Neil E. Olszewski

Professor

Department of Plant Biology

Email: neil@cbs.umn.edu
Phone: (612) 625-1738

Education

Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1983

Research Interests

My research interests are directed toward understanding the signal transduction that occurs following the perception of plant hormones. Although gibberellins are known to play roles in virtually all aspects of plant growth and development, relatively little is known about gibberellin signal transduction. Current research efforts are using molecular genetic approaches to identify and characterize components of the gibberellin signal transduction pathway of Arabidopsis thaliana. This effort is focused primarily on the recently identified and cloned SPINDLY gene.

Another project is concerned with the molecular genetic characterization of the badnaviruses. These viruses infect a number of plant species and have recently been shown to possess genomes consisting of double-stranded DNA. Genetic and biochemical studies designed to elucidate the functions of the virus encoded proteins are the focus of current research. In addition, the role of badnavirus sequences that are integrated into the genome of banana in causing banana streak virus infections is being investigated.

Selected Recent Publications

• Ndowora, T., Dahal, G., LaFleur, D., Harper, G., Hull, R., Olszewski, N. and Lockhart, B. (1999) Evidence that badnavirus infection in Musa can originate from integrated pararetroviral sequences. Virology 225:214-220.
• Shi, L. and Olszewski, N.E. (1998) Gibberellin and Abscisic Acid Regulate GAST1 Expression at the Level of Transcription. Plant Mol. Biol. 38:1053-1060.
• Tzafrir, I., Torbert, K.A., Lockhart, B.E.L., Somers, D.A. and Olszewski, N.E. (1998) The sugarcane bacilliform virus promoter is active in both monocots and dicots. Plant Molecular Biology 347-356.
• Robertson, M., Swain, S.M., Chandler, P.M. and Olszewski, N.E. (1998) Identification of a negative regulator of gibberellin action, HvSPY, in barley. The Plant Cell 10: 995-1007.
• Tzafrir, I., Ayala-Navarrete, L., Lockhart, B.E.L., and Olszewski, N.E. (1997) The N-terminal Portion of the 216 Kilodalton Polyprotein of Commelina yellow mottle badnavirus is Required for Virus Movement but not for Replication. Virology 232: 359-368.
• Jacobsen, S.E. and Olszewski, N.E. (1996) SPINDLY, a tetratricopeptide repeat protein involved in gibberellin signal transduction in Arabidopsis. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 93:9292-9296.
• Jacobsen, S.E. and Olszewski, N.E. (1993) Mutations at the spindly locus of Arabidopsis alter gibberellin signal transduction. The Plant cell 5:887-896.