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Name	Bennett, Alan B.
Education	Ph.D. (1982), Plant Physiology Cornell University
Specialty	Molecular biology of tomato fruit development; molecular basis of membrane transport; and protein targeting to the cell wall and vacuole.
Location	101 Mann Lab
Phone Number	530-752-1411
E-Mail	abbennett@ucdavis.edu
Graduate Groups	Membership in graduate groups: Plant Biology, Vegetable Crops, Biochemistry
Bio	My lab is actively investigating the mechanisms of fruit softening with a goal of developing molecular genetic strategies to modify this process as a means of improving fruit quality. In tomato, a single enzyme, polygalacturonase, has been implicated as a determinant of pectin degradation and tissue softening that accompanies ripening. To determine the biochemical role of polygalacturonase in the ripening process we cloned its gene and have characterized the molecular basis of its regulation in normal and ripening-impaired tomato mutants. To examine its function in vivo we constructed a chimeric gene possessing regulatory elements from an ethylene-inducible gene and the structural gene of polygalacturonase. As a component of our research on cell wall-degrading enzymes we have developed a broad interest in protein targeting within the endomembrane system (E.R., Golgi, plasma membrane, tonoplast) of plant cells. In addition, my laboratory has maintained an active interest in the molecular basis of membrane transport at the plasma membrane and tonoplast of plant cells. This initially involved the development of assays to characterize biochemical and biophysical properties of H⁺ -ATPases. To gain additional insight into structural and functional features of plant cell H⁺ -ATPases we recently isolated cDNA clones corresponding to the plasma membrane H⁺ -ATPase and to a putative Ca²⁺-ATPase. This represents a major step in a continuing program now focusing on the molecular biology of membrane transport in plants.
Selected Publications	Fisher, R.L. and A.B. Bennett. 1991. Role of cell wall hydrolases in fruit ripening. Annu. Rev. Plant physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 42:675-703. Giovannoni, J., D. DellaPenna, A.B. Bennett, and R.L. Fischer. 1989. Expression of a chimeric polygalaturonase gene in transgenic rin (ripening inhibitor) tomato fruit results in polyuronide degradation but not fruit softening. Plant Cell 1:53-63. Bennett, A.B., G.M. Smith and B. Nichols. 1987. Regulation of climacteric respiration in ripening avocado fruit. Plant Physiol. 83:973-976. DellaPenna, D., D. Alexander and A.B. Bennett. 1986. Molecular cloning of tomato fruit polygalacturonase: Analysis of mRNA levels during ripening. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83:6420-6424.
Expertise	Plant Sciences
Campus	UC Davis Faculty
Extension Specialist	No