John G. Jelesko

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Associate Professor

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

Phone: (540) 231-3728
Fax: (540) 231-3347
E-Mail: jelesko at vt.edu

Education| Research Interests| Selected Support| Experience| Selected Publications | Patents

Education

  • Ph.D. University of Washington, 1992.
  • M.S. University of Washington, 1988.
  • B.S. University of California, Davis, 1983.

Research Interests

Alkaloid biosynthesis in the Solanaceae. Plants defend against insect herbivory by synthesizing small molecule secondary metabolites with potent biological activities that disrupt normal insect and/or animal physiologies. For example, plants belonging to the Deadly Nightshade family synthesize several types of alkaloids that effectively reduce herbivory by altering the insect's nervous system. We are currently focusing on cloning the genes responsible for the biosynthesis of high-value pyridine and tropane alkaloids from several Solanaceous plant species. These studies will provide new insights for metabolically engineering plants with increased resistance to insects or improved yields of natural product based human pharmaceuticals.

Evolution of disease resistance genes. Plants defend themselves from microbial pathogens by means of disease resistance genes (R genes) that recognize specific pathogen determinants (i.e. avirulence determinants) and then initiate an effective hypersensitive response that inhibits pathogen growth. We are investigating how R genes evolve by means of meiotic recombination between existing R genes organized as gene clusters. This research in the evolution of plant disease resistance genes will provide new insights into how natural recombination processes lead to novel R genes with new pathogen recognition specificities.

Selected Research Support

  • Virginia Tech ASPIRES grant, Metabolic channeling of high value alkaloids, 2004-06.
  • National Institutes of Health-General Medical Sciences Grant. Using synthetic gene clusters to model R-gene evolution, 2001-06.
  • National Science Foundation, Small Grant for Exploratory Research, Alkaloid transport in Nicotiana tabacum, 2001-02.
  • National Science Foundation, Characterization of alkaloid biosynthetic genes in Nicotiana tabacum, 2000-02.
  • National Science Foundation Center for Global Partnership Travel Award, 1996-97.
  • National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Plant Biology, 1994-97.
  • U.W. Predoctoral Plant Molecular Integration and Function Training Grant, 1991-92.
  • U.S. Public Health Service Predoctoral Traineeship in Developmental Biology, 1987-91.

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Experience

  • Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 2000-present
  • Associate Specialist, Dr. Wilhelm Gruissem, University of California, Berkeley, 1998-00
  • Visiting Researcher, Dr. Masaki Furuya, Hitachi Advanced Research Labs Ltd., Japan, 1997-98
  • Postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Wilhelm Gruissem, University of California, Berkeley, 1992-98
  • Graduate student, Dr. John Leigh, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 1986-92
  • Chemist II, Dr. Thomas Kempe, SYVA Co., Palo Alto, CA. 1983-86

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Selected Publications

  1. Lightbourn, G. J., Jelesko, J. G. and Veilleux, R. E., 2007. Retrotransposon-based markers from potato monoploids used in somatic hybridization. Genome, (in press).
  2. Heim, W. G., Sykes, K. A., Hildreth, S. H., Lu, R-H., Sun, J., and Jelesko, J. G., 2007. Cloning and characterization of a Nicotiana tabacum methylputrescine oxidase transcript. Phytochemistry, 68:454-463.
  3. Kidd, S. K., Melillo, A. M., Lu, R-H., Reed, D. G., Kuno, N., Uchida, K., Furuya, M. and Jelesko, J. G. 2006. The A and B loci in tobacco regulate a network of stress response genes, few of which are associated with nicotine biosynthesis. Plant Mol. Biol., 60:699-617.
  4. Heim, W. G., Lu, R-H. and Jelesko, J. G. 2006. Expression of the SAM recycling pathway in Nicotiana tabacum roots. Plant Sci., 170:835-844.
  5. Deng, F., Jelesko, J. G. and Hatzios, K. K. 2006. Effects of glyphosate, chlorsulfuron, and methyl jasmonate on growth and alkaloid biosynthesis of jimsonweed (Datura stramonium L.). Pestic. Biochem. Physiol., 84:155.
  6. Jelesko, J. G., Carter, K., Kinoshita, Y and Gruissem, W., 2005. Frequency and character of alternative somatic recombination fates during T-DNA integration. Mol. Gen. Genomics, 274:91-102.
  7. Heim, W. G. and Jelesko, J. G. 2004. Association of diamine oxidase and S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase in Nicotiana tabacum extracts. Plant Mol. Biol., 56:299-308.
  8. Reed, D. G. and Jelesko, J. G. 2004. The A and B loci of Nicotiana tabacum have non-equivalent effects on the mRNA levels of four alkaloid biosynthetic genes. Plant Sci., 167:1123-1130.
  9. Jelesko, J. G., K. Carter, W. Thompson, Y. Kinoshita, W. Gruissem. 2004. Meiotic recombination between paralogous RBCSB genes on sister chromatids of Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetics, 166:947-957.
  10. Deng, F., J. Jelesko, C. L. Cramer, J. Wu, K. K. Hatzios. 2003. Use of an antisense gene to characterize glutathione S-transferase functions in transformed suspension-cultured rice cells and calli. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 75:27-37.
  11. Jelesko, J., R. Harper, M. Furuya, and W. Gruissem. 1999. Unequal crossing-over leading to gene duplication and chimeric gene formation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 96:10302-10307.
  12. Jelesko, J., S. M. Jenkins, M. Rodríez-Concepcióand W. Gruissem. 1999. Tomato HMG1 is expressed in tissues undergoing cell division and growth. Planta. 208:310-318.
  13. Jelesko, J. and J. Leigh. 1994. Genetic characterization of a Rhizobium meliloti lactose utilization locus. Mol. Microbiol., 11:165-173.
  14. Jelesko, J., J. Lara, and J. Leigh. 1993. Rhizobium meliloti mutants with Decreased DAHP synthase activity are sensitive to exogenous tryptophan and phenylalanine and form ineffective nodules, Mol. Plant Microbe Interactions, 6:135-143.
  15. Ullman, E. F., G. Milburn, J. Jelesko, K. Radika, M. Pirio, T. Kempe, and C. Skold. 1993. Anti-immune complex antibodies enhance affinity and specificity of primary antibodies. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 90:1184-1189.
  16. Kustu, S. K., J. Hirshman, D. Burton, J. Jelesko, and J. Meeks. 1984. Covalent modification of bacterial glutamine synthetase: physiological significance. Mol. Gen. Genet., 197:309-317.

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Patents

  • United States Patent # 6,781,032, Gruissem, W., Jelesko, J. and Furuya, M., Detection of homologous recombination in plants, 2004.
  • United States Patent # 6,326,159. Ullman, E., Jelesko, J., Pirio, M., Gould, D. and Kempe, T., Receptors for immune complexes, 2001.
  • United States Patent # 5,223,441. Ullman, E., Jelesko, J., Pirio, M., Gould, D. and Kempe, T., Receptors for immune complexes, 1993.

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