Iowa State University
Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology
1210 Molecular Biology Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3260
Phone: 515-294-7322
Fax: 515-294-6755
Email:
Harry (Jack) T. Horner
University Professor
Dr. Horner, University Professor, received his B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. Dr. Horner came to Iowa State University in Fall 1964 as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow. He joined the faculty in 1966. After a series of promotions, Dr. Horner was awarded a University Professorship in 1995. From 1970 to present day, he has served as the Director of the Bessey Microscopy Facility (soon to be renamed the Microscopy and Nanoimaging Facility), a center for Life Sciences and Biotechnology Research and Teaching. He has taught both undergraduate courses in plant biology and presently teaches graduate-level courses in microscopy. Dr. Horner served terms as President and Treasurer of the Botanical Society of America, and President of the Iowa Academy of Science. Dr. Horner received the 2004 Botanical Society of America Merit Award, the society’s highest honor. In August 2006, he received the Centennial Award from the same Society.
Research Description
My research interests encompass the development and cell biology of male sterility, primarily in soybean; the distribution, initiation and development of calcium oxalate crystals in a variety of plants, and most recently in the genus Peperomia; and the development and function of floral nectaries in soybean and tobacco. These three diverse research areas are of both theoretical and practical importance. In collaboration with a soybean geneticist, we have identified several suitable soybean male-sterility systems that are being tested for attractiveness to certain insects. These cultivars are also being studied for soybean nectary development, function, and nectar output. This latter approach is further being studied in the model tobacco nectary in collaboration with a molecular biologist and biochemist where genes and their expression products related to nectar volume and composition are being characterized. Last but not least, are studies on higher plant crystals of calcium oxalate, a ubiquitous compound found in about 75% of flowering plants. These crystals and the specialized cells in which they form seem to have a variety of functions depending upon the plant, organ, and tissue in which they develop. I am presently collaborating with an ISU colleague and two researchers in Europe to determine if leaf crystal macropatterns support taxonomic groups within the flowering plants, and whether they complements molecular data regarding their phylogeny.
Cervantes-Martinez, I, M Xu, L Zhang, KK Kato, HT Horner, and RG Palmer. 2007. Molecular mapping of male-sterility loci ms2 and ms9 in soybean. Crop Science 47:374-379.
Ortiz-Peréz, E, SR Cianzio, H Wiley, HT Horner, WH Davis, and RG Palmer. 2007. Insect-mediated cross-pollination in soybean [GLycine max (L.) Merrill]: I. Agronomic performance. Field Crops Research 101:259-268.
Horner, HT, RA Healy, G Ren, D Fritz, A Klyne, C Seames, and RW Thornburg. 2007. Amyloplast to chromoplast conversion provides nectar and protection in developing tobacco floral nectaries. American Journal of Botany, (Cover Photo) 94:12-24.
Carter, C, RA Healy, N O’Toole, SSM. Naqvi, G Ren, S Park, G Beattie, HT Horner, and RW. Thornburg. 2007. Tobacco nectaries constitutively express a novel NADPH oxidase that is implicated in the defense of floral reproductive tissues. Plant Physiology 143:389-399.
Ortiz-Peréz, E., H.T. Horner, S.J. Hanlin, and R.G. Palmer. 2006. Insect-mediated seed set evaluation of 21 soybean lines segregating for male sterility at 10 different loci. Euphytica 152:351-360.
Cervantes-Martinez, T, HT Horner, RG Palmer, T Hymowitz, and AHD Brown. 2006. Calcium oxalate crystal macropattern in leaves of species from groups Glycine and Shuteria (Glycininae; Phaseoleae; Papilionoideae; Fabaceae). Canadian Journal of Botany 83:1410-1421.
Ortiz-Perez, E, HT Horner, SJ Hanlin, and RG Palmer. 2006. Evaluation of insect-mediated seed set among soybean lines segregating for male sterility at the ms6 locus. Field Crops Research (England) (97):353-362.
Lersten, NR, and HT Horner. 2006. Crystal macropattern development in Prunus serotina (Rosaceae; Prunoideae) leaves. Annals of Botany 97:723-729.
Pepper, TM, R DenAdel, C Van Allen, and HT Horner. 2005. The Bessey Microscopy Facility: a biotechnology and life sciences center at Iowa State University.. Microscopy & Microanalysis 11:894-895.
Healy, RA, HT Horner, TB Bailey, and RG Palmer. 2005. A microscopic study of the trichomes on gynoecia of normal and tretraploid Clark cultivars of Glycine max and seven near isogenic lines.. International Journal of Plant Sciences (Cover Photo) 16:415-425.
. Al-Wahsh, I, HT Horner, RG Palmer, MB Reddy, and LK Massey. 2005. Oxalate and phytate of soy foods. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53:5670-5674.
Lersten, NR, and HT Horner. 2005. Macropattern of styloid and druse crystals in Quillaja (Quillajaceae) bark and leaves.. International Journal of Plant Sciences (Cover Photo) 166:705-711.
Horner, HT, T Cervantes-Martinez, R Healy, MB Reddy, BL Deardorf, TB Bailey, I Al-Wahsh, LK Massey, and RG Palmer. 2005. Oxalate and phytate concentrations in seeds of soybean cultivars [Glycine max (L.)].. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53:7870-7877.
Lersten, NR, and HT Horner. 2005. Development of the calcium oxalate crystal macropattern in pomegranate (Punica granatum, Punicaceae). American Journal of Botany (Cover Photo) 92:1935-1941.
Healy, RA, HT Horner, CR Bronson. 2004. Visualization of the extracellular matrix of Cochliobolus heterostrophus and a mutant strain with a modified extracellular matrix on leaf surfaces and within leaves of Zea mays. Canadian Journal of Botany 82:75-88.
Lersten, NR, and HT Horner. 2004. Calcium oxalate crystal macropattern development during Prunus virginiana (Rosaceae) leaf growth.. Canadian Journal of Botany 82:1800-1808.
Ilarslan, H, HT Horner and RG Palmer. 2003. Megagametophyte abnormalities of near isogenic female partial-sterile soybean mutants (Glycine max; Leguminosae).. Journal of Plant Research (Japan) 16:141-149.
Rosin, FM, JK Hart, HT Horner, PJ Davies and DJ Hannapel. 2003. Overexpression of a knotted-like homeobox gene of potato alters vegetative development by decreasing gibberellin accumulation. Plant Physiology 132:106-117.
Thornburg RW, C Carter, A Powell, R Mittler, L Rizhsky, HT Horner. 2003. A major function of the tobacco floral nectary is defense against microbial attack. Plant Systematics & Evolution 238:211-218.
Horner, HT, T Cervantes-Martinez, R Healy and RG Palmer. 2003. Floral nectary development and structure in Glycine max (Leguminosae).. International Journal of Plant Sciences 164:675-690.
Smith, MA, RG Palmer and HT Horner.. 2002. Microscopy of a cytoplasmic male-sterile soybean from an interspecific cross between Glycine max and G. soja.. American Journal of Botany 89:417-426.
Massey, LK, LM Grentz, HT Horner and RG Palmer. 2002. Soybean and soyfood consumption increases oxalate excretion.. Topics in Clinical Nutrition 17:49-59.
Feng, L, C Xiangqin, HT Horner, H Weiner, and PS Schnable. 2001. Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase activity is required for male fertility in maize (Zea mays L.). Plant Cell (Cover Photo) 12:1063-1078.
