Rongda Qu, Ph.D.
Professor
Crop Science Department
North Carolina State University
Mailing address:
Crop Science Department
North Carolina State University
Campus Box 7287
Raleigh, NC 27695
Courier delivery address:
1200 Partners II
840 Main Campus Dr.
Raleigh, NC 27606
Office Phone: 919-515-7616
Lab Phone: 919-515-7617
Fax: 919-515-7618
Email: rongda_qu@ncsu.edu
| Commodity Areas |
Disciplines |
Appointments |
|
|
- Plant Breeding, Genetics and Molecular Biology
|
|
Dr. Qu's graduate training was in plant cell and molecular biology. Prior to coming to NC State, Dr. Qu worked in rice and wheat biotechnology at the Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA) and Montana State University (Bozeman, MT). Dr. Qu is co-teaching CS720 (Molecular Biology in Plant Breeding) with Dr. R. Dewey.
Dr. Qu serves as an advisor to graduate students, conducts research in genetic transformation for improvement of turfgrass and other crops, and in transgene expression in monocot plants.
Current Group Members
Dr. Minesh Patel, Researcher
Dr. Wan Jun Zhang, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr. Ruyu Li, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Kaimei Xu, Research Assistant
Bingwu Wang, Graduate student (Ph.D.)
Current Projects
Characterization of the rice rubi3 gene promoter
Dr. Elumalai Sivamani isolated and characterized a strong promoter from a rice ubiquitin gene, rubi3, and further improved its strength. Jianli Lu, a former graduate student, found that the expression of the promoter is near-constitutive, and the degree of the expression enhancement by rubi3 5’ UTR intron is tissue-dependent. Shown in the figure is the GFP expression driven by the rubi3 promoter in a rice embryo (Fig. 1).
Mechanism of 5’ UTR intron-mediated enhancement of monocot gene expression
Using transgenic callus lines and plants transformed with the rubi3 promoter, Dr. Partha Samadder,a former Postdoctoral Research Associate, and Jianli Lu, observed intron-mediated enhancement at transcriptional, RNA accumulation and translational levels. Shown in the figure is the GUS reporter gene driven by the rubi3 promoter without (left) and with (right) its 5’ UTR intron in transgenic callus lines (Fig. 2).
Tall fescue transformation for improved disease resistance
Dr. Shujie Dong developed an efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol for tall fescue transformation. She introduced fungal disease resistance genes and observed transgenic plants resistant to both brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani) and gray leaf spot (Magnaporthe grisea) diseases. Shown in the figure is the resistance of transgenic plants to the gray leaf spot disease (right panel) with control (left panel) (Fig. 3). Kanishka de Silva is continuing this project.
Engineered drought tolerance
Dr. Shujie Dong introduced a heterologous gene into tall fescue for improved drought tolerance and saving of irrigation water. Shown are transgenic tall fescue plants (front row) and control plants after 6 days of no watering (Fig. 4).
Tobacco improvement
Dr. Kasi Azhakanandam, a former Research Associate, and Bingwu Wang have been working to improve agronomic traits of tobacco through genetic manipulation (Fig. 5). In addition, we are interested in producing useful proteins in tobacco for added value.
St. Augustinegrass breeding
St. Augustinegrass breeding: St. Augustinegrass breeding: In the collaborative project with Dr. A. Bruneau, Ruyu Li, a former graduate student, collected germplasm, and used various approaches to develop somaclonal variations and mutations of St. Augustinegrass for cold tolerance and finer leaf texture (Fig. 6). The promising lines are in field trials.
Switchgrass research
In a collaborative project with Drs. J. Cheng and L. Li, we are trying to improve the quality of the biomass crop for better biofuel production through genetic transformation. We have obtained transgenic switchgrass plants. Shown here is the regenerated switchgrass plants from tissue culture (Fig. 7).
Publications
(past eight years)
2008
Samadder, P., E. Sivamani, J. Lu, X. Li, and R. Qu (2008) Transcriptional and post- transcriptional enhancement of gene expression by the 5’ UTR intron of rice rubi3 gene in transgenic rice cells. Mol Genet Genomics DOI 10.1007/s00438-008-0323-8
Dong, S., H. D. Shew, L. P. Tredway, J. Lu, E. Sivamani, E. S. Miller, and R. Qu (2008) Expression of the bacteriophage T4 lysozyme gene in tall fescue confers resistance to gray leaf spot and brown patch diseases. Transgenic Res. 17: 47-57
2007
Dong, S., L. P. Tredway, H. D. Shew, G.-L. Wang, E. Sivamani, and R. Qu (2007) Resistance of transgenic tall fescue to two major fungal diseases. Plant Sci. 173: 501-509
Azhakanandam, K., S. M. Weissinger, J. Nicholson, R. Qu and A. K. Weissinger (2007) Amplicon-plus Targeting Technology (APTT) for rapid production of a highly unstable vaccine protein in tobacco plants. Plant Mol. Biol. 63: 393-404
2006
E. Sivamani, and R. Qu (2006) Expression enhancement of a rice polyubiquitin promoter PlantMol. Biol. 60: 225-239.
R. Li, A. H. Bruneau, and R. Qu (2006) In vitro somatic embryogenesis and improved plant regeneration of St. Augustinegrass [Stanotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] by 6-benzyladenine in callus induction medium. Plant Breed. 125: 52-56.
