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Daniel Bush
Daniel Bush Emeritus Professor and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Office: Biology 444

Phone: (970) 491-6614

Education

  • Ph.D., UC Berkeley

About

Although plants are photoautotrophic organisms, they are composed of many heterotrophic tissue systems, such as roots, flowers, seeds, and developing leaves, that depend on carbon and nitrogen import for growth and development. In general, sucrose and amino acids are transported to the heterotrophic cells from mature leaves. This process is known as assimilate partitioning and it is a fundamental activity that allows plants to function as multicellular organisms. My laboratory provided the first biochemical and molecular descriptions of several plant sugar and amino acid transport systems that are key contributors to resource allocation within cells and between organs. We initially described these transporters using an in vitro biochemical assay that allowed us to define the transport properties and bioenergetics of these important carriers. To identify the genes encoding the plant's sugar and amino transporters, we used functional complementation of yeast transport mutants with plant cDNA expression libraries (PNAS 90:7441-7445). The yeast system is very useful because it allows us measure key transport properties and protein structure/function relationships when plant transport proteins expressed in yeast cells (PNAS 95:9025-9030). The unifying theme of our research today is understanding how plants regulate resource allocation between "source and sink" tissues. To tackle this complex question, we are using genetic and biochemical strategies to identify the signal transduction pathways that regulate assimilate partitioning. We discovered a unique sucrose-mediated signal transduction pathway that regulates the expression and protein abundance of the sucrose transporter that is responsible for phloem loading (PNAS 95:4784-4788; PNAS 99:10876-10880).  We also discovered that multiple nitrogen-metabolites regulate amino acid transporter gene expression, and have now focused on understanding nitrate as a signal molecule that regulates unique patterns of plant gene expression.  That research led to the discovery of a novel protein that appears to regulate cell wall structure (Plant Phys 152: 904-917, 2010). In a complementary biofuels research project, we are using genetic and genomic tools in rice as a model plant to identify genes that control primary productivity (biomass per m2).  As part of that work, we discoved a unique transcription factor, that when exressed out of its normal context, increases yield by 3-fold! We're currently focused on understanding the underlying molecular mechanism.

