The present work within the Department of Natural Product Biotechnology is focused on two aspects, mode of action of jasmonates and gene expression analysis in Papaver. The action of jasmonates (JA), a signal in plant stress responses and development, is studied by “gain of function” and “loss of function” experiments using transgenic approaches, by cell biological techniques and by analytical methods (HPLC-MS, GC-MS) (research group Wasternack/Miersch). Preferential interest is given to activation and function of the jasmonate biosynthesis gene allene oxide cyclase (AOC) and its alleles. Transgenic approaches, mutant analysis, promoter analysis and metabolite profiling of jasmonates and other oxylipins is done with tomato and Arabidopsis plants to find out the central role of AOC and JA in stress and developmental processes. Additional work is related to role of 12-hydroxy-jasmonate. The functional analysis of JA may attribute to development of plants with increased stress tolerance.

The work on gene expression analysis in Papaver (research group Ziegler) may help to understand morphine biosynthesis which is of high interest in pharmaceutical industry. Using EST sequencing, enzyme characterization and micro- and macroarray analyses, enzymes are studied with role in biosynthesis and accumulation of alkaloids, preferentially morphine.

The former head of the Department, Prof. Dr. T. M. Kutchan, has accepted a new position at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 Warson Road, Saint Louis, Missouri 63132, USA. There, the work of her group and that of Dr. S. Frick will be continued (homepage: http://www.danforthcenter.org).