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Professor 104 Hutcheson Hall (0402) Phone: (540) 231-6336
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Education| Research Interests|
Awards| Experience|
Selected Publications| Research Highlights
- Ph.D., Department of Plant Science, Indiana University, 1976
- M.A., Biology, College of William and Mary, 1972
- B.S., Biology, College of William and Mary, 1971
Metabolic engineering of plant primary (vitamin C) and secondary (anticancer and opiate alkaloids) metabolites. Projects in this area include:
- Manipulation of indole and opiate alkaloid biosynthetic pathways
- Increase of Vitamin C content in crops
- Introduction of novel biosynthetic pathways into plants for disease and insect resistance.
- Distinguished Teaching Award for College of Science, Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University, 1992.
- Award of Merit for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching, Gamma Sigma Delta, The Honor Society of Agriculture, Texas A&M University, 1982-1983.
- Director of the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station and Associate Dean for Research of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2004-present
- Head, Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0331, 2000-2004
- Professor of Plant Physiology, Virginia Tech, 2000-present
- Professor and Associate Head, Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 1993-2000
- Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 1985-1992
- Visiting Research Scientist, Plant Biotechnology Institute (NRC Canada), 1989-1990
- Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 1979-1985
- Post-doctoral Research Associate, Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, 1977-1979
- Post-doctoral Research Associate, Department of Plant Science , Indiana University, 1976-1977
- Lorence A, Nessler CL. 2004. Camptothecin, over four decades of surprising findings Phytochemistry. 65:2735-2749.
- Lorence A, Chevone BI, Mendes P, Nessler CL. 2004. Myo -inositol oxygenase offers a possible entry point into plant vitamin C biosynthesis, Plant Physiol., 134:1200-1205 .
- Syracuse AJ, Johnson CS, Eisenback JD, Nessler CL. 2004. Intraspecific variability within Globodera tabacum solanacearum using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Journal of Nematology in press .
- Lorence A, Medina-Bolivar F, Nessler CL. 2004. Camptothecin 10-hydroxycamptothecin from Camptotheca acuminata hairy roots. Plant Cell Rpts 22: 437-441.
- Radzio JA, Lorence A, Chevone BI, Nessler CL 2003. L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidase expression rescues vitamin C deficient Arabidopsis (vtc) mutants. Plant Mol. Biol. 53:837-844.
- Pilatzke-Wunderlich, I. and C. L. Nessler, (2001). Expression and activity of cell wall degrading enzymes in the latex of opium poppy, Papaver somniferum L. Plant Mol. Biol. 45: 567-576.
- El-Ahmady, S. -H. and C.L. Nessler (2001) Cellular localization of tyrosine decarboxylase expression in transgenic opium poppy and tobacco. Plant Cell Reports, in press.
- Jain, A.K., Vincent, R.M., and C. L. Nessler, (2000). Molecular characterization of a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGR) gene from mulberry (Morus alba L.) Plant Mol. Biol. 42: 559-569.
- Jain, A.K., and Nessler, C.L. (2000) Metabolic engineering of an alternative pathway for ascorbic acid biosynthesis in plants. Mol. Breeding 6:73-78.
- Nessler, C.L. (1998) In vitro culture technologies. Poppy: The Genus Papaver. Jeno Bernath ed. Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp.209-218.
- Lopez-Meyer, M. and C.L. Nessler. (1997) Tryptophan decarboxylase is encoded by two autonomously regulated genes in Camptotheca acuminata which are differentially expressed during development and stress. Plant J. 11: 1167-1175.
- Maldonado-Mendoza, I.E., R.M. Vincent, and C.L. Nessler. (1997) Molecular characterization of three differentially expressed members of the Camptotheca acuminata 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoenzymeA reductase gene family. Plant Mol. Biol., 34: 781-790.
Research Highlights from Nessler's Laboratory
- One of the first two research groups* to metabolically engineer plants.
- First group to metabolically engineer an increase in a water soluble vitamin (C) in plants
- First group to regenerate opium poppy ( Papaver somniferum ) plants from tissue culture.
- First to clone a gene from opium poppy.
- First to produce transgenic opium poppies by biolistics and Agrobacterium mediated transformation
- Discoverers of an inexpensive sustainable method for production of the anticancer alkaloid camptothecin from young leaves
- Discovered new plant pathway for vitamin C biosynthesis in plants
Other report:
- Hain R, Bieseler B, Kindl H, Schroder G, Stocker R. 1990. Expression of a stilbene synthase gene in Nicotiana tabacum results in synthesis of the phytoalexin resveratrol. Plant Mol Biol 15: 325-335.
- Songstad, DD, De Luca V, Brisson N, Kurz WGW, Nessler CL. 1990. High levels of tryptamine accumulation in transgenic tobacco expressing tryptophan decarboxylase. Plant Physiol 94:1410-1413.
- Jain AK, Nessler CL 2000. Metabolic engineering of an alternative pathway for ascorbic acid biosynthesis in plants. Mol Breeding 6:73-78.
- Nessler CL, 1982. Somatic embryogenesis in the opium poppy Papaver somniferum L. Physiol. Plant. 55:453-458.
- Nessler CL, Vonder Haar RA 1990. Cloning and expression analysis of DNA sequences for the major latex protein of opium poppy. Planta 180:487-491
- Maldonado-Mendoza IE, Nessler, CL.1993. Biolistic transient and stable expression of ß-Glucuronidase (GUS) in embryogenic cell suspension cultures of Papaver somniferum . Plant Phys 102:30.
- Nessler, CL. 1998. In vitro culture technologies. IN: Poppy: The Genus Papaver. Jeno Bernath ed. Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. pp. 209-218.
- Vincent RM, López-Meyer M, McKnight TD, Nessler CL.1997. Sustained harvest of camptothecin from the leaves of Camptotheca acuminata. J Nat Prod 60: 618-619.
- Lorence A, Chevone BI, Mendes P, Nessler CL. 2004. Myo -inositol oxygenase offers a novel entry point into plant vitamin C biosynthesi.s Plant Physiol., 134:1200-1205 .