Publications

  • Field-based high throughput phenotyping rapidly identifies genomic regions controlling yield components in rice.Paul Tanger, S Klassen, J P. Mojica, J T. Lovell, B T. Moyers, M Baraoidan, M E. Naredo, K L. McNally, J Poland, Daniel R. Bush, H Leung, Jan E. Leach, John K. McKay Scientific Reports, 2017.
  • Intronic Sequence Regulates Sugar-Dependent Expression of Arabidopsis thaliana Production of Anthocyanin Pigment-1/MYB75Bettina E. Broeckling, Ruthie Ann Watson, Blaire Steinwand, Daniel R. Bush PLOS ONE, 6, 2016.
  • Cell Wall Composition and Bioenergy Potential of Rice Straw Tissues Are Influenced by Environment, Tissue Type, and GenotypePaul Tanger, Miguel E. Vega-Sánchez, Margaret Brigham Fleming, Kim Tran, Seema Singh, James B. Abrahamson, Courtney Elaine Jahn, Nicholas Santoro, Elizabeth B. Naredo, Marietta Baraoidan, John M.C. Danku, David E. Salt, Kenneth L. McNally, Blake A. Simmons, Pamela C. Ronald, Hei Leung, Daniel R. Bush, John K. McKay, Jan E. Leach BioEnergy Research, 2015.
  • Transgenic approaches to altering carbon and nitrogen partitioning in whole plants: assessing the potential to improve crop yields and nutritional qualityUmesh P. Yadav, Brian G. Ayre, Daniel R. Bush FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE, 2015.
  • Plant phylogenetics and molecular genetics in the new era of genomics: commentary on the first special issue of the Turkish Journal of Botany.E Dundar, Daniel R. Bush, P Catalan, Turk. J. Bot. , 2014.
  • Transport proteins in plant growth and development.Sugarcane: Physiology, Biochemistry and Functional BiologyGregg N. Harrington, Daniel R. Bush, Wiley Publishing, 2013.
  • Dissecting the Role of CHITINASE-LIKE1 in Nitrate-Dependent Changes in Root ArchitectureChristian Hermans, Silvana Porco, Filip Vandenbussche, Sascha Gille, Jerome De Pessemier, Dominique Van Der Straeten, Nathalie Verbruggen, Daniel R. Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 3, 2011.
  • Carbohydrate Export from the Leaf: A Highly Regulated Process and Target to Enhance Photosynthesis and ProductivityElizabeth A. Ainsworth, Daniel R. Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 1, 2011.
  • Genetic variation in biomass traits among 20 diverse rice varieties.Courtney Elaine Jahn, John K. McKay, R Mauleon, J Stephens, K L. McNally, Daniel R. Bush, H Leung, Jan E. Leach Plant physiology, 1, 2011.
  • Theoretical Maximum Algal Oil ProductionKristina M. Weyer, Daniel R. Bush, Al Darzins, Bryan D. Willson BIOENERGY RESEARCH, 2, SI, 2010.
  • Chitinase-Like Protein CTL1 Plays a Role in Altering Root System Architecture in Response to Multiple Environmental ConditionsChristian Hermans, Silvana Porco, Nathalie Verbruggen, Daniel R. Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 2, 2010.
  • Overlook agricultural research at our perilDaniel R. Bush PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 38, 2009.
  • Salicylic Acid Transport in Ricinus communis Involves a pH-Dependent Carrier System in Addition to DiffusionFrancoise Rocher, Jean-Francois Chollet, Sandrine Legros, Cyril Jousse, Remi Lemoine, Mireille Faucher, Daniel R. Bush, Jean-Louis Bonnemain PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 4, 2009.
  • BAT1, a bidirectional amino acid transporter in ArabidopsisEkrem Dundar, Daniel R. Bush PLANTA, 5, 2009.
  • Translational genomics for bioenergy production: There’s room for more than one modelDaniel R. Bush, Jan E. Leach PLANT CELL, 10, 2007.
  • Translational genomics for bioenergy production: there's room for more than one model.Daniel R. Bush, Jan E. Leach The Plant cell, 10, 2007.
  • Expression and transcriptional regulation of amino acid transporters in plantsXiaoming Liu, DR Bush AMINO ACIDS, 2, 2006.
  • The bifunctional role of hexokinase in metabolism and glucose signalingGN Harrington, DR Bush PLANT CELL, 11, 2003.
  • Protein phosphorylation plays a key role in sucrose-mediated transcriptional regulation of a phloem-specific proton-sucrose symporterWD Ransom-Hodgkins, MW Vaughn, DR Bush PLANTA, 3, 2003.
  • Sucrose-mediated transcriptional regulation of sucrose symporter activity in the phloemMW Vaughn, GN Harrington, DR Bush PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 16, 2002.
  • ANT1, an aromatic and neutral amino acid transporter in ArabidopsisLS Chen, A Ortiz-Lopez, A Jung, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 4, 2001.
  • Nitrogen and carbon nutrient and metabolite signaling in plantsG Coruzzi, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 1, 2001.
  • Amino acid transporters in plantsA Ortiz-Lopez, HC Chang, DR Bush BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES, 1-2, 2000.
  • Sucrose is a signal molecule in a new signal-transduction pathway that modulates sucrose transport activity and assimilate partitioning.AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SUGAR BEET TECHNOLOGISTS, PROCEEDINGSTJ Chiou, M Vaughn, DR Bush1999.
  • Identification and characterization of plant transporters using heterologous expression systemsI Dreyer, C Horeau, G Lemaillet, S Zimmermann, DR Bush, A Rodriguez-Navarro, DP Schachtman, EP Spalding, H Sentenac, RF Gaber JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY, SI, 1999.
  • Sugar transporters in plant biologyDRBush CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY, 3, 1999.
  • Sucrose is a signal molecule in assimilate partitioning (vol 95, 4784, 1998)TJ Chiou, DR Bush PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 23, 1998.
  • His-65 in the proton-sucrose symporter is an essential amino acid whose modification with site-directed mutagenesis increases transport activityJMY Lu, DR Bush PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 15, 1998.
