@article{MachensBalazadehMuellerRoeberetal.2017,
  author    = {Machens, Fabian and Balazadeh, Salma and M{\"u}ller-R{\"o}ber, Bernd and Messerschmidt, Katrin},
  title     = {Synthetic Promoters and Transcription Factors for Heterologous Protein Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae},
  series = {Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology},
  volume    = {5},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology},
  publisher = {Frontiers},
  address   = {Lausanne},
  issn      = {2296-4185},
  doi       = {10.3389/fbioe.2017.00063},
  pages     = {1 -- 11},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {Orthogonal systems for heterologous protein expression as well as for the engineering of synthetic gene regulatory circuits in hosts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae depend on synthetic transcription factors (synTFs) and corresponding cis-regulatory binding sites. We have constructed and characterized a set of synTFs based on either transcription activator-like effectors or CRISPR/Cas9, and corresponding small synthetic promoters (synPs) with minimal sequence identity to the host's endogenous promoters. The resulting collection of functional synTF/synP pairs confers very low background expression under uninduced conditions, while expression output upon induction of the various synTFs covers a wide range and reaches induction factors of up to 400. The broad spectrum of expression strengths that is achieved will be useful for various experimental setups, e.g., the transcriptional balancing of expression levels within heterologous pathways or the construction of artificial regulatory networks. Furthermore, our analyses reveal simple rules that enable the tuning of synTF expression output, thereby allowing easy modification of a given synTF/synP pair. This will make it easier for researchers to construct tailored transcriptional control systems.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{OmidbakhshfardWinckArvidssonetal.2014,
  author    = {Omidbakhshfard, Mohammad Amin and Winck, Flavia Vischi and Arvidsson, Samuel Janne and Riano-Pachon, Diego M. and M{\"u}ller-R{\"o}ber, Bernd},
  title     = {A step-by-step protocol for formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements from Arabidopsis thaliana},
  series = {Journal of integrative plant biology},
  volume    = {56},
  journal   = {Journal of integrative plant biology},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {1672-9072},
  doi       = {10.1111/jipb.12151},
  pages     = {527 -- 538},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {The control of gene expression by transcriptional regulators and other types of functionally relevant DNA transactions such as chromatin remodeling and replication underlie a vast spectrum of biological processes in all organisms. DNA transactions require the controlled interaction of proteins with DNA sequence motifs which are often located in nucleosome-depleted regions (NDRs) of the chromatin. Formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE) has been established as an easy-to-implement method for the isolation of NDRs from a number of eukaryotic organisms, and it has been successfully employed for the discovery of new regulatory segments in genomic DNA from, for example, yeast, Drosophila, and humans. Until today, however, FAIRE has only rarely been employed in plant research and currently no detailed FAIRE protocol for plants has been published. Here, we provide a step-by-step FAIRE protocol for NDR discovery in Arabidopsis thaliana. We demonstrate that NDRs isolated from plant chromatin are readily amenable to quantitative polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing. Only minor modification of the FAIRE protocol will be needed to adapt it to other plants, thus facilitating the global inventory of regulatory regions across species.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BalazadehSchildhauerAraujoetal.2014,
  author    = {Balazadeh, Salma and Schildhauer, Joerg and Araujo, Wagner L. and Munne-Bosch, Sergi and Fernie, Alisdair R. and Proost, Sebastian and Humbeck, Klaus and M{\"u}ller-R{\"o}ber, Bernd},
  title     = {Reversal of senescence by N resupply to N-starved Arabidopsis thaliana: transcriptomic and metabolomic consequences},
  series = {Journal of experimental botany},
  volume    = {65},
  journal   = {Journal of experimental botany},
  number    = {14},
  publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {0022-0957},
  doi       = {10.1093/jxb/eru119},
  pages     = {3975 -- 3992},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Leaf senescence is a developmentally controlled process, which is additionally modulated by a number of adverse environmental conditions. Nitrogen shortage is a well-known trigger of precocious senescence in many plant species including crops, generally limiting biomass and seed yield. However, leaf senescence induced by nitrogen starvation may be reversed when nitrogen is resupplied at the onset of senescence. Here, the transcriptomic, hormonal, and global metabolic rearrangements occurring during nitrogen resupply-induced reversal of senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana were analysed. The changes induced by senescence were essentially in keeping with those previously described; however, these could, by and large, be reversed. The data thus indicate that plants undergoing senescence retain the capacity to sense and respond to the availability of nitrogen nutrition. The combined data are discussed in the context of the reversibility of the senescence programme and the evolutionary benefit afforded thereby. Future prospects for understanding and manipulating this process in both Arabidopsis and crop plants are postulated.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BalazadehKwasniewskiCaldanaetal.2011,
  author    = {Balazadeh, Salma and Kwasniewski, Miroslaw and Caldana, Camila and Mehrnia, Mohammad and Zanor, Maria Ines and Xue, Gang-Ping and M{\"u}ller-R{\"o}ber, Bernd},
  title     = {ORS1, an H2O2-Responsive NAC Transcription Factor, Controls Senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana},
  series = {Molecular plant},
  volume    = {4},
  journal   = {Molecular plant},
  number    = {2},
  publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {1674-2052},
  doi       = {10.1093/mp/ssq080},
  pages     = {346 -- 360},
  year      = {2011},
  abstract  = {We report here that ORS1, a previously uncharacterized member of the NAC transcription factor family, controls leaf senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana. Overexpression of ORS1 accelerates senescence in transgenic plants, whereas its inhibition delays it. Genes acting downstream of ORS1 were identified by global expression analysis using transgenic plants producing dexamethasone-inducible ORS1-GR fusion protein. Of the 42 up-regulated genes, 30 (similar to 70\%) were previously shown to be up-regulated during age-dependent senescence. We also observed that 32 (similar to 76\%) of the ORS1-dependent genes were induced by long-term (4 d), but not short-term (6 h) salinity stress (150 mM NaCl). Furthermore, expression of 16 and 24 genes, respectively, was induced after 1 and 5 h of treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a reactive oxygen species known to accumulate during salinity stress. ORS1 itself was found to be rapidly and strongly induced by H2O2 treatment in both leaves and roots. Using in vitro binding site selection, we determined the preferred binding motif of ORS1 and found it to be present in half of the ORS1-dependent genes. ORS1 is a paralog of ORE1/ANAC092/AtNAC2, a previously reported regulator of leaf senescence. Phylogenetic footprinting revealed evolutionary conservation of the ORS1 and ORE1 promoter sequences in different Brassicaceae species, indicating strong positive selection acting on both genes. We conclude that ORS1, similarly to ORE1, triggers expression of senescence-associated genes through a regulatory network that may involve cross-talk with salt- and H2O2-dependent signaling pathways.},
  language  = {en}
}