Mark received his B.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University in 1993 and completed his graduate work in Microbiology/Cell and Molecular Biology at the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory at Michigan State University (Ph.D. 2000) where he studied mRNA degradation with Dr. Pamela J. Green. Mark began working on plant reproductive development while he was an NIH Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award postdoctoral fellow at The University of Chicago with Dr. Daphne Preuss (2000-2004). Mark joined the faculty of Brown University in September of 2004. Mark's laboratory is focused on understanding the molecular basis for cellular communication. They focus on flowering plant reproduction because this process is essential for agricultural productivity and because it relies on an elaborate dialogue between experimentally tractable cells. Mark is active in graduate and undergraduate teaching and mentoring. He is the MCB graduate program director and the director of Brown's Howard Hughes Medical Institute-funded efforts to increase retention among undergraduates interested in STEM disciplines.
| Leydon, Alexander R., Weinreb, Caleb, Venable, Elena, Reinders, Anke, Ward, John M., Johnson, Mark A. "The Molecular Dialog between Flowering Plant Reproductive Partners Defined by SNP-Informed RNA-Sequencing." The Plant Cell, vol. 29, no. 5, 2017, pp. 984-1006. |
| Padmanaban S, Czerny DD, Levin KA, Leydon AR, Su RT, Maugel TK, Zou Y, Chanroj S, Cheung AY, Johnson MA, Sze H. "Transporters involved in pH and K+ homeostasis affect pollen wall formation, male fertility, and embryo development." Journal of experimental botany, 2017. |
| Leydon AR, Tsukamoto T, Dunatunga D, Qin Y, Johnson MA, Palanivelu R. "Pollen Tube Discharge Completes the Process of Synergid Degeneration That Is Initiated by Pollen Tube-Synergid Interaction in Arabidopsis." PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, vol. 169, no. 1, 2015, pp. 485-96. |
| Hartman E, Levy C, Kern DM, Johnson MA, Basu A. "A rapid, inexpensive, and semi-quantitative method for determining pollen tube extension using fluorescence." Plant methods, vol. 10, no. 1, 2014, pp. 3. |
| Leydon, Alexander R., Johnson, Mark A. "Defects in pollen-tube differentiation prevent fertilization." Mol. Reprod. Dev., vol. 81, no. 1, 2014, pp. 1-1. |
| Leydon AR, Chaibang A, Johnson MA. "Interactions between pollen tube and pistil control pollen tube identity and sperm release in the Arabidopsis female gametophyte." Biochemical Society transactions, vol. 42, no. 2, 2014, pp. 340-5. |
| Leydon, Alexander R., Johnson, Mark A. "Preparing for explosion: Pollen tubes are capacitated by the pistil." Mol. Reprod. Dev., 2013, pp. n/a-n/a. |
| Beale KM, Johnson MA. "Speed dating, rejection, and finding the perfect mate: advice from flowering plants." Current opinion in plant biology, vol. 16, no. 5, 2013, pp. 590-7. |
| Leydon AR, Beale KM, Woroniecka K, Castner E, Chen J, Horgan C, Palanivelu R, Johnson MA. "Three MYB transcription factors control pollen tube differentiation required for sperm release." Current Biology, vol. 23, no. 13, 2013, pp. 1209-14. |
| Beale KM, Leydon AR, Johnson MA. "Gamete fusion is required to block multiple pollen tubes from entering an Arabidopsis ovule." Current Biology, vol. 22, no. 12, 2012, pp. 1090-4. |
| Johnson MA. "Plant reproduction: teaching a new language of love." Current Biology, vol. 22, no. 13, 2012, pp. R528-9. |
| Lu Y, Chanroj S, Zulkifli L, Johnson MA, Uozumi N, Cheung A, Sze H. "Pollen tubes lacking a pair of K+ transporters fail to target ovules in Arabidopsis." The Plant cell, vol. 23, no. 1, 2011, pp. 81-93. |
