, Pam Gordon, Alayne Cuzick, Nick Gunn, Alison Woods-Tör, Thomas Eulgem, Ben Holt,,
Pablo Tornero, Eva Sinapidou, Canan Can, Jeffery L Dangl and Eric B Holub. An SGT1-like gene in
Arabidopsis is Essential for Defense Signalling Conferred by Several Downy Mildew (Peronospora
parasitica) Resistance Genes including RPP7. Plant Cell, in press
- Robert S. Cormack, Thomas Eulgem, Paul J. Rushton, Petra Koechner, Klaus Hahlbrock and Imre E.
Somssich. Leucine zipper containing WRKY proteins widen the spectrum of immediate early elicitor-induced
WRKY transcription factors in parsley. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, in press
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invited talks:
- 5th International Workshop on Pathogenesis-Related Proteins in Plants, March 29. - April 2. 1998,
Aussois, France, "Fungal Elicitor-Dependent Regulation of Parsley WRKY Genes"
- Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung-Institute's Meeting 1998, September 2.-5. 1998, Köln,
Germany, "Fungal Elicitor-Dependent Regulation of the Parsley WRKY1 Gene"
- San Diego Center for Molecular Agriculture, Fall Symposium, October 19, 2001, “Transcriptional
responses triggered by three different local resistance pathways in Arabidopsis”
- Plant, Animal and Microbe Genomes X Conference, January 12 - 16, 2002, San Diego, California,
USA, “Transcriptional responses triggered by three different local resistance pathways in Arabidopsis”
- PhD course 2002 “Model Organisms”, June 3-11, 2002, Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala,
Sweden, Lecture: “Arabidopsis as a model organism for plant disease resistance”
Research Interests:
As a diploma and PhD student at the “Max-Planck-Institute” (MPIZ) in Cologne as well
as a postdoc at University of North Carolina (UNC) I have been studying various aspects
of the regulation of disease resistance in plants. To defend themselves against microbial
attack, plants have evolved a highly effective defense system that is inducible upon
pathogen recognition. Induced responses to attempted pathogen attack involve
extensive metabolic re-programming associated with coordinated activity changes of a
multitude of genes. Generally two types of recognition-dependent defense reactions can
be discriminated:
- local defense reactions that are transiently activated at infection sites stopping
growth of the invading pathogen;
- systemic defense reactions that are long lasting and are induced throughout the
entire plant to protect it from subsequent secondary infections.
These concerted responses are controlled by a sophisticated regulatory system
consisting of branched signaling cascades that are activated by ligand/receptor
interactions. Besides a variety of small molecules, such as salicylic acid, ethylene and
jasmonic acid, numerous regulatory proteins appear to be components of these defense
signaling pathways. Among others genetic and biochemical studies implicated lipases,
oxidases, ion channels, protein kinases, protein phosphatases, G-proteins and a variety
of transcription factors in these regulatory processes. Being a paradigm for signal
transduction in general, the complex regulatory network controlling plant defense
responses has been subject of extensive research efforts in the last two decades.
During my Diploma and PhD work that was supervised by Prof. Dr. Klaus Hahlbrock and
Dr. Imre Somssich at the MPIZ I studied the role of WRKY proteins in the control of
defense-associated genes. Members of this plant specific protein family were originally
discovered by Dr. Paul Rushton in Dr. Somssich’s group and others and were found to
bind to regulatory promoter elements of defense associated genes. I performed a
comprehensive functional analysis of WRKY1, a member of this novel family. I mapped
its DNA-binding domain, demonstrated that this protein is targeted to the nucleus and
showed that it can act as a transcriptional activator of a variety of defense-associated
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genes. Furthermore, I demonstrated that WRKY transcription factors can extremely
rapidly mediate gene expression changes and participate in the earliest gene regulatory
events after pathogen recognition (Eulgem et al. 1999). The fully sequenced genome of
the higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) encodes 72 members of the WRKY
family. A phylogenetic study I performed with Arabidopsis WRKYs revealed that these
factors can be categorized into a variety of different groups, each of which may control a
specific set of target genes (Eulgem et al. 2000).
As a postdoc in Prof. Jeff Dangl’s lab at UNC, I am using gene chip technology to study
global defense-associated gene expression changes in Arabidopsis. A cDNA microarray
study that had been performed by Klaus Maleck in Prof. Dangl’s lab at UNC and Dr. Bob
Dietrich’s lab at Syngenta (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA) led to the
definition of a set of genes co-regulated during systemic resistance. In the promoters of
these genes we found potential binding sites of WRKY transcription factors to be highly
conserved, suggesting that WRKY factors participate in the control of these genes
(Maleck et al., 2000).
To examine transcriptional responses associated with local disease resistance, I use
interactions between isolates the Oomycete pathogen Peronospora parasitica
(Peronospora) and Arabidopsis. There are a variety of different Peronospora isolates
that trigger different defense pathways in Arabidopsis. A comprehensive gene
expression profiling study that is being performed by me in Prof. Dangl’s lab in
collaboration with the Torrey Mesa Research Institute of Syngenta (TMRI, La Jolla, CA,
USA) led to the definition of numerous clusters of co-regulated genes, the expression of
which is strictly correlated with local resistance. Close correlation of their expression with
successful pathogen defense may point to an important role of these genes for disease
resistance. Assisted by Victor Weigman, an undergrad student at UNC, I am currently
analyzing the function of potential regulatory genes included in these clusters (encoding
transcription factors and other regulatory proteins) using T-DNA insertion mutants.
