WELCOME to the Inoue Lab homepage
131/222 Asmundson Hall, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616.
Tel: (530) 754-4177 (lab); (530) 752-7931 (office)
We are interested in addressing various biological questions about "PLASTIDS", the cellular compartments (ORGANELLES) essential and specific to all photosynthetic eukaryotes (higher plants and various algae) and some non-photosynthetic eukaryotes (those belonging to Apicomplexa, a group of protists including malaria parasite). We mainly use biochemical and molecular genetic tools to test specific hypotheses. Answering one question often leads us to formulate new questions. Testing various hypotheses allows us to better understand what "nature is trying to tell us". Find more detailed descriptions of our research program. Also learn how our research questions have been "evolving".
Inoue lab is currently accepting a graduate student and/or a postdoctoral fellow on a project related to chloroplast biogenesis. If you are interested, feel free to contact Kentaro Inoue.
News in INOUE LAB 2011 November
• OEP80, an essential protein paralogous to the chloroplast protein translocation channel Toc75, exists as a 70-kD protein in the Arabidopsis thaliana chloroplast outer envelope. This work was part of Shih-Chi's dissertation and supported by MCB-Cellular Systems, National Science Foundation.
• Functional Diversification of Thylakoidal Processing Peptidases in Arabidopsis thaliana. This article "revives" thylakoidal processing peptidases (TPPs), which were very popular in 1980s to early 1990s but got "neglected" in the last 10 years or so. The work combines in silico analyses with various assays to test hypothese generated by phylogenetic analysis. The data suggest that TPP evolved before the endosymbiosis and duplication of two distinct TPP groups predates the divergence of gymnosperms and angiosperms. This work was mainly supported by the Basic Energy Sciences Program, US Department of Energy,
October
• Emerging Roles of the Chloroplast Outer Envelope. This article reviews recent studies on the chloroplast outer membranes which have advanced our understanding of i) protein import, ii) organelle division, iii) organelle movement, and iv) lipid metabolism.
July
• A project (renewal) entitled "Thylakoid Biogenesis – Significance of Protein Maturation and Mechanism of Protein Targeting" supported by the Basic Energy Sciences Program, US Department of Energy, launched.
June
• Drs. Mehdi Nafati and Takafumi MIdorikawa joined the laboratory as postdoctoral scholars.
Mehdi will work on the NSF-funded project, whereas Takafumi will be involved in the project funded by DOE.
• Joshua Endow (Plant Biology graduate student) received recognition at Gordon Research Conference on Photosynthesis. He was selected as one of four junior investigators based on his poster presentation. See a News Report published in Photosynthesis Research.
April
• A project entitled "Understanding the function of the evolutionarily conserved essential protein in the chloroplast outer envelope membrane" supported by MCB-Cellular Systems, National Science Foundation, launched.
Major Historical News (-2010)
2010
• Shih-Chi Hsu completed her Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
2009 • Rebecca Shipman-Roston completed her Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
• Rebecca Shipman received The Beverley Green Award based on her oral presentation at 18th Western Photosynthesis Conference.
2008
• A project entitled "Mechanism and Significance of Protein Maturation and Targeting in the Biogenesis of Photosynthetic Compartments" supported by Basic Energy Sciences Program, US Department of Energy, launched.
2006
• A project entitled "Molecular analysis of degreening and regreening in Valencia orange" supported by California Citrus Research Board launched.
2005
• Inoue Lab moved from Wickson hall to Asmundson hall.
2003
• A project entitled "Plastid Biogenesis - Target and assembly of a protein translocation channel and its homologue in the chloroplast outer envelope" supported by the Plant Growth and Development Program, US Department of Agriculture-CSREES, launched.
2002
• Inoue Lab started in Wickson hall.
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Last updated on April 10th, 2012
Kentaro Inoue(C) 2011-2012
