Poul Nissen (left) and Jens Stougaard were awarded DKK 50 million and DKK 45 million, respectively, from the Danish National Research Foundation for continued research in their Centres of Excellence. Photo: Lisbeth Heilesen. Click photo for enlargement.

The Danish National Research Foundation has awarded a five-year grant to two professors at the Department of Molecular Biology – Jens Stougaard and Poul Nissen. The grants amount to DKK 45 million and DKK 50 million, respectively, for continued research in their Centres of Excellence.

2011.04.15

The Danish National Research Foundation recently decided to continue to support seven Centres of Excellence that were all formed in 2007 – including two at the Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University. The centres have been subject to a thorough mid-term evaluation, where each one has been assessed and judged by an international panel consisting of the best scientists in the world within the centre’s research fields. The foundation’s decision as to whether or not to continue the grants is mainly based on the evaluation panel’s report.

The Department of Molecular Biology also hosts another Centre of Excellence. Professor Torben Heick Jensen is Director of the Centre for mRNP Biogenesis and Metabolism (mRNP), which was awarded a five-year grant of DKK 40 million in 2010 to continue its research (http://mrnp.dk/).

CARB basic research centre

Centre for Carbohydrate Recognition and Signalling - www.carb.dk

Centre Director: Professor Jens Stougaard

Field of research

Research at the centre focuses on studying the function of carbohydrates in the cells of legumes and zebrafish, aimed at understanding the processes that control cellular growth and development, as well as gaining a better understanding of bacterial infection in plants and animals in order to combat these.

Research project

In studies of the leguminous plant Japanese bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus japonicus), the research group has made significant progress in characterising the receptor proteins that recognise signal molecules secreted by so-called rhizobia bacteria. These bacteria trigger the development process that leads to the formation of nitrogen-fixed root nodules. The formation of functional root  nodules is controlled by at least sixteen genes, and the group has determined how this set of genes interacts, which genes control which parts of the programme, and how each one individually contributes to the overall process. This knowledge makes it possible to develop more productive plants.

The researchers have also succeeded in finding a simpler single-cell infection mechanism that can further our understanding of how legumes control infection with beneficial bacteria. These bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen to fertiliser that can be absorbed by the plants. This discovery could make it possible in the long run to develop sustainable agriculture with reduced use of fertilisers.

In addition, the group uses zebrafish as a model to find out how carbohydrates influence the development process of animals. By focusing particularly on studies of proteins, the researchers have found a number of similarities between zebrafish proteins and the receptor proteins that legumes use to receive signals from rhizobia. The results of these studies can be used to gain an understanding of bacterial infection in animals, knowledge that other scientists will be able to use to combat pathogenic infections.

Plans for future studies

The group plans to continue working on the projects mentioned above, as well as finding new mechanisms of carbohydrate action to determine the role of carbohydrates in the cell, and to determine the development biology controlled by carbohydrates in both plants and vertebrates. The researchers hope that this determination of the role of carbohydrates in the cell will provide answers to fundamental questions about the function of carbohydrates as signal molecules in multi-celled organisms, and ultimately contribute to the understanding of diseases in plants and animals.

The researchers will also expand on the understanding of the genetic background of the recently discovered single-cell infection mechanism to investigate the way in which the bacteria cross the cell membrane and establish themselves in the plant cell. This knowledge can possibly shed light on how the bacteria avoid being detected by the plant’s defence system.

More information

Professor Jens Stougaard, CARB, Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark.

stougaard@mb.au.dk -  + 45 60202649

PUMPKIN basic research centre

Centre for Membrane Pumps in Cells and Disease
www.pumpkin.au.dk

Centre Director: Professor Poul Nissen

Field of research

Scientists at PUMPKIN study some of the largest energy guzzlers in the body – P-type ATPases. These use ATP – the cell’s chemical fuel – to pump ions through membranes. This makes it possible to store a form of energy that can rapidly be converted, and the pumps are therefore vital to all organisms ranging from bacteria to animals. In humans, the work of the pumps is a prerequisite for functions such as the cardiac cycle, muscle contraction and the brain cell communication network. The numerous physiological roles also mean that if anything goes wrong with the pumps, a number of different diseases result, and the pumps are the target for some of the oldest known and most widely used pharmaceuticals, including medicine for the heart and stomach ulcers.

Research project

Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase was first described in 1957 by Jens Christian Skou from Aarhus University, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1997. Research into Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase has therefore been a strong focus area in Aarhus. In 2007, PUMPKIN researchers achieved a major breakthrough by using protein crystallography to work out the first atomic structure of the pump. Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase belongs to a large family of P-type ATPases, and PUMPKIN was also the first to unravel the structure of two other members – the proton pump from plants and a copper pump.

In general, the P-type ATPases have a common structure with a motor, where the ATP is metabolised, and a belt for transporting the ions across the membrane. The complete picture of how the different pump components move in relation to each other during the catalytic cycle is beginning to appear, because both PUMPKIN and other researchers have described many structures of a calcium pump.

Knowledge of the structure of the pumps provides new perspectives regarding their function. The structure of Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase inspired experiments that led to PUMPKIN’s proposal of a new model of its function, and this model can explain a number of mutations that lead to neurological disorders. The international impact of PUMPKIN’s research is particularly illustrated by the fact that, during its initial five-year period, the centre has published five articles in the prestigious scientific journal Nature.

Insight into the pumps and their structure can also be used to develop potential pharmaceuticals, and a PUMPKIN spin-off company is currently working on finding specific inhibitors of a fungal pump for use in fighting infection.

Plans for future studies

PUMPKIN will continue to focus on understanding the basic functions of the pumps, particularly the wide range of pumps that are not yet described in great detail. One of the main aims in the forthcoming period is also to understand the role of the pumps in the cellular network, right from the atomic level where the structure of pumps is studied in complex with other factors, to animal models where the physiological impact of disease mutations is studied in fish and mice.

More information

Professor Poul Nissen, PUMPKIN, Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark.

pn@mb.au.dk -  + 45 28992295

About the Danish National Research Foundation

The Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF) is an independent foundation that works to support Danish basic research regardless of subject area. The activities of the foundation are regulated by law, and the purpose of the foundation is to support the development of unique Danish research.

It is the policy of the foundation to support research centres for longer periods of time. These centres can be regarded as Centres of Excellence by international standards. The centres constitute large ventures by Danish standards. The selection of which centres to support takes place in open competition and based on international peer review of the quality of the received applications. The Centre of Excellence grants make it possible to attract substantial foreign expertise to the Danish research communities.

In accordance with the Danish National Research Foundation, a Centre of Excellence should be headed by a centre director, who must be a top scientist as well as a visionary leader. The centre director must also be able to create the framework for a creative and dynamic research environment. The foundation wishes to motivate the most talented scientists to do their best and create new knowledge, which might eventually result in new inventions. Without basis research, many of today’s products would never exist, such as the mobile phone (source: http://www.dg.dk/en/).

Lisbeth Heilesen - lh@mb.au.dk