Speaker: Walter Suza, Iowa State University George Washington Carver Endowed Chair and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Agronomy

Title: Spatial and temporal regulation of sterol biosynthesis in plants

Abstract: Sterols are products of the mevalonate pathway and play a vital role in regulating cell membrane fluidity and permeability. Beyond this structural function, they serve as precursors to steroid hormones in mammals and brassinosteroids in plants. In animals, cholesterol also functions as a signaling molecule with critical roles during early development. While the signaling role for cholesterol is established in animals, the mechanisms governing sterol sensing and homeostasis in plants remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap has limited our ability to fully appreciate the direct roles of sterols in plant growth and development. Unlike mammals and yeast, which produce cholesterol and ergosterol respectively, plants synthesize a range of sterols including cholesterol, campesterol, sitosterol, and stigmasterol. The developmental and stress-induced fluctuations in sitosterol and stigmasterol levels suggest specialized functions in cellular physiology. In my talk, I will present results from our investigation of sterol biosynthesis in maize and soybean, with a particular focus on the impact of sitosterol to stigmasterol conversion on cellular metabolism.

Host: Dior Kelley, associate professor in genetics, development and cell biology