  • Sucrose is a signal molecule in assimilate partitioningTJ Chiou, DR Bush PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 8, 1998.
  • Plant feeding site selection on soybean by the facultatively phytophagous predator Orius insidiosusCA Armer, RN Wiedenmann, DR Bush ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA, 2, 1998.
  • LHT1, a lysine- and histidine-specific amino acid transporter in ArabidopsisLS Chen, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 3, 1997.
  • Sec-independent protein translocation by the maize Hcf106 proteinAM Settles, A Yonetani, A Baron, DR Bush, Kip Allan Cline, R Martienssen SCIENCE, 5342, 1997.
  • Topology of NAT2, a prototypical example of a new family of amino acid transportersHC Chang, DR Bush JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 48, 1997.
  • Cloning and functional expression in oocytes of the sugar beet proton-sucrose symporter.MYJ Lu, CC Chen, P Best, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 3, S, 1997.
  • Effect of chlorsulfuron on sucrose transport in leaf discs and plasma membrane vesicles isolated from sugar beet leaves.TJ Chiou, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 3, S, 1997.
  • Membrane topology of a neutral amino acid transporter (NAT2/AAP1) from Arabidopsis thaliana.HC Chang, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 3, S, 1997.
  • Site-directed mutagenesis of His71 in the proton-sucrose symporter.MYJ Lu, N Sauer, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 3, S, 1997.
  • Molecular analysis of plant sugar and amino acid transportersDR Bush, TJ Chiou, LS Chen JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY, SI, 1996.
  • Cloning a lysine amino acid transporterLS Chen, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 2, S, 1996.
  • Cloning the proton-sucrose symporter from sugar beetMYJ Lu, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 2, S, 1996.
  • Molecular analysis of amino acid transporter structure and functionLS Chen, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 2, S, 1996.
  • Molecular cloning, immunochemical localization to the vacuole, and expression in transgenic yeast and tobacco of a putative sugar transporter from sugar beetTJ Chiou, DR Bush PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 2, 1996.
  • Kinetics and specificity of a H+ amino acid transporter from Arabidopsis thalianaKJ Boorer, WB Frommer, DR Bush, M Kreman, DDF Loo, EM Wright JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 4, 1996.
  • Sucrose transporters in assimilate partitioning and plant growthSUCROSE METABOLISM, BIOCHEMISTRY, PHYSIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGYDR Bush, TJ Chiou1995.
  • SURFACTANT-INCREASED GLYPHOSATE UPTAKE INTO PLASMA-MEMBRANE VESICLES ISOLATED FROM COMMON LAMBSQUARTERS LEAVESDE RIECHERS, LM WAX, RA LIEBL, DR BUSH PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 4, 1994.
  • INHIBITORS OF THE PROTON-SUCROSE SYMPORTDRBUSH ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS, 2, 1993.
  • PROTON-COUPLED SUGAR AND AMINO-ACID TRANSPORTERS IN PLANTSDRBUSH ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, 1993.
  • CLONING A PLANT AMINO-ACID TRANSPORTER BY FUNCTIONAL COMPLEMENTATION OF A YEAST AMINO-ACID-TRANSPORT MUTANTLC HSU, TJ CHIOU, LS CHEN, DR BUSH PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 16, 1993.
  • THE PROTON-SUCROSE SYMPORTDRBUSH PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH, 3, 1992.
  • STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS IN SUBSTRATE RECOGNITION BY PROTON AMINO-ACID SYMPORTS IN PLASMA-MEMBRANE VESICLES ISOLATED FROM SUGAR-BEET LEAVESZC LI, DR BUSH ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS, 2, 1992.
  • DELTA-PH-DEPENDENT AMINO-ACID-TRANSPORT INTO PLASMA-MEMBRANE VESICLES ISOLATED FROM SUGAR-BEET (BETA-VULGARIS L) LEAVES .2. EVIDENCE FOR MULTIPLE ALIPHATIC, NEUTRAL AMINO-ACID SYMPORTSZC LI, DR BUSH PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 4, 1991.
  • DELTA-PH-DEPENDENT AMINO-ACID-TRANSPORT INTO PLASMA-MEMBRANE VESICLES ISOLATED FROM SUGAR-BEET LEAVES .1. EVIDENCE FOR CARRIER-MEDIATED, ELECTROGENIC FLUX THROUGH MULTIPLE TRANSPORT-SYSTEMSZC LI, DR BUSH PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 1, 1990.
  • ELECTROGENICITY, PH-DEPENDENCE, AND STOICHIOMETRY OF THE PROTON-SUCROSE SYMPORTDRBUSH PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 4, 1990.
  • PROTON-COUPLED SUCROSE TRANSPORT IN PLASMALEMMA VESICLES ISOLATED FROM SUGAR-BEET (BETA-VULGARIS L CV GREAT WESTERN) LEAVESDRBUSH PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 4, 1989.
  • AMINO-ACID TRANSPORT INTO MEMBRANE-VESICLES ISOLATED FROM ZUCCHINI - EVIDENCE OF A PROTON-AMINO ACID SYMPORT IN THE PLASMALEMMADR BUSH, PJ LANGSTONUNKEFER PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 2, 1988.
  • OATS TOLERANT OF PSEUDOMONAS-SYRINGAE PV TABACI CONTAIN TABTOXININE-BETA-LACTAM-INSENSITIVE LEAF GLUTAMINE SYNTHETASESTJ KNIGHT, DR BUSH, PJ LANGSTONUNKEFER PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 2, 1988.
  • TABTOXININE-BETA-LACTAM TRANSPORT INTO CULTURED CORN CELLS - UPTAKE VIA AN AMINO-ACID TRANSPORT-SYSTEMDR BUSH, PJ LANGSTONUNKEFER PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 3, 1987.
  • INVIVO INACTIVATION OF GLUTAMINE-SYNTHETASE BY TABTOXININE-BETA-LACTAM IN ZEA-MAYS SUSPENSION-CULTURE CELLSDR BUSH, RD DURBIN, PJ LANGSTONUNKEFER PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY, 2, 1987.
  • POTASSIUM-TRANSPORT IN SUSPENSION-CULTURE CELLS AND PROTOPLASTS OF CARROTDR BUSH, L JACOBSON PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 4, 1986.
  • CALCIUM-TRANSPORT IN TONOPLAST AND ENDOPLASMIC-RETICULUM VESICLES ISOLATED FROM CULTURED CARROT CELLSDR BUSH, H SZE PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 2, 1986.