Ning Liu

Department of Botany

430 Lincoln Drive

University of Wisconsin

Madison, WI 53706-1381

Office: 220 Birge Hall
Phone: (608) 265-7929

Fax: (608) 262-7509
Email: nliu5@wisc.edu

Educational Background:

BA Forestry, College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, 1999

MS Biochemistry & Molecular biology, College of Life Sciences,

           Shandong Agricultural University, 2003

PhD Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,

           2007

Research Interests:

Molecular mechanism of floral development and inflorescence architecture

Current Projects:

The role of LFY and TFL1 in the evolution of inflorescence architecture in Brassicaceae

This project is aimed to understand the genetic changes that resulted in the evolution of the derived plant architecture “rosette flowering” in Leavenworthia. Previous transgenic and microarray experiments in our laboratory documented significant functional divergence between the Arabidopsis thaliana gene LEAFY, and its ortholog in Leavenworthia crassa, LcrLFY. Moreover, genetic changes in LFY genes contributed to the difference between “rosette flowering” and “inflorescence flowering” (PNAS, 101: 6524-6529; Plant J, 51: 211-219; PMB, 62: 279-289). In current research, my focus will be on further evaluate and characterize the nature of the changes in LcrLFY, to test the phylogenetic coincidence of architectural evolution and changes in LFY expression/functions, and to explore the role of changes at interacting genes. The research results will contribute to our better understanding of the evolution of plant architecture and ultimately facilitate efforts to modify the structure of crop plants.

Representative Publications

·Liu N, Yang YT, Liu HH, Yang GD, Zhang NH, Zheng CC (2004) NTZIP antisense plants show reduced chlorophyll levels. Plant Physiology Biochemistry 42: 321-327

·Liu N, Chen AP, Wang F, Zhong NQ, Wang HY, Xia GX (2007) Functional screening of salt stress-related genes from Thellungiella halophila using fission yeast system. Physiologia Plantarum 129: 671-678

·Liu N, Zhong NQ, Wang GL, Li LJ, Liu LX, He YK, Xia GX (2007) Cloning and functional characterization of PpDBF1 gene encoding a DRE-binding transcription factor from Physcomitrella patens. Planta 226:827-838

·Chen AP, Wang GL, Qu ZL, Lu CX, Liu N, Wang F, Xia GX (2007) Ectopic expression of ThCYP1, a stress-responsive cyclophilin gene from Thellungiella halophila, confers salt tolerance in fission yeast and tobacco cells. Plant Cell Reports 26:237-245

·Chen AP, Zhong NQ, Qu ZL, Wang F, Liu N, Xia GX (2007) Specific expression of the salt-responsive glycine-rich protein (AtGRP9) in vascular tissues of Arabidopsis root and its interaction with AtCAD5, a key enzyme involved in lignin biosynthesis Journal of Plant Research 120：337-323