Renu Srivastava

Renu Srivastava

Position
  • Assistant Teaching Professor

Contact Info

2256 Molecular Bio
Ames
,
IA
50011-1079
Email
renu@iastate.edu
Phone
515-294-1518

More Information

Dr. Renu Srivastava received her M.S. in Botany from the Lucknow University and a Ph.D. in Botany from National Botanical Research Institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. She completed her postdoctoral trainings at the University of Stockholm and University of Turku; worked as a staff scientist at Iowa State University.

Research & Teaching

My current research aims at understanding the mechanism of endoplasmic reticulum stress responses in Arabidopsis and maize. I have also worked on ammonium metabolism of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria and proteomics of their membranes.

My teaching research interests are focused on integrating student-centered pedagogy with current techniques of biological research into biology class rooms. I would like to develop tools to assess the effect of such integration on student learning and retention. My belief is that these courses will provide an invaluable learning experience to the undergraduate students and motivate them to pursue a career in science.

Courses that I teach

Biol 155 (Human Biology)

Biol 212 (Principles of Biology II)

Biol 212L (Principles of Biology Laboratory II)

Biol 423L (Developmental Biology Laboratory)

Biol 314-Online (Principles of Molecular Cell Biology)

Biol/WGS 307 (Women in Science and Engineering -U.S. Diversity Requirement Course)

Selected Publications

Journal Papers (Google Scholar)

  1. Li Z, Tang Jie, Srivastava R, Bassham DC, Howell SH (2020) The UPR transcription factor bZIP60 is an activator of the heat shock response in maize. Plant Cell 32: 3559-3575. 
  2. Kanodia P, Paramasivan V, Srivastava R, Miller A, Howell SH (2020) Control of Translation during the unfolded protein response in maize seedlings: Life without PERKs. Plant Direct 4 (7):1-17 ecollection. 
  3. Srivastava R, Li Z, Russo G,Tang J, Bi R, Muppirala U, Severin AJ, He M, Vaitkevicius S, Lawrence-Dill C, Liu P, Stapleton AE, Bassham D C, Brandizzi F, Howell SH (2018). Response to persistent ER stress in Plants: a Multiphasic Process that Transitions Cells from Prosurvival Activities to Cell Death. Plant Cell 30 (6):1220-1242. PMID: 29802214.
  4. Li Z, Srivastava R, Tang J, Zheng Z, Howell SH (2018). Cis-effects condition the induction of a major unfolded protein response factor, ZmbZIP60, in response to heat stress in maize. Frontiers in Plant Biology 29: 9:833. PMID: 30008724.
  5. Bao Y, Pu Y, Yu X, Gregory BD, Srivastava R, Howell SH, Bassham DC (2018). IRE1b degrades RNAs encoding proteins that interfere with the induction of autophagy by ER stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Autophagy. 17:1-12. PMID: 29940799.
  6. Srivastava R, Zalisko B, Keenan RJ, Howell SH (2017). The GET system inserts a syntaxin, SYP72, a tail anchored protein, into endoplasmic reticulum membranes of Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology. 173(2):1137-1145. PMID: 27923985.
  7. Deng Y*, Srivastava R*, Quilinchini T, Dong H, Horner H T, Howell SH (2016). The role of unfolded protein response (UPR) in male gametophyte development in Arabidopsis. Plant J. 88(2):193-204. PMID 27304577. *Co-first authors.
  8. Yang X, Srivastava R, Howell S H, Bassham D C (2016). Activation of Autophagy by Unfolded Proteins during Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress. Plant Journal 85: 83-95. PMID: 26616142.
  9. Srivastava R, Deng Y, Shah S, Rao AG, Howell SH (2013). BINDING PROTEIN is a master regulator of the ER stress sensor/transducer bZIP28 in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 25(4): 1416–1429. PMID: 23624714.
  10. Deng Y, Srivastava R, Howell SH (2013). Protein kinase and ribonuclease domains of IRE1 confer stress tolerance, vegetative growth and reproductive development in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National academy of Sciences PMID: 24145452.
  11. Srivastava R, Chen Y, Deng Y, Brandizzi F, Howell SH (2012). Elements in bZIP28 mediate its organelle-to-organelle movement under ER stress conditions. Plant Journal 70 (6):1033-1042. PMID: 22335396.
  12. Liu Y, Burgos JS, Deng Y, Srivastava R, Howell S H, Bassham D C (2012). Degradation of the endoplasmic reticulum by autophagy during ER stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell 24 (11): 4635-51 PMID: 23175745.
  13. Deng Y, Humbert S, Liu J-X, Srivastava R, Rothstein S J, Howell SH (2011). Heat induces the splicing by IRE1 of an mRNA encoding a transcription factor involved in the unfolded protein in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National academy of Sciences 108(17):7247-52.  PMID: 21482766. Science Editor’s Choice Article (May 2011:332).
  14. Srivastava R, Liu J-X, Guo M, Yin Y and Howell SH (2009). Regulation and processing of a plant peptide hormone Ralf23 in Arabidopsis. Plant Journal (59):930-939). PMID: 19473327.
  15. Liu J-X, Srivastava R and Howell SH (2009). Overexpression of an Arabidopsis gene encoding a subtilase (AtSBT5.4) produces a clavata-like phenotype.  Planta (230):687-697 PMID: 19588163.
  16. Srivastava R, Liu J-X, Howell SH (2008). Proteolytic processing of a growth promoting peptide by a subtilisin serine protease in Arabidopsis. Plant Journal (2):219-27 PMID: 18643977.
  17.  Liu J-X, Srivastava R and Howell S H (2008). Stress-induced expression of an activated form of AtbZIP17 provides added protection from salt stress in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell & Environment (12):1735-43. PMID: 18721266.
  18. Liu J-X, Srivastava R, Che P, Howell SH (2007). An ER stress response in Arabidopsis is mediated by the processing and nuclear relocation of a membrane associated transcription factor AtbZIP28. Plant Cell (12): 4111-19. PMID: 18156219.
  19. Liu J-X, Srivastava R, Che P, Howell SH (2007). Salt stress responses in Arabidopsis utilize a new transduction pathway related to ER stress signaling. Plant Journal (51): 897-909 PMID: 17662035.
  20. Liu J-X, Srivastava R, Che P, Howell SH. (2008). Salt Stress Signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana involves a Membrane-bound Transcription Factor AtbZIP17 as a Signal Transducer. Plant Signaling and Behavior 3. ISSN: 1559-2316.
  21. Srivastava R, Battchikova N, Norling B & Aro EM (2006). Plasma membrane of Synechocystis PCC 6803: A heterogeneous distribution of membrane proteins. Archives of Microbiology (185): 238-43. PMID: 16432747.
  22. Srivastava R, Pisareva T & Norling B (2005). Proteomic studies of the thylakoid membrane of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Proteomics (5): 4905 – 4916. PMID: 16287171.
  23. Breitholtz H L, Srivastava R, Tyystjarvi E and Rintamaki E (2005). LHCII protein phosphorylation  in the mutant leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana deficient in non-photochemical  quenching. Photosynthesis Research (1–3):  217–23. PMID: 16049777.
  24. Srivastava R, Kitambi S S & Goyal A (2005). In silico analysis of thioredoxins & glutaredoxins. Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology (14): 121-126.ISSN (0971-7811).
  25. Srivastava R Varshney GK, Kitambi S & Amla DV (2004). Analysis of sequences of glutamine synthetase (gln A) gene from prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants 10 (2):1-6. ISSN (0971-5894).  PMBP [Vol 10 (2)] selected and highlighted Fig 1 on its cover page.
  26. Srivastava R & Amla DV (2002). Molecular characteristics of glnA linked mutants in the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum. Current Microbiology 44: 94–101. PMID: 11815852.
  27. Srivastava R & Amla DV (1997). Glutamine synthetase from nitrogen fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum: Purification, biochemical and immunological characteristics. Indian J Experimental Biology 35: 1098–1107. ISSN (0019-5189).

