Olena Vatamaniuk

The Vatamaniuk lab studies molecular mechanisms of trace metal transport and its regulation in plants. We use multidisciplinary approaches including functional genetics, genomics, molecular physiology, and a variety of high precision analytical imaging tools to aid the identification of mechanisms controlling metal transport and utilization processes, metal sensing and signaling events in relationship to plant developmental programs, most specifically, fertility. We focus on essential micronutrients iron, copper, and an environmental toxin, cadmium, because of the importance of these elements for the future of food security and human nutrition and health. We use model plants, Arabidopsis thaliana, Brachypodium distachyon, and most recently grain crops, wheat and rice. Our ultimate goal is to contribute basic knowledge to the generation of novel biofortification strategies as well as improving grain yield and safety.

Selected Publications

Google Scholar profile and publications | Lab website publications page

•  |Rahmati Ishka M., Vatamaniuk O.K. (2020) Copper deficiency alters shoot architecture and reduces fertility of both gynoecium and androecium in Arabidopsis thaliana. bioRxiv 2020.2003.2011.146209. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.11.146209
• Sheng H., Jiang Y., Rahmati Ishka M., Chia J.-C., Dokuchayeva T., Kavulych Y., Zavodna T.-O., Mendoza P., Huang R., Woll A., Romanyuk N.D., Zhou Y., Vatamaniuk O.K. (2019) YSL3-mediated copper distribution is required for fertility, grain yield and size in Brachypodium. bioRxiv 2020.06.11.146209; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.11.146209
• De Benedictis, M., Brunetti, C., Brauer, E. K., Andreucci, A., Popescu, S. C., Commisso, M., Guzzo, F., Sofo, A., Castiglione, M. R., Vatamaniuk, O. K., & Di Toppi, L. S. (2018). The Arabidopsis thaliana Knockout Mutant for Phytochelatin Synthase1 (cad1-3) Is Defective in Callose Deposition, Bacterial Pathogen Defense and Auxin Content, But Shows an Increased Stem Lignification. Frontiers in Plant Science. 9:14.
• Yan, J., Chia, J. C., Sheng, H., Jung, H. I., Zavodna, T. O., Zhang, L., Huang, R., Jiao, C., Craft, E. J., Fei, Z., Kochian, L. V., & Vatamaniuk, O. K. (2017). Arabidopsis Pollen Fertility Requires the Transcription Factors CITF1 and SPL7 That Regulate Copper Delivery to Anthers and Jasmonic Acid Synthesis. The Plant Cell. 29:3012-3029.
• Kumar, R. K., Chu, H. H., Abundis, C., Vasques, K., Rodriguez, D. C., Chia, J. C., Huang, R., Vatamaniuk, O. K., & Walker, E. L. (2017). Iron-Nicotianamine Transporters Are Required for Proper Long Distance Iron Signaling. Plant Physiology. 175:1254-1268.
• Lu, Z., Yan, J., *,, & Xiangge*, D. (2016). CsNIP2;1 is a plasma membrane transporter from Cucumis sativus that facilitates urea uptake when expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant & Cell Physiology. 57:616-629.
• Gayomba, S. R., Zhai, Z., Jung, H., & Vatamaniuk, O. K. (2015). Local and Systemic Signaling of Iron Status and Its Interactions with Homeostasis of Other Essential Elements. Frontiers in Plant Science. 6:716.
• Jung, H. I., Yan, J., Zhai, Z., & Vatamaniuk, O. K. (2015). Gene functional analysis using protoplast transient assays. Methods In Molecular Biology. 1284:433-452.
• Jung, H., Gayomba, S. R., Yan, J., & Vatamaniuk, O. K. (2014). Brachypodium distachyon as a model system for studies of copper transport in cereal crops. Frontiers in Plant Science. 5:236.
• Zhai, Z., Gayomba, J. H., Vimalakumari, N., Pineros, M., Craft, E., Rutzke, M. A., Danku, J., Lahner, B., Punshon, T., Guerinot, M. L., Salt, D. E., Kochian, L. V., Vatamaniuk, O. K., & , (2014). OPT3 Is a Phloem-Specific Iron Transporter That Is Essential for Systemic Iron Signaling and Redistribution of Iron and Cadmium in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell. 26:2249-2264.
• Paulose, B, C., Paulose, B., Chhikara, S., Coomey, J., Jung, H., Vatamaniuk, O. K., & Parkash Dhankher, O. (2013). A novel _-glutamyl cyclotransferase protects plants from heavy metals and metalloids toxicity by efficiently recycling glutamate for maintaining GSH homeostasis. The Plant Cell. 25:4580-95.
• Gayomba, S. R., Jung, H., Yan, J., Danku, J., Rutzke, M. A., Bernal, M., Kraemer, U., Kochian, L. V., Salt, D. E., & Vatamaniuk, O. K. (2013). The CTR/COPT-dependent copper uptake and SPL7-dependent copper deficiency responses are required for basal cadmium tolerance in A. thaliana. Metallomics. 5:1262-1275.

Presentations and Activities

• The Role of Copper Transport in Pollen Fertility in A. thaliana. 17th International Workshop on Plant Membrane Biology. June 2016. Annapolis, MD.
• SXRF as a tool to address complex biological questions: Two Case Studies “Role of Copper in Pollen Fertility in A. thaliana” and “Effect of Cadmium on Cellular Distribution of Essential Elements in C. elegans. Hard X-ray Spectroscopies and Imaging Workshop. June 2016. Ithaca, NY, USA.
• Transcriptional Regulatory Networks that Coordinate Copper Homeostasis and Crosstalk with Cadmium Resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana. 9th International Copper Meeting. October 2014. Duke University, USA. Vico Equense, Italy.
• OPT3 is a Multispecific Transition Metal Transporter that Loads Fe into the Phloem and Mediates Root-to-Shoot Partitioning of Cd by Orchestrating Transcriptional Fe Deficiency Responses. Annual Meeting of American Society of Plant Biologists. July 2013. ASPB. Providence, Phode Island, USA.