Simon Geir Moller, Ph.D.
Professor and EMBO Young Investigator, BSc, MSc,
Ph.D; Professor II
St. Albert Hall
T: 718.990.1697
e:mollers@stjohns.edu
Research overview
Our research is divided into several areas. The main project in
our laboratory focuses on Parkinson's disease where we are defining
molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with disease onset and
progression. Our lab uses a combination of several model systems
including plants, zebrafish and mammalian cell lines.
In combination these models represent a powerful
approach. Our research on Parkinson’s disease benefits
tremendously from our collaboration with Professor Jan Petter
Larsen at The Norwegian Centre for Movement Disorders at Stavanger
University Hospital and with the research group of Professor Mark
Odell at Westminster University, UK. A second focus is targeted
towards iron-sulfur biogenesis mechanisms and consequences in a
cellular context within various cellular compartments. We also have
an interest in understanding how plastids divide inside plant cells
and how we can engineer the plastid genome for the production of
valuable proteins for the industry sector (for further information
see www.plastid.no)
LAB MEMBERS
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS
Dr. Aisling Dunne
Dr. Saeid Jami
Dr. Sungsu Lee
Dr. Ramavati Pal
Dr. Shubhangi Prabhudesai
Ph.D. GRADUATE
STUDENTS
Rashed Abdullah, Ph.D. Student
Indranil Basak, Ph.D. Student
Jan Hempel, Ph.D. Student
Ketan Patil, Ph.D. Student
UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS
Meiyi Shi
Peter Yang
Selected Publications
Ingrid Holtsmark,
Sungsu Lee, Kristin Aaser Lunde, Kathrine Auestad, Jodi
Maple-Grødem and Simon
Geir Møller (2013) Plastid division control: The PDV proteins
regulate DRP5B dynamin activity. Plant Mol. Biol. in
press
Jodi Maple, Gargano D and Møller SG.
Biogenesis of Chloroplasts. In: The Structural Basis of Biological
Energy Generation. Hohmann-Marriott MF (ed). Advances in
Photosynthesis and Respiration Series, Springer, Dordrecht, The
Netherlands, in press
Daniela Gargano, Jodi
Maple-Grødem, Veronika
Reisinger, Lutz Andreas Eichacker and Simon Geir Møller (2013)
A
nalysis of the chloroplast
proteome in arc mutants and identification of novel protein
components associated with FtsZ2. Plant Mol Biol. In
press
Indranil
Basak and Simon Geir Møller (2013) Emerging facets of plastid
division regulation. Planta. In press
Daniela Gargano,
Jodi Maple-Grødem and Simon Geir Møller (2012) In vivo
phosphorylation of FtsZ2 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Biochem.
J. In press
Pedersen KF, Alves G, Larsen JP, Tysnes OB, Møller SG, Brønnick
K. (2012) Psychometric properties of the starkstein apathy scale in
patients with early untreated Parkinson Disease. Am J Geriatr
Psychiatry. 20:142-148.
Xiang Ming Xu and Simon Geir Møller (2011). The value of
Arabidopsis research in understanding human disease states.
Current Opinions in Biotechnology. 22, 300-307
Jodi Maple, Per Winge, Astrid Elisabeth Tveitaskog, Daniela
Gargano, Atle Bones, and Simon Geir Møller (2011)Genome-wide gene
expression profiles in response to plastid division
perturbations.Planta.In press
Xiang Ming Xu and Simon Geir Møller (2011).Iron-Sulfur Clusters:
Biogenesis, Molecular Mechanisms and Their Functional
Significance. Antioxidants and Redox Signaling. 15,
271-307
Xiang Ming Xu and Simon Geir Møller (2010). SOD removal by DJ-1:
Arabidopsis as a new model to understand Parkinson’s Disease.
Plant Signalling and Behaviour. 5, 1034-1036
Xiang Ming Xu, Hong Lin, Jodi Maple, Benny Björkblom, Guido
Alves, Jan Petter Larsen, and Simon Geir Møller (2010) Conserved
Stress Protective Function of Arabidopsis and Human DJ-1 Linked to
Cytosolic SOD Activity. J Cell Science, 123, 1644-1651
Maita Latijnhouwers, Xiang-Ming Xu, Simon Geir Møller (2010)
Arabidopsis stromal 70-kDa heat shock proteins are essential for
chloroplast development. Planta, 232, 567-578
Xiang Ming Xu, Hong Lin , Maita Latijnhouwers and Simon Geir
Møller (2009). AtHscB is a Jac1-Like Protein Involved in Iron
Sulfur Protein Biogenesis in Arabidopsis. PlosONE, 4,
e7662
Jodi Maple and Simon Geir Møller (2007). Interdependency of Min
complex formation and localization controls symmetric plastid
division. J Cell Science. 120, 3446-3456.
Jodi Maple, Lea Vojta, Jurgen Soll and Simon Geir Møller (2007)
ARC3 is a stromal Z-ring accessory protein essential for plastid
division. EMBO Rep. 8, 293-299.
Xiang Ming Xu and Simon Geir Møller (2006)AtSufE is an essential
activator of plastidic and mitochondrial desulfurases in
Arabidopsis. EMBO J. 25. 900-909.
Cassie Aldridge and Simon Geir Møller (2005) The plastid
division protein AtMinD1 is a Ca2+-ATPase stimulated by AtMinE1.
J. Biol. Chem. 280. 31673-31678
Jodi Maple, Cassie Aldridge and Simon Geir Møller (2005) Plastid
division is mediated by combinatorial assembly of plastid division
proteins.43. 811-823
Xiang Ming Xu, Sally Adams, Nam-Hai Chua and Simon Geir Møller
(2005) AtNAP1 represents an atypical SufB protein in
Arabidopsis plastids. J. Biol. Chem. 280,
6648-6654.
Xiang Ming Xu and Simon Geir Møller (2004) AtNAP7 is a plastidic
SufC-like ABC/ATPase essential for Arabidopsis
embryogenesis. Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.U.S.A. 101,
9143-9148.
Makoto T. Fujiwara, Ayako Nakamura, Ryuuichi Itoh, Yukihisa
Shimada, Shigeo Yoshida and Simon Geir Møller (2004) Chloroplast
division site placement requires dimerisation of the ARC11/ AtMinD1
protein in Arabidopsis. J. Cell Science, 117,
2399-2410.
Jodi Maple, Makoto T. Fujiwara,Nobutaka Kitahata, Tracey Lawson,
Neil Baker,Shigeo Yoshida and Simon Geir Møller (2004)GIANT
CHLOROPLAST 1 is essential for correct plastid division in
Arabidopsis. Current Biology. 14, 776-781.