
Shelley Lumba
Assistant Professor
Campus
St. George (downtown)
CSB Appointment
Full
Research Areas
Developmental Biology, Genetics / Genomics, Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, Systems Biology
Education
Ph.D. University of Toronto 2007
BSc Hon, University of Toronto 2000
Primary Undergraduate Department
Cell & Systems Biology
Graduate Programs
Cell & Systems Biology
Research Description
The Lumba Research Group is interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying dormancy and germination in parasitic plants like Striga. In Africa, S. hermonthica is the most destructive Striga species by parasitizing major food crops such as sorghum, rice and millet and causing yield losses in the range of 30 to 100%. Striga infestations adversely affect the lives of over 100 million people in 25 countries. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie dormancy and germination in the Striga seed is essential to developing strategies to combat Striga. These molecular mechanisms, however, are poorly understood. We apply systems biology approaches to integrate genomic, transcriptome and protein-protein interaction data to generate signalling networks underlying germination in a parasitic model, Striga and a non-parasitic model, Arabidopsis. To generate protein interaction datasets for Striga and Arabidopsis, we have developed a “tabletop interactome” method consisting of high-throughput, binary yeast two-hybrid studies. Our particular focus is on signalling networks of plant hormones such as SL (strigolactone), GA (gibberrellic acid) and ABA (abscisic acid), which are known to play critical roles in the decision to germinate. By generating signalling networks at the protein level, we are closer to a cellular understanding of germination processes in plants. Further comparisons of signalling networks between Striga and Arabidopsis will also reveal clues to the evolution of a parasitic lifecycle. Our goal is to take advantage of these differences to develop strategies that prevent Striga from germinating and infecting its host.
Contact Information
Office Phone: 416-978-8262
Office: ESC4069
Lab: ESC4065
Lab Phone: 416-978-0563
Email
Mailing Address
Department of Cell & Systems Biology
University of Toronto
25 Willcocks St.
Toronto, ON M5S 3B2
Canada
Recent News
July 20, 2023
Setbacks are an opportunity to be seized for Nyman scholarship awardee Dylan Bradizza
Dylan Bradizza’s ability to reflect, learn and share has earned him selection for the Leslie Paul Nyman Scholarship. He felt exhilaration and pride…
June 2, 2023
End of the tunnel for crop loss due to parasitic plants
Parasitic plants devastate entire fields of crops every year, resulting in billions of dollars of food lost. As food prices rise, protecting crops…
May 18, 2023
CSB Researchers earn multiple NSERC awards
Congratulations to Professors in CSB who earned NSERC Discovery and NSERC-RTI grants! NSERC Discovery Grants The Discovery Grant program supports…
Publications
2023
Structural analysis of a hormone-bound Striga strigolactone receptor
Arellano-Saab A, Skarina T, Xu Z, McErlean CSP, Savchenko A, Lumba S, Stogios PJ, McCourt P
2023, Nature Plants, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-023-01423-y
2021
Three mutations repurpose a plant karrikin receptor to a strigolactone receptor
Arellano-Saab A, Bunsick M, Al Galib H, Zhao W, Schuetz S, Bradley JM, Xu Z, Adityani C, Subha A, McKay H, de Saint Germain A, Boyer F, McErlean CSP, Toh S, McCourt P, Stogios PJ, Lumba S
2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10.1073/pnas.2103175118
2020
SMAX1-dependent seed germination bypasses GA signalling in Arabidopsis and Striga
Bunsick M, Toh S, Wong C, Xu Z, Ly G, McErlean CSP, Pescetto G, Nemrish KE, Sung P, Li JD, Scholes JD, Lumba S
2020, Nature Plants, 10.1038/s41477-020-0653-z