Review Papers

  1. Srivastava R, Deng Y, Howell SH (2014). ER Stress sensing in plants. Frontiers in Plant Science: Vol 5 (59).  PMID 24616727.
  2. Deng Y, Srivastava R and Howell SH (2013). ER stress response and its physiological roles in plants. Special issue: Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance Mechanisms in Plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol 14 (4): 8188-212. PMID 23591838.

Book Chapter (Peer Reviewed)

  1. Srivastava R and Howell S H (2012). “Processing of peptides” Pages 199-216 in “Plant Signaling Peptides.” (Springer Series: “Signaling and Communication in Plants”).

Invited Talks

  1. 2013, “BINDING PROTEIN is a switch that regulates the ER stress transducer, bZIP28 in response to stress,” The 2013 Midwest Plant Cell Dynamics Meeting, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
  2. 2012, “The organelle to organelle movement of bZIP28 in response to ER stress,” Annual meeting of American Society of Plant Biologists, Austin, Texas, USA.
  3. 2009, “Regulation and processing of plant peptide hormones,” IRBV, Montreal, Canada (Zeiss Invited Speaker).
  4. 2008, “Proteolytic processing of a plant peptide hormone by a subtilase in Arabidopsis,” 19th International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, Montreal, Canada.
  5. 2008, “New stress response pathway in plants,” National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR), Lucknow, India.
  6. 2008, “Proteolytic processing of a plant peptide hormone by a subtilase in Arabidopsis,” Joint Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists and the Sociedad Mexicana De Bioquimica Rama: Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular de Plantas, Merida, Mexico.
  7. 2007, “Two membrane-bound bZIP transcription factors of Arabidopsis are activated in response to ER stress,” Plant Biology and Botany Joint Congress, Chicago, USA.
  8. 2006, “Subtilase expression & purification from homologous & heterologous systems,” Subtilase Consortium meeting, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
  9. 2006, “Proteomic studies in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis,” National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India
  10. 2004, “Survey and phylogeny of Thioredoxin and Glutaredoxin families.” 13th International Congress of Photosynthesis, Montreal, Canada.
  11. 2004, “Membrane protein proteome of Synechocystis PCC 6803: Examples and Implications.” Botanical Institute of Kiel University, Germany.