Bin Shuai PhD

My lab studies the function of genes involved in plant development and plant-pathogen interactions by using molecular and genetic tools. There are two research directions:

1) Genes involved in pollen development
Pollen is essential for plant sexual reproduction, therefore, understanding how genes function in pollen and how their expression is regulated are very important. Using Arabidopsis as a model, we are studying the role of some unknown genes and miRNAs during pollen development and function.

2) Molecular interactions between Medicago truncatula and Macrophomina phaseolina
Macrophomina phaseolina is a soil-born fungus that causes charcoal rot disease in many plant species, including economically important crops. The lack of knowledge on the pathogen really limits our ability to control and manage the disease that usually causes severe loss in crop yield. Using Medicago truncatula as a model, we are trying to identify genes and pathways that are involved in plant-pathogen interactions.

 

Forster, H. and Shuai, B. 2020. Exogenous siRNAs against chitin synthase gene suppress the growth of the pathogenic fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. Mycologia. DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2020.1753467

Forster, H. and Shuai, B. 2020. RNAi-mediated knockdown of -1,3-glucan synthase gene suppresses growth of the phytopathogenic fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmpp.2020.101486

Padmanabhan, R., Hendry, I. R., Knapp, J. R., Shuai, B., Hendry, W. J. 2017. Altered microRNA expression patterns during the initiation and promotion stages of neonatal diethylstilbestrol-induced dysplasia/neoplasia in the hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) uterus. Cell Biol Toxicol. 2017 Oct;33(5):483-500

Wang, H., May, J., Butnev, V., Shuai, B, May, J. V., Bousfield, G. R., Kumar, T. R. 2016. Evaluation of in vivo bioactivities of recombinant hypo-(FSH21/28) and fully-(FSH24) glycosylated human FSH glycoforms in Fshb null mice. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 437(2016) 224-236

Butnev, V.Y., Butnev, V.Y., May, J.V., Shuai, B., Tran, P., White, W.K., Brown, A., Smalter Hall, A., Harvey, D.J. and Bousfield, G.R., 2015. Production, purification, and characterization of recombinant hFSH glycoforms for functional studies, Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. (2015). 405:42-51. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.01.026. Epub 2015 Feb 4

May, P., Liao, W., Wu, Y., Shuai, B., McCombie, W. R., Zhang, M. Q., Liu, Q.A. The effects of carbon dioxide and temperature on microRNA expression in Arabidopsis development. Nature Communiation (2013). Jul 31;4:2145. doi: 10.1038/ncomms3145

Mah, K.M., Uppalapati, S. R., Tang, Y., Allen, S., Shuai, B. Gene expression profiling of Macrophomina phaseolina-infected Medicago truncatula roots reveals a role for auxin in plant tolerance against the charcoal rot pathogen. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology (2012). 79: 21-30

Gaige, A.R., Doerksen, T., Shuai, B. Medicago truncatula ecotypes A17 and R108 show variations in jasmonic acid/ethylene induced resistance to Macrophomina phaseolina. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology (2012). 34(1): 98-103

Gaige, A. R., Ayella, A., Shuai, B. Methyl jasmonate and ethylene induce partial resistance in Medicago truncatula against the charcoal rot pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina. Physiological Molecular Plant Pathology, 74 : 412-418, 2010.

Chambers, C., Shuai, B. Profiling microRNA expression in Arabidopsis pollen using microRNA array and real-time PCR. BMC Plant Biology, 9: 87, 2009.

Boavida L.C., Shuai, B, Yu H.J., Pagnussat G.C., Sundaresan V, McCormick S. A collection of Ds insertional mutants associated with defects in male gametophyte development and function in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetics, 181(4):1369-85, 2009.

Zhang, D., Wengier, D., Shuai, B., Gui, C., Muschietti, J., McCormick, S., Tang, W. The Pollen Receptor Kinase LePRK2 Mediates Growth-Promoting Signals and Positively Regulates Pollen Germination and Tube Growth. Plant Physiology 148: 1368-1379, 2008.

Husbands, A., Bell, E., Shuai, B., Smith, H., Springer, P. LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES defines a new family of DNA-binding transcription factors and can interact with specific bHLH proteins. Nucleic Acids Research. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkm775, 2007.

Kaothien, P., Ok, S. H., Shuai, B., Wengier, D., Cotter, R., Kelley, D., Kiriakopolos, S., Muschietti, J., McCormick, S. Kinase Partner Protein interacts with the LePRK1 and LePRK2 receptor kinases and plays a role in polarized pollen tube growth. Plant Journal 42(4): 492-503, 2005.

Lin, W-C., Shuai, B., Springer, P. The Arabidopsis LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES-Domain Gene ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 Functions in the Repression of KNOX Gene Expression and in Adaxial-Abaxial Patterning. Plant Cell 15(10), 2241-2252, 2003.

Shuai, B., Reynaga-Peña, C., Springer, P. The LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES gene defines a novel, plant specific gene family. Plant Physiology. 129(2): 747-761, 2002.

Tan, R. X., Tang, H. Q., Hu, J., Shuai, B. Lignans and sesquiterpene lactones from Artemisia sieversiana and Inula racemosa. Phytochemistry 49(1): 157-161, 1998.

• 2012--present Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University
• 2005--2012 Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University
• 2004--2005 Assistant Specialist, Plant Gene Expression Center, University of California, Berkeley