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Kolomiets, Michael V.

Michael V. Kolomiets

Professor
Focus Area:  Hormone and oxylipin-based regulation of maize defense against biotic and abiotic stresses.
Office:  
PLPM 113B
Email:  
Phone:  
979-458-4624
Michael V. Kolomiets's Website

Education

Undergraduate Education
B.S. Kyiv National University, Ukraine, Genetics
Graduate Education
M.S. Kyiv National University, Ukraine, Genetics
Ph.D. Horticulture, Iowa State University
Postdoctoral: Department of Agronomy, University of Missouri-Columbia Disease Resistance Group
Postdoctoral: Corteva (formerly Pioneer HiBred, Inc.)
Courses Taught
PLPA 301/601 Plant Pathology
PLPA 609 Defense Hormone Signaling
BESC 484 Field Experience

Areas of Expertise

  • Lipid- and hormone-mediated signaling between plants and associated with them microbes and insects
  • Role of hormones and oxylipins in maize resistance against fungal pathogens causing diseases in leaves, stems, roots and contaminating seed with carcinogenic mycotoxins
  • Molecular mechanisms of Induced Systemic Resistance in response to root colonizing beneficial fungal and bacterial symbionts
  • Molecular and biochemical defense against aboveground and belowground insect herbivores
  • Roles of lipid-derived signals in the regulation of plant response to abiotic stresses such as drought, heat and salinity.

Professional Summary

Dr. Kolomiets received his Ph.D. in 1998 from Iowa State University studying lipoxygenase functions on potato defense against pathogens and in tuber development. He continued his training as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Agronomy at University of Missouri-Columbia, where he studied molecular mechanisms of programmed cell death processes by utilizing lesion mimic mutants of maize.  His further included postdoctoral training at Corteva (formerly Pioneer Hi-Bred Intl.) where he continued studying lesion mimic mutant as well as initiating functional analysis of lipoxygenase gene family of maize.  He joined Texas A&M University in 2002 as an Assistant Professor of Plant Molecular Biology He was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in 2008 and to Professor in 2014. His research interests include molecular and biochemical responses of plants to diverse pests and pathogens and molecular mechanisms of plant interactions with root colonizing symbionts. The overall objective of his research program is to couple the techniques of plant genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology with the assessment of agronomically important traits of maize to enhance our understanding of basic biology of cereal crops and to improve these species by innovative methods.

 

Research:

Dr. Kolomiets research is focused on the lipid-mediated signaling in maize defenses against biotic and abiotic stresses.  Dr. Kolomiets research has been continuously funded by National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Agriculture. Funded studies include the exploration of maize symbiont- and insect herbivory-triggered induced systemic resistance, mechanisms of resistance against mycotoxin producing fungi, leaf, stalk and root pathogens, and drought/salt tolerance.

 

Teaching:

Dr. Kolomiets teaches undergraduate class PLPA 301 “Plant Pathology” and graduate level class PLPA 601 “Introductory Plant Pathology”. He also teaches graduate level course PLPA 609 “Defense Hormone Signaling”. Other classes include the writing intensive internship course BESC 484 and the seminar class BESC 481.

 

Service:

Dr. Kolomiets serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Frontiers in Plant Sciences and as an Editor  of the journal Molecular Plant Pathology. He serves as an ad-hoc reviewer for over 20 journals and as an ad-hoc reviewer and panel member for the funding agencies including USD NIFA and NSF.  He serves as a Chair or a Member of multiple Departmental and College Committees.

