John M. McDowell

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Associate Professor of Molecular Plant Pathology

550 Latham Hall (0390)
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Phone: (540) 231-2388
Fax: (540) 231-7477
E-Mail: johnmcd at vt.edu

Education| Research Interests| Teaching Interests| Research Support| Awards| Experience| Professional Services| Selected Publications

Education

  • Ph.D., Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, 1995.
  • B.S., Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, 1987.

Research Interests

Pathogens have evolved sophisticated molecular weapons to exploit plants as sources of food and shelter, while plants have evolved large collections of "resistance" proteins that act as molecular sentries to detect pathogens and activate cellular defenses. Research in my lab focuses on genes that mediate the interaction between the model plant Arabidopsis and its natural pathogen Hyaloperonospora parasitica (downy mildew disease). We use molecular genetic, genomic, and bioinformatic approaches to address two interrelated questions:

  1. How do plants evolve new resistance genes? We are collaborating with Dr. John Jelesko to develop a genetic screening system that models the impact of genetic recombination on the evolution of clustered resistance genes. This system will provide a clearer understanding of how frequently resistance genes recombine, whether the frequency of recombination is elevated in response to stress, and whether new resistance genes can be produced from a single recombination.
  2. How do pathogens manipulate plant cells? We have sequenced the H. parasitica genome, in collaboration with several research groups, and have identified dozens of candidate effector genes. We are currently characterizing the function of some of these genes. We are also identifying Arabidopsis genes that are reprogrammed during downy mildew colonization, as a first step toward defining the mechanisms by which their expression is altered and their contribution to disease establishment. This research may lead to new strategies for disease control, such as crops with passive resistance based on alteration of plant genes that are necessary for pathogen colonization, or identification of important virulence factors that could be targeted with transgenes or new pesticides.

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Teaching Interests

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Selected Research Support

  • NSF, Symbiosis, Defense, and Self-Recognition Program
  • Thomas and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust
  • NIH-NIGMS, Genetic Mechanisms Section
  • USDA-NRICGP, Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions Program
  • USDA/NSF Microbial Genome Sequencing Program
  • Virginia Tech ASPIRES

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Awards

  • NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, 1995-1998.
  • NIH Predoctoral Training Grant Fellow, 1991-1994.

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Experience

  • Associate Professor, PPWS, Virginia Tech, 2006-present
  • Assistant Professor, PPWS, Virginia Tech, 2000-2006
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, University of North Carolina (Jeff Dangl's lab), 1995-99.

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Professional Services

  • Editorial Boards: The Plant Journal, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Molecular Plant Pathology, Molecular Biotechnology
  • Grant Proposal Panelist: NSF, USDA

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Selected Publications

  1. Genger, R. K., Jurkowski, G. I., McDowell, J. M., Lu, H., Jung, H. W., Greenberg, J. T., Bent, A. F., 2008, Signaling pathways that regulate the enhanced disease resistance of Arabidopsis "Defense, No Death" mutants, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, In Press.
  2. Dou, D., Kale, S. D., Wang, X., Chen, Y., Wang, Q., Wang, X., Jiang, R. H. Y., Arredondo, F. D., Anderson, R.G., Thakur, P. B., McDowell, J. M., Wang, Y., Tyler, B. M., 2008, Conserved C-terminal motifs required for avirulence and suppression of cell death by Phytophthora sojae effector Avr1b. The Plant Cell, 20: 1118-1133.
  3. McDowell, J. M. and Simon, S., 2008, Molecular Diversity at the Plant-Pathogen Interface. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 32: 736-44.
  4. Eulgem, T. E., Tsuchiya, T., Wang, X.J., Beasley, B., Cuzick, A., Tor, M., Zhu, T., McDowell, J. M., Holub E. B., Dangl, J. L., 2007, EDM2 is a novel component of RPP7-dependent disease resistance in Arabidopsis that affects RPP7 transcript levels, The Plant Journal, 49: 829-39.
  5. Dangl, J.L. and McDowell, J. M., 2006, Two modes of pathogen recognition by plants. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 103:8575-6
  6. Simon, S., and McDowell, J. M., 2006, Recent insights into R gene evolution. Molecular Plant Pathology 7:437-448.
  7. McDowell, J. M., Williams, S. G., Funderburg, N. T., Eulgem, T., and Dangl, J. L., 2005. Genetic analysis of developmentally regulated resistance to downy mildew (Hyaloperonospora parasitica) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 18:1226-1234.
  8. McDowell, J. M., 2004. Convergent evolution of disease resistance genes. Trends in Plant Sciences 9:315-317.
  9. Song, J. T., Liu, H., McDowell, J. M., and Greenberg, J. T., 2004. ALD1 is required for local and systemic defenses in Arabidopsis through PAD4-dependent and -independent signal transduction. The Plant Journal, 40:200-212.
  10. Eulgem, T., Weigman, V., Chang, H.-S., McDowell, J. M., Holub, E. B., Glazebrook, J., Zhu, T., and Dangl, J. L., 2004. Gene expression signatures from three genetically separable R gene signaling pathways for downy mildew resistance. Plant Physiology, 135:1129-1134.
  11. Chen Z., Kloek, A. P., Cuzick, A., Moeder, W., Tang, D., Innes, R. W., Klessig, D. F., McDowell, J. M., and Kunkel, B. N., 2004. The Pseudomonas syringae type III effector AvrRpt2 functions downstream or independently of SA to promote virulence on Arabidopsis thaliana. The Plant Journal, 37:494-504.
  12. McDowell, J. M., and Woffenden, B. W., 2003. Plant disease resistance genes: Recent insights and potential applications. Trends in Biotechnology 21:178-183.
  13. Beers, E. P., and McDowell, J. M., 2001. Regulation and execution of programmed cell death in response to pathogens, stress, and environmental cues. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 4:561-567.
  14. McDowell, J. M., and Dangl, J. L., 2000. Signal transduction in the plant immune response. Trends In Biochemical Science 25:79-82.
  15. McDowell, J. M., Cuzick, A., Can, C., Beynon, J., Dangl, J. L. and Holub, E. B., 2000. Downy mildew (Peronospora parasitica) resistance genes in Arabidopsis vary in functional requirements for NDR1, EDS1, NPR1, and salicylic acid accumulation. The Plant Journal 22:523-31.
  16. McDowell, J. M.*, Dhandaydham, M.*, Long, T. A., Aarts, M. G. M., Goff, S., Holub, E. B., and Dangl, J. L., 1998. Intragenic recombination and positive selection contribute to the evolution of downy mildew resistance at the RPP8 locus in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell 10:1861-1874. *Equal first authorship.
  17. Grant, M. R.*, McDowell, J. M.*, Sharpe, A. J., Zabala, M., Lydiate, D. J., and Dangl, J. L., 1998. Independent deletions of a pathogen resistance gene in Brassica and Arabidopsis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:15843-15848. *Equal first authorship.

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