The University of Western Australia
Assoc/Prof Susan Barker
Associate Professor
Contact details
| Address | School of Plant Biology The University of Western Australia (M084) 35 Stirling Highway CRAWLEY WA 6009 Australia |
|---|---|
| Phone | 6488 2435 |
| Fax | 6488 1108 |
| sjbarker@plants.uwa.edu.au |
Location
Room 1.121, Agriculture Central Wing Building, Crawley campus
Biography
Susan has chosen as her mid-life path to combine full time academic work with child raising, and thanks her partner Ben whose love and support are essential anti-chaos agents in the frenetic juggling act that has ensued. Susan's current research and post-graduate supervision include projects on identification of genes contributing to beneficial symbiosis between plants and fungi, or resistance to fungal or bacterial disease; also DNA fingerprinting projects for lupin and chickpea. Concerns include appropriate use of technology and sustainable living, and she has a community service profile as a balanced and informative plain English speaker on the topic of Genetic Engineering.
Key research
- Molecular genetics and molecular biology, including functional genomics of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, plant development, and plant disease resistance
Major research interests
- Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis
- Molecular plant breeding
- Plant disease resistance
- Plant–microbe interactions
- Plant molecular biology
- Plant molecular genetics
- Regulation of plant development
Qualifications
BSc Adel., PhD Calif.
Publications
1. Barker SJ, Harada JJ and Goldberg RB (1988) Cellular localization of soybean storage protein mRNA in transformed tobacco seeds. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 458-462 This research paper is the first publication to show in situ localisation of seed protein mRNAs.in a transgenic plant. The in situ hybridisation image used in the paper won a “runner-up” award in Bethesda Research Laboratories Life Sciences Photography contest (1997) and was reproduced in the 1998 BRL Catalogue, following which it was requested for display in the offices of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.
2. Goldberg RB, Barker SJ and Perez-Grau L (1989) Regulation of gene expression during plant development. Cell 56, 149-160. This review was written towards the end of my PhD. It has been cited more than 225 times.
3. Harada JJ, Barker SJ and Goldberg RB (1989) Soybean ß-conglycinin genes are clustered in several DNA regions and are regulated by transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes. Plant Cell 1, 415-425. My contribution to this paper was the sequence analysis of a gene family member and identification of a complex endo-reduplication event in evolution of gene family sub classes.
4. Salmeron JM, Barker SJ, Carland FM, Mehta AY and Staskawicz BJ (1994) Tomato mutants altered in bacterial disease resistance provide evidence for a new locus controlling pathogen recognition. Plant Cell 6, 511-520. John Salmeron, Francine Carland and I worked collaboratively to generate a 2,200 family mutagenised population that we screened for mutations in bacterial speck disease resistance and fenthion insecticide sensitivity. By maintaining separate families in the population (my specific additional contribution) we were able to show that some of the mutations were not in the disease resistance gene Pto, but in a new gene previously unidentified that controlled both resistance to Pto and sensitivity to fenthion. We called the gene Prf. Later in Adelaide, partial screening of this population identified the mycorrhizal mutant rmc.
5. Zézé A, Sulistyowati E, Ophel-Keller K, Barker S and Smith SE (1997) Intrasporal variation of the vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Gigaspora margarita) revealed by M13 minisatellite primed-PCR. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 63, 676-678. The nuclear composition of mycorrhizal fungi is complex. This paper demonstrated that single spore nuclei are heterogeneous. This will be an important consideration for any attempt at transformation of mycorrhizal fungi.
6. Barker SJ, Stummer B, Gao L, Dispain I., O'Connor PJ and Smith SE (1998) A mutant in Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. with highly reduced VA mycorrhizal colonization: isolation and preliminary characterisation. Plant J. 15, 791-797. This paper gives the first report of a non legume mycorrhizal mutant. The use of the model dicotyledon tomato will enable map-based cloning of the mutant gene and thus molecular insight into a gene that is essential for ingress of some mycorrhizal fungi to the root cortex.
7. Barker SJ, Tagu D and Delp G (1998) Regulation of root and fungal morphogenesis in mycorrhizal symbioses. UPDATE, Plant Physiology 116, 1201-1207 This review was highly commended by the Journal editor (Martin Chrispeels) for its clarity. It was the first review in the field to compare and contrast molecular development of arbuscular mycorrhizas and ectomycorrhizas. It has received more than 80 reprint requests, including a comment from Prof. Don Kaplan (UC Berkeley) that it will be of great use in his teaching and in preparation of a new text book.
