Richard Meagher
Distinguished Research Professor
Ph.D. (1973) Yale University
Phone: 706-542-1444
Email: meagher@uga.edu
See my Laboratory Home Page

Research Interests
The laboratory examines the molecular genetics and evolution of plant gene expression. Actin and actin-binding proteins like profilin are encoded by ancient gene families in plants. Recent experiments have shown that the diverse actin genes are differentially expressed in unique subsets of cell types, tissues, and organs of Arabidopsis and that the actin proteins are functionally different. A separate project focuses on the central role of the differentially expressed plant poly (A)-binding protein family in building the post-transcriptional apparatus. Mechanisms for the phytoremediation of heavy metal pollution are being explored. Plants which metabolize ionic- and methyl-mercury have been engineered.
  • Meagher, R.B., M.K. Kandasamy, R.B. Deal and E.C. McKinney. 2007. Actin-related proteins in chromatin-level control of the cell cycle and developmental transitions. Trends In Cell Biology 17: 325-332.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., B. Burgos-Rivera, E.C. McKinney, D. Ruzicka and R.B. Meagher. Class-specific interactions of profilin and ADF isovariants with Actin in the regulation of plant development. Plant Cell 10.1105/tpc.107.052621.
  • Ruzicka, D.R., M.K. Kandasamy, E.C. McKinney, B. Burgos-Rivera and R.B. Meagher. 2007. The ancient subclasses of Arabidopsis actin depolymerizing factor genes exhibit novel and differential expression. Plant Journal 52:460-472.
  • Deal, R.B., C.N. Topp, E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2007. Repression of flowering in Arabidopsis requires activation of FLOWERING LOCUS C expression by the histone variant H2A.Z. Plant Cell 19: 74-83.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., B. Burgos-Rivera, E.C. McKinney, D. Ruzicka and R.B. Meagher. 2007. Co-expression of reproductive ADF or profilin isovariants suppresses actin ectopic expression phenotypes. Plant Cell.
  • Lyyra, S., R.B. Meagher, T. Kim, A. Heaton, P. Montello, R.S. Balish and S.A. Merkle. 2007. Coupling two mercury resistance genes in Eastern cottonwood enhances the processing of organomercury. Plant Biotechnol. J. 5: 254-62.
  • Balasubramanian, R., A. Karve, M. Kandasamy, R.B. Meagher and B.D. Moore. 2007. A role for F-actin in hexokinase-mediated glucose signaling. Plant Physiol 145: 1423-34.
  • Meagher, R.B., T. Kim, A.P. Smith and A.C.P. Heaton. 2007. Designing plants for the remediation mercury- and arsenic-polluted soils and water. In: Designing Industrial Crops. T. McKeon, and L. Jiann-Tsyh (eds). American Chemical Society Books.
  • Dhankher, O., B. Rosen, J. Shokes, R. Scott, E. McKinney and R. Meagher. 2006. Increased arsenic uptake by plants knocked down for an endogenous arsenate reductase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103: 5413-5418.133.
  • Li, Y., O. Dhankher, L. Carreira, C. Cobbett and R. Meagher. 2006a. Long-distance transport of thiol-peptides synthesized from the shoot-specific expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase enhances arsenic tolerance. Plant Physiol. 141: 1-11.
  • Li, Y., A.C.P. Heaton, O.P. Dhankher and R.B. Meagher. 2006b. Overexpression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and glutathione synthetase in plants confers arsenic and mercury resistance. Physiol. Plantarum 141: 1-11.
  • Meagher, R. B. 2006. Plants tackle explosive contamination. Nat. Biotechnol. 24: 161-163.
  • Che, D.S., R.B. Meagher, R. Kim, A.C.P. Heaton, A. Lima, C.L. Rugh, and S.A. Merkle. 2006. Expression of methylmercury lyase in Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) confers organic mercury reduction and resistance. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant 42: 228-234.
  • Zimeri, A.M., O.P. Dhankher, B. McCaig and R.B. Meagher. 2005. The plant MT1 metallothioneins are stabilized by binding cadmiums and are required for cadmium tolerance and accumulation. Plant Molecular Biology 58: 839-855.