| Qin Y, Wysocki RJ, Somogyi A, Feinstein Y, Franco JY, Tsukamoto T, Dunatunga D, Levy C, Smith S, Simpson R, Gang D, Johnson MA, Palanivelu R. "Sulfinylated azadecalins act as functional mimics of a pollen germination stimulant in Arabidopsis pistils." The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology, vol. 68, no. 5, 2011, pp. 800-15. |
| Johnson MA. "Fertilization: monogamy by mutually assured destruction." Current Biology, vol. 20, no. 13, 2010, pp. R571-3. |
| Palanivelu R, Johnson MA. "Functional genomics of pollen tube-pistil interactions in Arabidopsis." Biochemical Society transactions, vol. 38, no. 2, 2010, pp. 593-7. |
| Wong JL, Leydon AR, Johnson MA. "HAP2(GCS1)-dependent gamete fusion requires a positively charged carboxy-terminal domain." PLOS Genetics, vol. 6, no. 3, 2010, pp. e1000882. |
| Wong JL, Johnson MA. "Is HAP2-GCS1 an ancestral gamete fusogen?." Trends in cell biology, vol. 20, no. 3, 2010, pp. 134-41. |
| Johnson MA, Kost B. "Pollen tube development." Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 655, 2010, pp. 155-76. |
| Frank AC, Johnson MA. "Expressing the diphtheria toxin A subunit from the HAP2(GCS1) promoter blocks sperm maturation and produces single sperm-like cells capable of fertilization." PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, vol. 151, no. 3, 2009, pp. 1390-400. |
| Qin Y, Leydon AR, Manziello A, Pandey R, Mount D, Denic S, Vasic B, Johnson MA, Palanivelu R. "Penetration of the stigma and style elicits a novel transcriptome in pollen tubes, pointing to genes critical for growth in a pistil." PLOS Genetics, vol. 5, no. 8, 2009, pp. e1000621. |
| Johnson MA, Bender J. "Reprogramming the epigenome during germline and seed development." Genome Biology, vol. 10, no. 8, 2009, pp. 232. |
| von Besser K, Frank AC, Johnson MA, Preuss D. "Arabidopsis HAP2 (GCS1) is a sperm-specific gene required for pollen tube guidance and fertilization." Development, vol. 133, no. 23, 2006, pp. 4761-9. |
| Johnson MA, von Besser K, Zhou Q, Smith E, Aux G, Patton D, Levin JZ, Preuss D. "Arabidopsis hapless mutations define essential gametophytic functions." Genetics, vol. 168, no. 2, 2004, pp. 971-82. |
| Chiba Y, Johnson MA, Lidder P, Vogel JT, van Erp H, Green PJ. "AtPARN is an essential poly(A) ribonuclease in Arabidopsis." Gene, vol. 328, 2004, pp. 95-102. |
| Lidder, P., Johnson, M.A., Sullivan, M.L., Thompson, D.M., Pérez-Amador, M.A., Howard, C.J, Green, P.J. "Genetics of the DST-mediated mRNA decay pathway using a transgene-based selection." Biochemical Society transactions, vol. 32, no. 4, 2004, pp. 575-577. |
| Johnson MA, Preuss D. "On your mark, get set, GROW! LePRK2-LAT52 interactions regulate pollen tube growth." Trends in plant science, vol. 8, no. 3, 2003, pp. 97-9. |
| Johnson MA, Preuss D. "Plotting a course: multiple signals guide pollen tubes to their targets." Developmental Cell, vol. 2, no. 3, 2002, pp. 273-81. |
Beale KB, Leydon AR, Johnson MA (2012) Gamete fusion is required to block multiple pollen tubes from entering an Arabidopsis ovule. Current Biology (on-line May17).
Lu Y, Chanroj S, Zulkifli L, Johnson MA, Uozumi N, Cheung A, Sze H (2011). Pollen Tubes Lacking a Pair of K+ Transporters Fail to Target Ovules in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. Jan;23(1):81-93
Qin Y, Wysocki RJ, Somogyi A, Feinstein Y, Franco JY, Tsukamoto T, Dunatunga D, Levy C, Smith S, Simpson R, Gang D, Johnson MA, Palanivelu R. (2011) Sulfinylated azadecalins act as functional mimics of a pollen germination stimulant in Arabidopsis pistils. Plant J. Dec;68(5):800-15.
Johnson MA, Kost B (2010) Pollen tube development. Methods Mol Biol. 655:155-76.
