Cornell University Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics

Our research goal is to improve the nutritional quality and health-promoting properties of crops. Currently, we focus primarily on gene discovery and understanding of the mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis and accumulation of phytonutrients and anticarcinogenic compounds such as carotenoids, flavonoids, bioactive forms of selenium, and glucosinolates. The research employs interdisciplinary approaches of plant biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, genomics, and proteomics and uses Brassica species as models. The research projects going on in our lab include: 1) identifying novel genes and deciphering the fundamental mechanisms that control carotenogenesis in plants to develop carotenoid enriched food plants; 2) cloning genes and examining the biochemical and molecular basis that regulates flavonoid biosynthesis in plants in order to alter crops in a controlled manner to modify the antioxidant content and/or composition of food plants, and 3) isolating metabolic and regulatory genes that promote the formation of functional forms of selenium and glucosinolates in broccoli to modify crops with enhanced anticarcinogenic properties.  

Selected Publications

Lopez, AB, Van Eck J, Conlin BJ, Paolillo DJ, O’Neill J, Li L (2008) Effect of the cauliflower Or transgene on carotenoid accumulation and chromoplast formation in transgenic potato tubers. J Exp Bot 59:213-223.

Li L, Van Eck J (2007) Perspectives: metabolic engineering of carotenoid accumulation by creating a metabolic sink. Transgenic Res 16:581-585.

Yang Y, Thannhauser TW, Li L, Zhang S (2007) Comparison of protein identifications by MALDI-TOF/TOF and LC-ESI-MS/MS for evaluation of 2-D gel iImage analysis: impact of multiple proteins in single spots on comparative analysis. Electrophoresis 28:2080-2094.

Lyi SM, Zhou X, Kochian LV, and Li L (2007) Biochemical and molecular characterization of the homocysteine S-methyltransferase from broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica).  Phytochemistry 68: 1112-1119

Lu S, Van Eck J, Zhou X, Lopex AB, O'Halloran DM, Cosman KM, Conlin B, Paolillo DJ, Garvin DF, Vrebalov J, Kochian L, V, Kupper H, Earle ED, Cao J, and Li L (2006) The cauliflower Or gene encodes a Dnaj cysteine-rich domain-containing protein that mediates high-levels of b-carotene accumulation.  Plant Cell 18: 3594-3605.

Lyi SM, Heller LI, Rutzke M, Welch RM, Kochian LV, Li L (2005) Molecular and biochemical characterization of the selenocysteine Se-methyltransferase gene and Se-methylselenocysteine synthesis in broccoli. Plant Physiol 138:409-420

Li L, Lu S, O'Halloran DM, Garvin DF, Vrebalov J (2003) High-resolution genetic and physical mapping of the cauliflower high-beta-carotene gene Or (Orange). Mol Genet Genomics 270:132-138

Li L, Steffens JC (2002) Overexpression of polyphenol oxidase in transgenic tomato plants results in enhanced bacterial disease resistance. Planta 215:239-247

Li L, Paolillo DJ, Parthasarathy MV, DiMuzio EM, Garvin DF (2001) A novel gene mutation that confers abnormal patterns of b-carotene accumulation in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis). Plant J 26:59-67

© 2006 Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University