Academic Staff
Dr Ron Croy
Contact Dr Ron Croy (email at r.r.d.croy@durham.ac.uk)
Biography
The group is working in several areas of plant molecular biology aimed at the improvement of crop plants and the elucidation of molecular mechanisms involved in a number of plant biological phenomena.
Studies include:
development of strategies for pest and pathogen resistance using genetic engineering; improvements to gene expression in transgenic plants through targeting of genes to precise locations in the genome; elucidation of pollen recognition mechanisms in compatible and incompatible reactions and the role of signal transduction in pollination; elucidation of protein targeting requirements in transgenic plants to deliver foreign proteins to precise subcellular sites; investigation of gene expression in floral tissues;
elucidation of cell-wall architecture using specialised protein extraction procedures; structure and function of proteins accumulated in developing seeds.
The overall objectives are:
a) to provide clean technology for disease management which does not damage the environment;
b) to provide basic technology and information to facilitate diversification of the uses of crop plants;
c) to devise molecular models to explain and facilitate manipulation of plant cellular recognition events.
Support for the research comes from a variety of sources including BBSRC, EC. and industry.
Research Interests
- Function of genes in transgenic plants
- Isolation and characterisation of genes
- Isolation and function of plant proteins
- Responses of plants to stress
- Targeting of proteins in plant cells
Selected Publications
- Croy, R.R.D., Baxter, R., Deakin, W., Edwards, R., Gatehouse, J.A., Gates, P., Harris, N., Hole, C., Johnson, S. & Raemaekers, R. (1998). Blackspot bruising in potatoes: structural and molecular approaches to the identification of factors associated with tuber bruising susceptibility. Aspects of Applied Biology -'Protection and production of sugar beet and potatoes'.
- Martin Mühling, John Gilroy & Ronald R.D. Croy (1997). Legumin Proteins from Seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris L. J. Plant Physiol 150(489-492).
- Boulter, D. & Croy, R.R.D. (1997). The structure and biosynthesis of legume seed storage proteins: a biological soolution to the storage of nitrogen in seeds. Advances in Botanical Research - Classic Papers 27(1-83).
- Stanchev, B.S., Doughty, J., Scutt, C.P., Dickinson, H. & Croy, R.R.D. (1996). Cloning of PCP1, a member of a family of pollen coat protein (PCP) genes from Brassica oleracea encoding novel cysteine-rich proteins involved in pollen-stigma interactions. The Plant Journal 10(303-313).
Journal papers: academic
- Dani, V., Simon, W., Duranti, M. & Croy, R.R.D. (2005). Changes in the tobacco leaf apoplast proteome in response to salt stress. Proteomics 5(3): 737-745.
- Johnson, S.M., Doherty, S.J. & Croy, R.R.D. (2003). Biphasic superoxide generation in potato tubers: a self-amplifying response to stress. Plant Physiology 131(3): 1440-1449.
- Scarafoni, A Carzaniga, R Harris, N & Croy, RRD (2001). Manipulation of the napin primary structure alters its packaging and deposition in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) seeds. Plant Molecular Biology 46: 727-739.
Patents
- Johnson, SM , Doherty, SJ & Croy, RRD (2003). Method and Apparatus for Detecting Responses to Damage and Diagnostic Method Therefor. UK patent 0109151.1. Application filed: 28 March 2003. Granted: 1 September 2003