Faculty Plant Biology Graduate Group

Li Tian ASST PROFESSOR Department of Plant Sciences Asmundson 221 Office (530) 7520940 Lab (530) 7528855 ltian@ucdavis.edu Degrees: 2003 - PhD - Michigan State University - Plant Biology Department and Center Affiliations: Department of Plant Sciences UC Davis Foods for Health Institute UC Davis Cancer Center Professional Societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science American Society of Plant Biologists International Carotenoid Society Phytochemical Society of North America Grad Group Affiliations and Specialties: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Plant Biology Non-DBS Grad Group(s) - Horticulture and Agronomy Publications: Marks, M.D., Tian, L., Wenger, J.P., Omburo, S.N., Soto-Fuentes, W., He, J., Gang, D.R., Weiblen, G.D. and Dixon, R.A. (2009) Identification of candidate genes affecting delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol biosynthesis in Cannabis sativa. J. Exp. Bot. 60, 3715-3726. Tian, L.†, Peel, G.J. †, Lei, Z., Aziz, N., Dai, X., He, J., Watson, B., Zhao, P.X., Sumner, L.W. and Dixon, R.A. (2009) Transcript and proteomic analysis of developing white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) roots. BMC Plant Biology 9:1. † Co-first authors. Kim, J.Y., Smith, J.J., Tian, L. and DellaPenna, D. (2009) The evolution and function of carotenoid hydroxylases in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell Physiol. 50, 463-479. Tian, L., Pang, Y. and Dixon, R.A. (2008) Biosynthesis and genetic engineering of proanthocyanidins and (iso)flavonoids. Phytochemistry Reviews 7, 445-465. Modolo, L.V., Pang, Y., Tian, L. and Dixon, R.A. (2008) Functional and structural genomics for gene discovery and metabolic engineering in the phenylpropanoid pathway. Recent Advances in Polyphenols Research 1, 113-138. Wang, G. †, Tian, L.†, Aziz, N., Broun, P., Dai, X., He, J., King, A., Zhao, P.X., and Dixon, R.A. (2008) Terpene biosynthesis in glandular trichomes of hop (Humulus lupulus L.). Plant Physiol. 148, 1254-1266. † Co-first authors. Tian, L., DellaPenna D. and Dixon, R.A. (2007) The pds2 mutation is a lesion in the Arabidopsis homogentisate solanesyltransferase gene involved in plastoquinone biosynthesis. Planta 226, 1067-1073. Tian, L., Blount, J.W., and Dixon, R.A. (2006) Phenylpropanoid glycosyltransferases from osage orange (Maclura Pomifera) fruit. FEBS Lett. 580, 6915-6920. Tian, L. and Dixon R.A. (2006) Engineering isoflavone metabolism with an artificial bifunctional enzyme. Planta 224, 496-507. Tian, L., DellaPenna, D., and Zeevaart, J.A.D. (2004) Effect of hydroxylated carotenoid deficiency on ABA accumulation in Arabidopsis. Physiol. Plant.122, 314-320. Tian, L. and DellaPenna, D. (2004) Progress in understanding the origin and functions of carotenoid hydroxylases in plants. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 430, 22-29. Tian, L., Musetti, V., Kim, J.Y., Magallanes-Lundback, M., and DellaPenna, D. (2004) The Arabidopsis LUT1 locus encodes a member of the cytochrome P450 family that is required for carotenoid ?-ring hydroxylation activity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101, 402-407. Tian, L., Magallanes-Lundback, M., Musetti, V., and DellaPenna, D. (2003) Functional analysis of ?- and ?- ring carotenoid hydroxylases in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell 15, 1320-1332. Lokstein, H., Tian, L., Polle, J.E.W., and DellaPenna, D. (2002) Xanthophyll biosynthetic mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana: altered nonphotochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence is due to changes in photosystem II antenna size and stability. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1553, 309-319. Tian, L. and DellaPenna, D. (2001) Characterization of a second carotenoid ?-hydroxylase gene from Arabidopsis and its relationship to the LUT1 locus. Plant Mol. Biol. 47, 379-388. Moehs, C.P., Tian, L., Osteryoung, K.W., and DellaPenna, D. (2001) Analysis of carotenoid biosynthetic gene expression during marigold petal development. Plant Mol. Biol. 45, 281-293. Tian, L. and DellaPenna, D. (2001) The promise of agricultural technology for human health. British Food Journal 103: 777-779. Research Interests: Biosynthesis and genetic engineering of polyphenols for crop improvement and human nutrition; nutrient studies to improve fruit and vegetable quality; investigating the roles of polyphenols in plant disease resistance. Courses Taught: PLS 12 Plants and Society - Term(s): Spring SAS 12 Plants and Society - Term(s): Spring