Deyang Xu

Introductory remarks on publicationslist

My most significant contribution to science is advancing our understanding of the mechanism for the distribution patterns of metabolites at the cellular and subcellular levels. I have identified several transporters of specialized metabolites and revealed transport routes. This includes the route from the site of synthesis to high-level accumulation of glucosinolates - the major defense compounds in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana - in the vacuole of the storage S-cell, as well as the route to the rhizosphere. Recently, I discovered the long-sought exporters that are essential for glucosinolate seed loading. The glucosinolate exporter and importer pairs allow us to elucidate the full apoplast route of metabolites loaded into seed, which fills the missing knowledge gaps based on study transporters of primary metabolites.

My PhD study elucidated molecular mechanisms on how cell division is coordinated with cell differentiation during organ patterning, using Elongator acetyltransferase complex and microRNA396 in Arabidopsis leaf polarity establishment as a model system.