  • Kim, T., R.S. Balish, A.C.P. Heaton, E.C. McKinney, O.P. Dhankher and R.B. Meagher. 2005. Engineering a root-specific, repressor-operator gene complex. Plant Biotechnology Journal 3: 571-582.
  • Deal, R.B., M.K. Kandasamy, E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2005. The nuclear actin-related protein ARP6 is a pleiotropic developmental regulator required for the maintenance of FLOWERING LOCUS C expression and repression of flowering in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 17: 2633-2646.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., E.C. McKinney, R.B. Deal and R.B. Meagher. 2005. Arabidopsis ARP7 is an essential actin-related protein required for normal embryogenesis, plant architecture, and floral organ abscission. Plant Physiology 138: 2019-2032.
  • Li, Y.J., O.P. Dhankher, L. Carreira, R.S. Balish and R.B. Meagher.. 2005. Arsenic and mercury tolerance and cadmium sensitivity in Arabidopsis plants expressing bacterial gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase. Environmental Toxiciology and Chemistry 24: 1376-1386.
  • Li, Y.J., O.P. Dhankher, L. Carreira, D. Lee, A. Chen, J.I. Schroeder, R.S. Balish and R.B. Meagher.. 2004. Overexpression of phytochelatin synthase in Arabidopsis leads to enhanced arsenic tolerance and cadmium hypersensitivity. Plant Cell and Cell Physiology 45: 1787-1797.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., R.B.Deal, E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2004. Plant actin-related proteins. Trends in Plant Science 9: 196-202.
  • Dhankher, O.P., B.P. Rosen, M. Fuhrman and R.B. Meagher. 2003. Increased cadmium tolerance and accumulation by plants expressing bacterial arsenate reductase. New Phytologist 159: 431-441.
  • Heaton, A., C. Rugh, R. Kim, J. Wang and R. Meagher. 2003. Toward detoxifying mercury-polluted aquatic sediments using rice genetically-engineered for mercury resistance. Env Tox & Chem 22: 2940-2947.
  • Dhankher, O.P.,Y. Li, B.P. Rosen, J. Shi, D. Salt, J.F. Senecoff, N. A. Sashti and R.B. Meagher. 2002. Engineering tolerance and hyperaccumulation of arsenic in plants by combining arsenate reductase and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase expression. Nat Biotechnol 20: 1140-1145.
  • Gilliland, L.U., M.K. Kandasamy, L.C. Pawloski and R.B. Meagher. 2002. Both vegetative and reproductive actin isovariants complement the stunted root hair phenotype of the Arabidopsis act2-1 mutation. Plant Physiol 130: 2199-2209.
  • McKinney, E.C., M. K. Kandasamy and R.B. Meagher. 2002. Arabidopsis contains ancient classes of differentially expressed actin- related protein genes. Plant Physiol 128: 997-1007.
  • Meagher, R.B. 2002. Post-genomics networking of biotechnology for interpreting gene function. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 135-140.
  • Kandasamy, M.K., L.U. Gilliland, E.C. McKinney and R.B. Meagher. 2001. One plant actin isovariant, ACT7, is induced by auxin and required for normal callus formation. Plant Cell 13: 1541-1554.
  • Lawrence, C.J., N.R. Morris, R.B. Meagher and R.K. Dawe. 2001. Dyneins have run their course in plant lineage. Traffic 2: 362-363.
  • Li, Y., M.K. Kandasamy and R.B. Meagher. 2001. Rapid isolation of monoclonal antibodies: monitoring enzymes in the phytochelatin synthesis pathway. Plant Physiol 127: 711-719.
  • McKinney, E.C., M.K. Kandasamy and R.B. Meagher. 2001. Small changes in the regulation of one Arabidopsis profilin isovariant, prf1, alter seedling development. Plant Cell 13: 1179-1191.
  • Meagher, R.B. 2001. Pink water, green plants, and pink elephants. Nat. Biotechnol 19: 1120-1121.
  • "Differential Expression of Diverse Actin Genes in Higher Plants," NIH
  • "Phytoremediation of Ionic and Methyl Mercury Pollution," DOE
  • "A Phytoremediation Strategy for Arsenic," DOE