8. Barker SJ and Tagu D (2000). The roles of auxins and cytokinins in mycorrhizal symbioses. J. Plant Growth Regulation 19, 144-1540 This review has elicited more than 70 reprint requests. It is the first publication to develop an integrated model that incorporates research on plant growth regulators, plant nutrition and plant root development in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.
9. Pallotta MA, Graham RD, Langridge P, Sparrow DHB and Barker SJ (2000) RFLP mapping of manganese efficiency in barley. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 101, 1100-1108 Genetic research on plant trace element nutrition has lagged severely behind other agronomically important traits. This paper identifies the genetic map location of a major component of the quantitative trait, manganese efficiency, and also demonatrates that marker assisted selection for the QTL identified will enable plant breeders to select for this difficult trait by showing that markers identified by pot bioassays are also predictive of field performance.
10. Barker SJ, Duplessis S and Tagu D (2002) The application of genetic approaches for investigations of mycorrhizal symbioses. Plant and Soil, 244: 85-95. In this paper I have presented a model that describes for non-specialists the concept of molecular evolution of symbioses from the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis gene set.
2. Goldberg RB, Barker SJ and Perez-Grau L (1989) Regulation of gene expression during plant development. Cell 56, 149-160. This review was written towards the end of my PhD. It has been cited more than 225 times.
3. Harada JJ, Barker SJ and Goldberg RB (1989) Soybean ß-conglycinin genes are clustered in several DNA regions and are regulated by transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes. Plant Cell 1, 415-425. My contribution to this paper was the sequence analysis of a gene family member and identification of a complex endo-reduplication event in evolution of gene family sub classes.
4. Salmeron JM, Barker SJ, Carland FM, Mehta AY and Staskawicz BJ (1994) Tomato mutants altered in bacterial disease resistance provide evidence for a new locus controlling pathogen recognition. Plant Cell 6, 511-520. John Salmeron, Francine Carland and I worked collaboratively to generate a 2,200 family mutagenised population that we screened for mutations in bacterial speck disease resistance and fenthion insecticide sensitivity. By maintaining separate families in the population (my specific additional contribution) we were able to show that some of the mutations were not in the disease resistance gene Pto, but in a new gene previously unidentified that controlled both resistance to Pto and sensitivity to fenthion. We called the gene Prf. Later in Adelaide, partial screening of this population identified the mycorrhizal mutant rmc.
5. Zézé A, Sulistyowati E, Ophel-Keller K, Barker S and Smith SE (1997) Intrasporal variation of the vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Gigaspora margarita) revealed by M13 minisatellite primed-PCR. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 63, 676-678. The nuclear composition of mycorrhizal fungi is complex. This paper demonstrated that single spore nuclei are heterogeneous. This will be an important consideration for any attempt at transformation of mycorrhizal fungi.
6. Barker SJ, Stummer B, Gao L, Dispain I., O'Connor PJ and Smith SE (1998) A mutant in Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. with highly reduced VA mycorrhizal colonization: isolation and preliminary characterisation. Plant J. 15, 791-797. This paper gives the first report of a non legume mycorrhizal mutant. The use of the model dicotyledon tomato will enable map-based cloning of the mutant gene and thus molecular insight into a gene that is essential for ingress of some mycorrhizal fungi to the root cortex.
7. Barker SJ, Tagu D and Delp G (1998) Regulation of root and fungal morphogenesis in mycorrhizal symbioses. UPDATE, Plant Physiology 116, 1201-1207 This review was highly commended by the Journal editor (Martin Chrispeels) for its clarity. It was the first review in the field to compare and contrast molecular development of arbuscular mycorrhizas and ectomycorrhizas. It has received more than 80 reprint requests, including a comment from Prof. Don Kaplan (UC Berkeley) that it will be of great use in his teaching and in preparation of a new text book.
8. Barker SJ and Tagu D (2000). The roles of auxins and cytokinins in mycorrhizal symbioses. J. Plant Growth Regulation 19, 144-1540 This review has elicited more than 70 reprint requests. It is the first publication to develop an integrated model that incorporates research on plant growth regulators, plant nutrition and plant root development in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.
9. Pallotta MA, Graham RD, Langridge P, Sparrow DHB and Barker SJ (2000) RFLP mapping of manganese efficiency in barley. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 101, 1100-1108 Genetic research on plant trace element nutrition has lagged severely behind other agronomically important traits. This paper identifies the genetic map location of a major component of the quantitative trait, manganese efficiency, and also demonatrates that marker assisted selection for the QTL identified will enable plant breeders to select for this difficult trait by showing that markers identified by pot bioassays are also predictive of field performance.
