Dr. A.S.N. Reddy Associate Professor  Department of Biology reddy@lamar.colostate.edu

Dr. Reddy's research group is pursuing three areas of research: 1) isolation, identification and functional analysis of proteins that interact with calmodulin; 2) the role of U1 snRNP 70K protein in pre-mRNA splicing; and 3) engineering of resistance to fungal pathogens in potato. The work involves studies of Arabidopsis, potato, tobacco, and maize. Calmodulin, a ubiquitous multi functional calcium-binding protein, plays a key role in calcium mediated signal transduction pathways. Several cDNAs encoding novel calmodulin-binding proteins have been cloned from Arabidopsis and corn. One of these is a new member of the kinesin superfamily that is involved in microtubule-based intracellular transport. Calmodulin-binding kinesin-like proteins are likely to be unique to and ubiquitous in plants. The promoter activity of this novel gene and the effects of ectopic expression on plant growth and development are being investigated in transgenic plants.

Pre-mRNA processing is one of the critical steps in regulating gene expression in all eukaryotic systems. U1 snRNP-70K protein, a U1 snRNP specific protein, is implicated in regulating basic and alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs in animals. A gene encoding a homologue of U1-70K was isolated from Arabidopsis. The cDNAs and the corresponding genomic clone of plant U1-70K have been extensively cloned. The role of this protein in pre-mRNA processing is being investigated by manipulating the expression of the gene in a constitute or tissue-specific manner, and following the splicing of genes that are known to undergo basic and alternative splicing.

cDNAs encoding two cDNAs encoding two putative antifungal proteins from Arabidopsis and a cDNA for known antifungal proteins from Drosophila have been isolated. To test if the overproduction of these antifungal proteins confers resistance to fungal pathogens, transgenic potato plants that contain these genes driven by a strong constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter have been transformed. The expression of the introduced genes is confirmed by northern analysis and these transgenic plants are being tested for fungal resistance.
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