Klaas Jan van Wijk Plastid Biology and Proteomics Lab, Cornell University

Welcome to the van Wijk Lab

Plastid Differentiation, Biogenesis and Adaptation; from Proteome to Function

Plastids are essential organelles of prokaryotic origin present in nearly every plant cell. Plastid size, shape, and function depend on the cell type.

Chloroplasts are the best known green plastids and carry out photosynthesis and also synthesize hormones, fatty acids and lipids, amino acids, vitamins, nucleotides, secondary metabolites such as isoprenoids, and are required for nitrogen and sulfur assimilation. Other non-green and non-photosynthetic plastids include amyloplasts in roots, leucoplasts in trichomes and chromoplasts in fruits and flowers.

Genome-wide screening of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome using subcellular localization programs predicted that up to 4500 genes encode for plastid localized proteins.

My lab is studying different aspects of plastid differentiation, function, protein homeostasis and adaptation in maize and Arabidopsis thaliana (projects 1-3). We use different biochemical techniques, in particular proteomics and mass spectrometry, bioinformatics and reverse genetics. Since proteins fulfill many of the cellular functions, we are interested to determine and curate the subproteomes of chloroplasts and non-green plastids (project 4). Together with Dr. Qi Sun at CBSU, we have created a specialized Plastid Proteome DataBase (PPDB) as a public resource (project 5).

Our proteomics and mass spectrometry infrastructure and expertise are also used in collaborations with colleagues at Cornell University and elsewhere (e.g. project 6).

The van Wijk lab has received funding from NSF, DOE, USDA, NYSTAR, BSF, and STINT.