Department of Biology
|
Stephen C. Grace
Associate Professor
(501) 569-3337
(501) 569-3271 (fax)
scgrace@ualr.edu
|
Ph.D. (Botany) 1994 Duke University
B.S. 1988 Louisiana State University
Research Interests
Plant Physiology
Active Oxygen Metabolism
Ecological Biochemistry
My research encompasses diverse aspects of plant biology, ranging from
biochemical analysis of secondary metabolic pathways to environmental
signaling mechanisms and stress ecophysiology. I also have a strong interest
in the pharmacological and nutritional properties of plant natural products, and
in particular antioxidants, and the effects of these phytochemicals on
human health. Students with interests in these areas are
encouraged to contact me to discuss opportunities for undergraduate
and/or graduate-level research.
Stress Ecophysiology and Redox State
Plant productivity is limited by a variety of environmental stresses
including pathogen challenges, extremes of temperature, light, salinity and
water deficit. My research aims to better understand the biochemical
basis for mechanisms that provide protection from these and other forms
of stress. Specific areas of investigation include (1) the biochemistry
of active oxygens and antioxidants, (2) plant bioenergetics, (3)
oxidant signaling mechanisms, and (4) the physiological ecology of
secondary plant metabolites. My research is currently focused on
the role of oxidants and cellular redox status in regulating the
synthesis of compounds derived from the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic
pathway. These compounds play diverse roles in plant metabolism and
are an integral component of many plant stress responses. A long
term goal is to develop strategies for the introduction of targeted
biosynthetic capacity into plant cells for the study and development
of useful natural products.
|
|
Courses Taught
|
BIOL 1401 General Biology
BIOL 2402 Botany
(Click here for course website)
BIOL 4419/5419 Plant Physiology
BIOL 4399/5399 Special Topics - Bioenergetics
|
|
Publications
|
Grace S.C. (2005) Phenolics as antioxidants. in Antioxidants and Reactive
Oxygen Species in Plants. N.Smirnoff (ed.) Blackwell Scientific
Publishers, Oxford, U.K. pp. 141-168.
Grace S.C. (2003) Plant Bioenergetics. In: Nature Encyclopedia of Life
Sciences London: Nature Publishing Group.
http://els.wiley.com
[doi:10.1038/npg.els.0001461]
Sakihama Y., Cohen M.F., Grace S.C. and Yamasaki H. (2002) Plant
phenolic antioxidant and prooxidant activities: phenolics-induced
oxidative damage mediated by metals in plants. Toxicology 177:67-80.
Link to Abstract
Catallo W.J., Kennedy C.H., Henk W., Barker S.A., Grace S.C., Penn A. (2001)
Combustion Products of 1,3-Butadiene are Cytotoxic and Genotoxic to Human Bronchial
Epithelial Cells. Environmental Health Perspectives 109:965-971.
Link to Abstract
Grace S.C. and Logan B.A. (2000) Energy dissipation and radical scavenging by the
plant phenylpropanoid pathway. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
355: 1499-1510.
Link to Abstract
Cleland R.E. and Grace S.C. (1999) Voltammetric detection of superoxide production
by Photosystem II. FEBS Letters 457: 348-352.
Link to Article
Grace S.C., Yamasaki H. and Pryor W.A. (1999) Spin stabilizing approach to the
radical chemistry of phenylpropanoid antioxidants: An ESR study of chlorogenic
acid oxidation in the horseradish peroxidase, tyrosinase, and ferrylmyoglobin
protein radical systems. In Basic Life Sciences, Plant Polyphenols 2:
Chemistry, Biology, Pharmacology, Ecology (G.G. Gross, R.W. Hemingway,
P. Yoshida, eds.) Plenum Press, New York 66:435-450.
Grace S.C., Salgo M.G. and Pryor W.A. (1998) Scavenging of peroxynitrite by a
phenolic-peroxidase system prevents oxidative damage to DNA.
FEBS Letters 426: 24-28.
Link to Abstract
Yamasaki H. and Grace S.C. (1998) EPR detection of phytophenoxyl radicals
stabilized by zinc ions: evidence for the redox-coupling of plant phenolics
with ascorbate in the H2O2-peroxidase system. FEBS Letters 422:377-380.
Link to Abstract
Grace S.C., Logan B.A. and Adams W.W. III (1998) Seasonal differences in
foliar content of chlorogenic acid, a phenylpropanoid antioxidant, in
Mahonia repens. Plant Cell & Environment 21: 513-522.
Logan B.A., Grace S.C., Adams W.W. III and Demmig-Adams B. (1998) Seasonal
differences in xanthophyll cycle characteristics and antioxidants in Mahonia
repens growing in different light environments. Oecologia 116:9-17.
Link to Abstract
Logan B.A., Demmig-Adams B., Adams W.W. III and Grace S.C. (1998)
Antioxidants and xanthophyll cycle-dependent energy dissipation in Curcurbita
pepo and Vinca major acclimated to four growth PFDs in the field.
Journal of Experimental Botany 49:1869-1879.
Link to Article
Demmig-Adams B., Adams W.W. III and Grace S.C. (1997) Physiology of light
tolerance in plants. Horticultural Reviews 18: 215-246.
Grace S.C. and Logan B.A. (1996) Acclimation of foliar antioxidant systems to
growth irradiance in three broad-leaved evergreen species. Plant Physiology
112: 1631-1640.
Grace S., Pace R. and Wydrzynski T. (1995) Formation and decay of
monodehydroascorbate radicals in illuminated thylakoids as determined by
EPR spectroscopy. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1229: 155-165.
Osmond C.B. and Grace S.C. (1995) Perspectives on photoinhibition and
photorespiration in the field: quintessential inefficiencies of the light
and dark reactions of photosynthesis? Journal of Experimental Botany
46: 1351-1362.
Grace S.C. and Osmond C.B. (1995) H2O2-dependent quenching of fluorescence
in thylakoids and chloroplasts:The prime role of thylakoid ascorbate peroxidase
in electron transport to O2. In Proceedings of the Xth International
Photosynthesis Congress (Mathis P., ed.) Kluwer Academic Publishers,
Dordrecht. IV:383-388.
Grace S. and Osmond C.B. (1991) Characterization of superoxide production
by isolated pea thylakoids. In Active Oxygen/Oxidative Stress and Plant
Metabolism (Steffen K.L. and Pell E.J., eds.) American Society of Plant
Physiologists, Rockville, Md. pp. 244-249.
Grace S.C. (1990) Phylogenetic distribution of superoxide dismutase supports
an endosymbiotic origin for chloroplasts and mitochondria. Life Sciences
47: 1875-1886.
|
|