These mutants are being tested for defense related phenotypic changes.
Furthermore, we found a variety of promoter motifs to be conserved within clusters of coregulated Peronospora responsive genes. Besides potential WRKY binding sites, we
also found so far unknown motifs. To discover novel regulators of pathogen responsive
genes, we are using these motifs as “baits” in yeast “one hybrid” screenings. These
screenings are being performed by Dr. Duk-Ju Hwang from the Korean National Institute
of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (Suwon, South Korea) who stays in Prof.
Dangl’s lab for a one year sabbatical visit. The potential contribution of WRKY factors to
Peronospora resistance is analyzed using T-DNA insertion mutants. Furthermore I
constructed in collaboration with my PhD supervisor Dr. Imre Somssich transgenic
Arabidopsis lines expressing dominant negative WRKY derivatives controlled by an
inducible promoter. I am currently testing in Prof. Dangl’s lab, if these transgenic lines
show reduced resistance to a variety of Peronospora isolates.
In addition, I am preparing a promoter deletion analysis to map cis-elements controlling
highly specific transcriptional responses during local Peronospora resistance. For this
analysis the promoter of a gene strongly and early responding to a variety of different
Peronospora isolates was chosen. This promoter appears not to contain known stress
responsive cis-elements and may allow the identification of novel types of cis-elements.
Transgenic Arabidopsis lines containing promoter-reporter fusion constructs are being
made.
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A pathway leading to resistance of Arabidopsis against the Peronospora isolate Hiks1 is
also examined using classical genetic approaches. In contrast to other local defense
pathways, this pathway, which is controlled by the RPP7 gene, is not strictly dependent
on previously established defense regulators, such as NDR1, PAD4, NPR1,
RAR1/PBS2, PBS3 or salicylic acid. Screens for second site mutations compromised in
RPP7 function by Dr. Eric Holub’s group (HRI, Wellesbourne, U.K.) and Dr. John
McDowell (Virginia State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA; previously in Prof. Dangl’s
lab) led to the identification of three additional genes required for this pathway: EDM1,
EDM2 and EDM3 (M. Toer et al., Plant Cell, in press). While EDM1 is also required for
other local resistance pathways, EDM2 and –3 appear to act exclusively in the RPP7
pathway.
I am cloning EDM2 and –3 by a mapping based approach assisted by Julia Richman
and Britt Beasley, two undergrad students at UNC. So far the possible genetic
localization of both genes could be limited to clearly defined intervals and it can be ruled
out that they are allelic to previously identified genes involved in pathogen resistance.
For EDM2 a 0.5 cM interval has been established and we expect to clone the gene
soon. More potential components of this pathway have been identified in our GeneChip
studies. Their roles for Hiks1 resistance are being examined using T-DNA insertion
mutants.
I would like to continue with the examination of regulatory pathways controlling defenseassociated genes in my own lab. The use of interactions between Arabidopsis and
different Peronospora isolates that trigger different regulatory pathways combined with
DNA chip technology proved so far to be an excellent system to reveal details of defense
signaling cascades. I would like to extend this experimental system and to use the large
sequence indexed collections of T-DNA insertion mutants (e.g. SIGNAL collection from
Dr. Joe Ecker, Salk Institute) to systematically test candidate genes identified in gene
chip experiments.
Currently I envision the following four projects:
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gene expression profiling of mutants with T-DNA insertions in selected
transcription factor- or other regulatory genes to establish “regulator/target gene
relationships” within Peronospora resistance pathways. A number of genes early
up-regulated by Peronospora resistance pathways encode potential regulators
including transcription factors. These may regulate genes responding at later
time points. Such target genes may be identified by GeneChip experiments.
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continuation of yeast one hybrid screens for regulatory factors binding to
conserved motifs in promoters of co-regulated genes. Some motifs we so far
identified have not been described before and may lead to the discovery of novel
types of DNA-binding factors. Given that the function of ~ 40% of all Arabidopsis
genes is still unknown this approach may be particularly valuable. The in vivo
roles of such novel factors may be further examined using T-DNA mutants.
Potential interaction partners can be identified by yeast two hybrid screenings.
This strategy could be extended and performed in a high throughput manner
screening a large number of potential binding sites for interacting factors.
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the functional dissection of interesting promoters in reporter gene assays may
yield novel cis-elements. In addition to yeast one hybrid screenings, regulatory
factors interacting with such novel motifs can be identified in mutant screens
using transgenic lines with appropriate reporter gene constructs. A mutant
population based on such a reporter line could be screened for loss of reporter
gene response or constitutive reporter gene expression. A similar screen in Dr.
Xinnian Dong’s lab at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina, USA) led to the
identification of NPR1, a key regulator of systemic disease resistance (Cao et al.
(1994) Plant Cell 6:1583-1592).
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the analysis of some aspects of EDM2 and –3 that act in an atypical
Peronospora defense pathway may be continued and extended. Our mapping
data suggest, that both genes are not allelic to previously identified defense
regulators. EDM2 and –3 may therefore constitute novel regulatory factors. Their
further characterization may include yeast two hybrid screenings to identify
potential interaction partners and to examine possible physical interactions
between all four known RPP7 pathway components.
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