10. Barker SJ, Duplessis S and Tagu D (2002) The application of genetic approaches for investigations of mycorrhizal symbioses. Plant and Soil, 244: 85-95. In this paper I have presented a model that describes for non-specialists the concept of molecular evolution of symbioses from the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis gene set.
Roles, responsibilities and expertise
molecular plant breeding and DNA fingerprinting, plant tissue culture, genetic engineering of plants, mutagenesis, development of mapping populations, preparation of graft chimaeras, RNA preparation and analysis
Future research
Structural and functional genomics of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their symbiosis with plants; the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in conventional and alternative production systems and in natural ecosystems
Funding received
Barker SJ, Jones MGK and Buirchell B. Genetic variation in narrow leafed lupin (NLL) accessions and breeding programs ARC Linkage Grant LP0348023 $34,000
Smith SE, Barker SJ and Smith FA. Targeted analysis of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis phenome in a model host, tomato ARC Discovery Grant DP0342496 $105,000
Cowling WA, Barker SJ and Gilchrist D. Isolation and characterization of cell signalling systems that activate or suppress apoptosis in pathogenic and symbiotic fungal:plant interactions. ARC International Linkage Grant LX0346900 $13,000
Smith PM and Barker SJ. Transgenic Pulse Development Project, GRDC Program Grant UWA309 $613,000
Mr Jim Deed, Dr Mark A Tester, Prof Stephen Donald Tyerman, Prof David Alexander Day, Dr Peter Richard Ryan, Dr Sergey Shabala, Dr Timothy David Colmer, Prof Anthony Glass, Dr Josette Masle, Prof Graham Douglas Farquhar, Dr Susan M Howitt, Dr Graeme Dean Price, A/Prof Robyn Lynette Overall, Prof Sarah (Sally) Elizabeth Smith, A/Prof Christina Eleanor Offler, Prof John William Patrick, Prof Craig Anthony Atkins, Dr Robert John Reid, Dr Brent Norman Kaiser, Prof Dr Johannes Thieo Lambers, Dr Susan Jane Barker, Dr Penny Mary Collina Smith, Prof Norman Alan Walker, Dr Mary Jane Beilby, The Australian Plant Nutriomics Network ARC Network Grant SR0354715 $40,000
Smith SE, Barker SJ and Smith FA. Targeted analysis of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis phenome in a model host, tomato ARC Discovery Grant DP0342496 $105,000
Cowling WA, Barker SJ and Gilchrist D. Isolation and characterization of cell signalling systems that activate or suppress apoptosis in pathogenic and symbiotic fungal:plant interactions. ARC International Linkage Grant LX0346900 $13,000
Smith PM and Barker SJ. Transgenic Pulse Development Project, GRDC Program Grant UWA309 $613,000
Mr Jim Deed, Dr Mark A Tester, Prof Stephen Donald Tyerman, Prof David Alexander Day, Dr Peter Richard Ryan, Dr Sergey Shabala, Dr Timothy David Colmer, Prof Anthony Glass, Dr Josette Masle, Prof Graham Douglas Farquhar, Dr Susan M Howitt, Dr Graeme Dean Price, A/Prof Robyn Lynette Overall, Prof Sarah (Sally) Elizabeth Smith, A/Prof Christina Eleanor Offler, Prof John William Patrick, Prof Craig Anthony Atkins, Dr Robert John Reid, Dr Brent Norman Kaiser, Prof Dr Johannes Thieo Lambers, Dr Susan Jane Barker, Dr Penny Mary Collina Smith, Prof Norman Alan Walker, Dr Mary Jane Beilby, The Australian Plant Nutriomics Network ARC Network Grant SR0354715 $40,000
Industrial relevance
National lupin, chickpea, field pea, lentil and faba bean breeding programs, Canola Breeders WA, all conventional and alternative agriculture and horticulture, restoration ecology
Languages
Native English, slight written German and French
Memberships
WISENET
Previous positions
Lecturer at The University of Adelaide Waite Institute
Teaching
Genetics and Molecular Biology, Molecular Genetics of Plant Development, Molecular Breeding
Current external positions
WA Linkgroup Convenor of WISENET Australia Inc.
Member, Faculty of 1000
Member, Faculty of 1000
Useful links
Current projects
Cloning the tomato gene rmc; Functional genomics of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices; Role of Programmed cell death in lupin and chickpea disease resistance, resistance of canola to blackleg, and in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis of tomato; Genotypic variation in the narrow leafed lupin national collection; Genetic variation associated with drought tolerance and large seededness in chickpea; Genetic manipulation of lupin for resistance to fungal disease; bacterial speck disease resistance in tomato; manipulation of flower structure in lupin; seed specific gene promoter analysis
Research profile