Selected Publications

  1. Wang S, Park Y-S, Yang Y, Borrego EJ , Isakeit T, Xiquan Gao X, Kolomiets MV (2017). Seed-derived ethylene facilitates colonization but not aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus in maize. Frontiers Plant Science.  8: 415:  doi:  10.3389/fpls.2017.00415
  2. Altangerela N, Ariunbold GO, Gorman C, Alkahtani MH, Eli J. Borrego EJ, Dwight Bohlmeyer D, Hemmer P, Kolomiets MV, Yuan JS, and Scully MO (2017) In vivo diagnostics of early abiotic plant stress response via Raman spectroscopy. PNAS 114 (13), 3393-3396
  3. Chinchilla-Ramírez M, Borrego E, DeWitt T, Kolomiets M, Bernal JS (2017) Maize seedling morphology and defence hormone profiles, but not herbivory tolerance, were mediated by domestication and modern breeding. Ann Appl Biol: doi:10.1111/aab.12331
  4. Borrego E, Kolomiets M (2016) Synthesis and functions of jasmonates in maize. Plants, 5, 41: doi:10.3390/plants5040041
  5. Christensen S, Huffaker A, Kaplan F, Sims J, Ziemann S, Doehlemann G, Ji L, Schmitz R, Kolomiets M, Alborn HT, Naoki Mori N, Ni X, Byers S, Abdoj Z, Schmelz E (2015) Maize death acids, 9-lipoxygenase derived cyclopente(a)nones, display activity as cytotoxic phytoalexins and transcriptional mediators. PNAS: doi:10.1073/pnas.1511131112
  6. Brown S, Iberkleid I, Buki P, Kolomiets MV (2015) The Role of Lipid Signalling in Regulating Plant–Nematode Interactions.  In book: Advances in Botanical Research, Publisher: ElSevier, Editors: C. Escobar, C. Fenoll, pp.139-166
  7. Barrero Farfan ID, De La Fuente G, Murray SC, Isakeit T, Huang P-C, Warburton M, Williams P, Windham G, Kolomiets M. (2015) Whole genome association study for drought, aflatoxin resistance, and important agronomic traits in maize in a subtropical environment. PLOS ONE. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0117737
  8. De La Fuente GN, Murray SC, Isakeit T, Park Y-S, Yan Y, Warburton ML, Kolomiets MV (2013) Characterization of Genetic Diversity and Linkage Disequilibrium of ZmLOX4 and ZmLOX5 Loci in Maize. PLOS ONE 8(1): e53973. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053973
  9. Yan Y, Borrego E, Kolomiets MV (2013) Jasmonate Biosynthesis, Perception and Function in Plant Development and Stress Responses. Book Chapter in Lipid Metabolism. Publisher, Intech. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/52675.
  10. Borrego E, Kolomiets MV (2012) Lipid-Mediated Signaling Between Fungi and Plants. Book chapter. Ed. G. Witzany. Biocommunication of Fungi. Publisher, Springer: 249-260
  11. Christensen S, Borrego E, Shim WB, Isakeit T, Kolomiets M. (2011) Quantification of fungal colonization, sporogenesis, and production of mycotoxins using kernel bioassays. J. Vis. Exp., e3727, DOI : 10.3791/3727. (watch video)
  12. Yan Y, Christensen S, Isakeit T, Engelberth J, Meeley R, , Hayward, Emery N, Kolomiets M (2012) Disruption of OPR7 and OPR8 Reveals the Versatile Functions of JA in Maize Development and Defense. Plant Cell 24: 1420–1436
  13. Christensen S, Kolomiets M (2011) The lipid language of plant-fungal interactions. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 48:4-14
  14. Mukherjee M, Kim J-E, Park J-S, Kolomiets MV, Shim W-B. (2011) Regulators of G-protein signaling in Fusarium verticillioides mediate differential host-pathogen responses on nonviable versus viable maize kernels. Mol Plant Pathology 12: 479–491
  15. Park Y-S,  Kunze S, Ni X, ·Feussner I, Kolomiets MV. (2010) Comparative molecular and biochemical characterization of segmentally duplicated 9-lipoxygenase genes ZmLOX4 and ZmLOX5 of maize. Planta. 231:1425–1437
  16. Gao X, Brodhagen M, Isakeit T, Horowitz-Brown S, Gobel C, Betran J, Feussner I, Keller N, Kolomiets M (2009) Inactivation of the lipoxygenase ZmLOX3 increases susceptibility of maize to Aspergillus spp. Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions 22: 222-231.
  17. Gao X, Stumpe M, Feussner I, Kolomiets M (2008). A novel plastidial lipoxygenase of maize (Zea mays) ZmLOX6 encodes for a fatty acid hydroperoxide lyase and is uniquely regulated by phytohormones and pathogen infection. Planta 227: 491-503.
  18. Gao X, Starr J, Gobel C, Engelberth J, Feussner I, Tumlinson J, Kolomiets M (2008) Maize 9-lipoxygenase ZmLOX3 controls development, root-specific expression of defense genes and resistance to root-knot nematodes. Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions 21: 98-109.
  19. Djonovic S, Vargas WA, Kolomiets M, Horndeski M, Wiest A, Kenerley C (2007) A proteinaceous elicitor Sm1 from the beneficial fungus Trichoderma virens is required for induced systemic resistance in maize. Plant Physiology 145: 875-889.
  20. Isakeit T, Gao X, Kolomiets M (2007). Increased resistance of a maize mutant lacking the 9-lipoxigenase gene, ZmLOX3, to root rot caused by Exserohilum pedicellatum. Journal of Phytopathology 155: 758-760.