venus flytrap


Dr. Rebecca S. Boston
William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor
Interim Assistant Director - CALS
Plant molecular and developmental biology

Research Interests:

Our lab studies the coordination of protein synthesis and phospholipid metabolism during seed maturation with particular focus on common signaling pathways between molecular chaperones and phospholipid biosynthetic enzymes. We also work with maize ribosome-inactivating proteins to characterize their fungicidal and insecticidal properties. Current projects are directed at determining both the means by which cytosolic RIPs from maize gain access to fungal ribosomes and the form (proenzyme or active enzyme) that enters the fungal cell.

Selected Publications:

Kirst, ME, Meyer, DJ, Gibbon, BC, Jung, R and Boston, RS (2005) Identification and characterization of ER associated degradation proteins differentially affected by ER stress. Plant Physiology 138:218-231.

Houston, NL, Fan, C, Xiang, Q-Y, Jung, R, and Boston, RS (2005) Phylogenetic analyses identify ten classes of the protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family in plants including single-domain PDI related proteins. Plant Physiology, 137:762-778

Bass H.W., Krawetz, J.E., O'Brian, G.R., Zinselmeier, C., Habben, J., and Boston, R.S. (2004) Maize ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) with distinct expression patterns have similar requirements for proenzyme activation. J. Exp. Plant Biology, 55:2219-2233.