2005
L. Li, R. Li, S. Fei, and R. Qu (2005) Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]. Plant Cell Tiss. and Org. Cult. 83: 223-229.
Chen, X., W. Yang, E. Sivamani, A. H. Bruneau, B. Wang, and R. Qu (2005) Elimination of perennial ryegrass by engineering E. coli argE gene for suicidal activation of pro-herbicide, N-acetyl-PPT. Mol. Breed. 15: 339-347.
Dong, S. and R. Qu (2005) High frequency transformation of tall fescue with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Plant Sci. 168: 1453-1458.
Bahieldin, A., H. F. Eissa, H. T. Mahfouz, W. E. Dyer, M. A. Madkour, and R. Qu (2005) Evidence for non-proteinaceous inhibitor(s) of ?-glucuronidase in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaf and root tissues. Plant Cell Tiss. and Org. Cult. 82: 11-17.
2004
Li, L., and R. Qu (2004) Development of highly-regenerable callus lines and biolistic transformation of turf-type common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] Plant Cell Rep. 22: 403-407.
2003
Qu, R. L., D. Li, R. Du, and R. Qu (2003) Lead uptake by roots of four turfgrass species in hydroponic cultures. HortScience 38(4): 623-626.
2002
Li, L., and R. Qu (2002) In vitro somatic embryogenesis in turf-type bermudagrass --- roles of ABA and GA, and occurrence of repetitive somatic embryogenesis. Plant Breed. 121: 155-158.
Sharp, G. L., J. M. Martin, S. P. Lanning, N. K. Blake, C. W. Brey, Sivamani, E., Qu, R. and L. E. Talbert (2002) Field evaluation of transgenic and classical sources of wheat streak mosaic virus resistance. Crop Sci. 42: 105-110.
Sivamani E., C. W. Brey, L. E. Talbert, W. E. Dyer, W. K. Kaniewski, M. Young, and R. Qu (2002) Resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus in transgenic wheat engineered with the viral coat protein gene. Transgenic Res. 11(1): 31-41.
2001
Bai, Y., and R. Qu (2001) Genetic transformation of elite cultivars of turf-type tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Intl. Turfgrass Soc. Res. J. 9: 129-136.
Bradley, D. E., and R. Qu (2001) Effects of cultivar, explant treatment, and medium supplements on callus induction and plantlet regeneration in perennial ryegrass. Intl. Turfgrass Soc. Res. J. 9: 152-156.
Bradley, D. E., Y. Bai, S. P. Tallury, and R. Qu (2001) Scanning electron microscopic study on in vitro somatic embryogenesis in perennial ryegrass and tall fescue. Intl. Turfgrass Soc. Res. J. 9: 146-151.
Qu, R., and A. Chaudhury (2001) Improved young inflorescence culture and regeneration of ‘Tifway’ bermudagrass (Cynodon transvaalensis x C. dactylon ) Intl. Turfgrass Soc. Res. J. 9: 198-201.
Bai, Y., and R. Qu (2001) Factors influencing tissue culture responses of mature seeds and immature embryos in turf-type tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Plant Breed. 120: 239-242.
Sivamani, E., C. W. Brey, W. E. Dyer, L. E. Talbert, and R. Qu (2000) Resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus mediated by WSMV-RNA replicase gene in transgenic wheat. Mol. Breeding 6: 469-477.
Bahieldin, A., W. E. Dyer, and R. Qu (2000) Concentration effects of dicamba concentration in regeneration medium on wheat regeneration. Plant Breed. 119: 437-439.
2000
Bai, Y., and R. Qu (2000) An evaluation on callus induction and plant regeneration of 25 turf-type tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) cultivars. Grass and Forage Sci. 55: 326-330.
Chaudhury, A., and R. Qu (2000) Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration of turf- type bermudagrass: effect of 6-benzyladenine in callus induction medium. Plant Cell Tiss. Org. Cult. 60 (2): 113-120.
Shan, X., D. Li, and R. Qu (2000) Thidiazuron promotes In vitro regeneration of wheat and barley. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol.--Plant 36(3): 207-210.
Sivamani, E., A. Bahieldin, J. M. Wraith, T. Al-Niemi, W. E. Dyer, T.-H. D. Ho, and R. Qu (2000) Improved biomass productivity and water use efficiency under water deficit conditions in transgenic wheat constitutively expressing the barely HVA1 gene. Plant Sci. 155: 1-9.