Johnson MA (2010) Fertilization: monogamy by mutually assured destruction. Curr Biol. Jul 13;20(13):R571-3
Palanivelu R, Johnson MA (2010) Functional genomics of pollen tube-pistil interactions in Arabidopsis. Biochem Soc Trans. Apr;38(2):593-7.
Wong JL, Leydon AR, Johnson MA (2010) HAP2(GCS1)-dependent gamete fusion requires a positively charged carboxy-terminal domain. PLoS Genet. Mar 19;6(3):e1000882.
Wong JL, Johnson MA (2010) Is HAP2-GCS1 an ancestral gamete fusogen? Trends Cell Biol. Mar;20(3):134-41.
Johnson MA and Bender J (2009) Reprogramming the epigenome during germline and seed development. Genome Biol 10: 232
Qin Y, Leydon AR, Manziello A, Pandey R, Mount D, Denic S, Vasic B, Johnson MA, Palanivelu R (2009) Penetration of the stigma and style elicits a novel transcriptome in pollen tubes, pointing to genes critical for growth in a pistil. PLoS Genet 5: e1000621
Frank AC and Johnson MA (2009) Expressing the diphtheria toxin A subunit from the HAP2(GCS1) promoter blocks sperm maturation and produces single sperm-like cells capable of fertilization. Plant Physiol. 2009 Nov;151(3):1390-400.
Johnson MA and Lord EM (2006) Extracellular Guidance Cues and Intracellular Signaling Pathways that Direct Pollen Tube Growth. In R Malho, ed, The Pollen Tube: A cellular and molecular perspective, Vol 3. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 223-242
von Besser K, Frank AC, Johnson MA, Preuss D (2006) Arabidopsis HAP2 (GCS1) is a sperm-specific gene required for pollen tube guidance and fertilization. Development 133: 4761-4769
Lidder P, Johnson MA, Sullivan ML, Thompson DM, Perez-Amador MA, Howard CJ, Green PJ (2004) Genetics of the DST-mediated mRNA decay pathway using a transgene-based selection. Biochem Soc Trans 32: 575-577
Chiba Y, Johnson MA, Lidder P, Vogel JT, van Erp H, Green PJ (2004) AtPARN is an essential poly(A) ribonuclease in Arabidopsis. Gene 328: 95-102
Johnson MA, von Besser K, Zhou Q, Smith E, Aux G, Patton D, Levin JZ, Preuss D (2004) Arabidopsis hapless mutations define essential gametophytic functions. Genetics 168: 971-982
Johnson MA and Preuss D (2003) On your mark, get set, GROW! LePRK2-LAT52 interactions regulate pollen tube growth. Trends Plant Sci 8: 97-99
Johnson MA, Preuss D (2002) Plotting a course: multiple signals guide pollen tubes to their targets. Dev Cell 2: 273-281
Perez-Amador MA, Lidder P, Johnson MA, Landgraf J, Wisman E, Green PJ (2001) New Molecular Phenotypes in the dst Mutants of Arabidopsis Revealed by DNA Microarray Analysis. Plant Cell 13: 2703-2717.
Johnson MA, Perez-Amador MA, Lidder P, Green PJ (2000) Mutants of Arabidopsis defective in a sequence-specific mRNA degradation pathway. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97: 13991-13996
Johnson MA, Baker EJ, Colbert JT, Green PJ (1998) Determinants of mRNA stability in plants. In J Bailey-Serres, D Gallie, eds, A look beyond transcription: Mechanisms determining mRNA stability and translation in plants. American Society of Plant Physiologists, Rockville, pp 40-53
Kastenmayer JP, van Hoof A, Johnson MA, Green PJ (1998) mRNA Decay Machinery in Plants: Approaches and Potential Components. In N Raikhel, RL Last, G Morelli, F LaShavo, eds, Plant Molecular Biology, Vol 104. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 125 - 133
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | PhD | Michigan State University |
| 1993 | BS | Wake Forest University |
| BIOL 0440 - Inquiry in Plant Biology: Analysis of Plant Growth, Reproduction and Adaptive Responses |
| BIOL 0470 - Genetics |
| BIOL 2000C - Molecular Recognition and Signaling in Self and Non-self Interactions |
| BIOL 2540 - Molecular Genetics |
