
Dominique Job
Having been trained in Physics and Mathematics, I obtained a Master`s degree in Physics at the University of Dakar, Senegal. Back in France, I joined the laboratory of Plant Biochemistry (CNRS/ Marseilles University) to prepare a thesis during which I studied the physicochemical and enzymatic properties of various hemeproteins from plants, mainly by using rapid kinetic techniques (stopped-flow; T-Jump relaxation) and spectroscopic approaches at very low temperature. I was recruited at CNRS as a Research Associate in 1970. This work on hemeproteins was extended during two postdoctoral fellowships at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Edmonton, Canada, then at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
In 1980, back in Marseilles, I started studying the mechanisms of transcription in plants. The major findings were the elucidation of the mechanisms contributing to the processivity of transcription RNA chain elongation, the factors influencing the balance between abortive and productive initiation, the mechanism of action of α-amanitin (a specific inhibitor of RNA pol II) and the influence of the sequence and conformation of the DNA template on the velocity and fidelity of transcription.
In 1992, I moved to Lyon to integrate the UMR041 CNRS/Rhône-Poulenc, a public-private joint laboratory, now the UMR5240 CNRS/Bayer CropScience, where I started working on seed physiology along with some research on the characterization of the enzymatic pathways that in plants are responsible for essential amino acid (sulfur amino acids, branch chain amino acids) and vitamin (biotin) metabolisms. I became successively deputy Head, then Head, then again deputy Head of this laboratory over the period 1993-2010. In particular, in 1999, I started a systematic study of the Arabidopsis (the model plant in genetics and genomics) seed proteome.
Beyond research in the laboratory, I have been, since 2000, involved in the promotion of plant genomics in France (Genoplante) and Europe (Plant KBBE, Plant 2030: Plant Biotechnology for the Future).
I am member of the Editorial Board of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, Seed Science Research, Scientific Reports, and Associate Editor of Frontiers in Plant Science and of Proteomes. I am Emeritus CNRS Research Director, honorary consulting Professor at AgroParisTech and Member of the French Academy of Agriculture.
My current research work mainly deals with the study of seed physiology of Amborella trichopoda, the sister of all flowering plants.
In 1980, back in Marseilles, I started studying the mechanisms of transcription in plants. The major findings were the elucidation of the mechanisms contributing to the processivity of transcription RNA chain elongation, the factors influencing the balance between abortive and productive initiation, the mechanism of action of α-amanitin (a specific inhibitor of RNA pol II) and the influence of the sequence and conformation of the DNA template on the velocity and fidelity of transcription.
In 1992, I moved to Lyon to integrate the UMR041 CNRS/Rhône-Poulenc, a public-private joint laboratory, now the UMR5240 CNRS/Bayer CropScience, where I started working on seed physiology along with some research on the characterization of the enzymatic pathways that in plants are responsible for essential amino acid (sulfur amino acids, branch chain amino acids) and vitamin (biotin) metabolisms. I became successively deputy Head, then Head, then again deputy Head of this laboratory over the period 1993-2010. In particular, in 1999, I started a systematic study of the Arabidopsis (the model plant in genetics and genomics) seed proteome.
Beyond research in the laboratory, I have been, since 2000, involved in the promotion of plant genomics in France (Genoplante) and Europe (Plant KBBE, Plant 2030: Plant Biotechnology for the Future).
I am member of the Editorial Board of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, Seed Science Research, Scientific Reports, and Associate Editor of Frontiers in Plant Science and of Proteomes. I am Emeritus CNRS Research Director, honorary consulting Professor at AgroParisTech and Member of the French Academy of Agriculture.
My current research work mainly deals with the study of seed physiology of Amborella trichopoda, the sister of all flowering plants.
less
Uploads
SEED GERMINATION AND DORMANCY IN ARABIDOPSIS by Dominique Job
within the seed, to resume its metabolic activity in a coordinated
and sequential manner. Studies using “-omics” approaches support the
finding that a main contributor of seed germination success is the quality
of the messenger RNAs stored during embryo maturation on the
mother plant. In addition, proteostasis and DNA integrity play a major
role in the germination phenotype. Because of its pivotal role in cell
metabolism and its close relationships with hormone signaling pathways
regulating seed germination, the sulfur amino acid metabolism
pathway represents a key biochemical determinant of the commitment
of the seed to initiate its development toward germination. This review
highlights that germination vigor depends on multiple biochemical and
molecular variables. Their characterization is expected to deliver new
markers of seed quality that can be used in breeding programs and/or
in biotechnological approaches to improve crop yields.
Arabidopsis thaliana
(L.) Heynh. seeds as a model, and carried out differential proteomics to investigate seed vigour. In our system, based on a controlled deterioration treatment (CDT), we compared seed lots treated for different time periods up to 7 days. Germination tests showed a progressive decrease of seed vigour depending on the duration of CDT. Proteomic analyses revealed that loss in seed vigour can be accounted for by protein changes in the dry seed and by an inability of the low vigour seeds to display a normal proteome during germination. Furthermore, the CDT strongly increased the extent of protein oxidation (i.e. carbonylation), which will in turn induce a loss of functional properties of proteins and enzymes and/or enhance their susceptibility towards proteolysis. These results highlighted essential mechanisms for germinative quality such as translational capacity and mobilization of seed storage reserves.
8.3 billion people. Agriculture will have to produce sufficient food knowing that
presently and globally agricultural production nearly matches world consumption.
Yet, malnutrition is not only a matter of food amount but also concerns food nutritional
quality. In particular, the nutritional value and quality of seeds should be
improved to alleviate malnutrition and provide a well-balance diet. Progress in seed
biology has considerably benefited from the rise in the last decade of the two model
plants Arabidopsis and rice. Along with their genome sequences obtained respectively
in 2000 for Arabidopsis and in 2005 for rice, functional genomics became
possible because of the rapid development of their mutant libraries, full-length
cDNA libraries, stock centers, web-accessible databases, and information portals,
such as TAIR (The Arabidopsis Information Resource). Then, the development of
high-throughput technological breakthroughs (e.g. DNA and protein array, mass
spectrometry) helped to survey the omics state (transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome)
of seeds at different developmental and environmental conditions. These
approaches fuel candidate genes for seed quality (composition, germination vigor
and capacity, good resistance to stress, etc.) that can be confirmed using functional
genomics resources. Finally, exploitation of the confirmed candidate genes by plant
breeders should improve seed nutritional quality and yield. In this chapter, we discuss
how global “omics” technologies can help to find new candidate genes relevant
for improvement of seed nutritional quality. Examples of omics application in
unraveling the rice seed biology are particularly discussed.