Laboratory for Plant Molecular Biology

The Laboratory for Plant Molecular Biology (LPMB) has been established by Vesna Maksimovic, PhD in 2002. Using different methodological approaches and various model organisms we investigate:

• the cellular processes involved in plant stress response by generating CRISPR-Cas knockout and/or knockdown as well as overexpressing mutant lines of Arabidopsis thaliana;
• sink-source interactions in variegated leaves in terms of carbon and nitrogen allocation and reactive oxygen species production related to photosynthetic activity;
• mechanisms underlying the desiccation tolerance in the resurrection plant Ramonda serbica– the role of phenolic compounds, cell wall organization, and late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins;
• abiotic stress in plants (high light intensity, UV-B radiation, drought and cold stress);
• the leaf transcriptome and metabolome in maize with the aim to find novel molecular markers involved in low temperature and water deficit stress tolerance;
• the cell-cell communications between plants and the plant growth promoting bacteria;
• the molecular bases of important cellular processes: genome integrity protection, resistance to desiccation and recycling of oxidatively damaged biomolecules in Ustilago maydis;
• genetic status and evolutionary history of agronomically important autochthonous plant crops and autochthonous breeds of domestic animals, as well as wild plant species using molecular-genetic/genomic analyzes, which are essential for their conservation and innovative use, and for better understanding the distribution and evolution of the biodiversity of the Balkan Peninsula.

IMGGE work program for 2023
ExplOMV - Exploring Bacterial OMV (Outer Membrane Vesicles)-sRNAs Mediated Interkingdom Communication with Plants and Fungi
GENOVA - Factors of the BRCA2-mediated Homologous Recombination: Uncovering New Players, Their Interplay, and Contribution to Genome Integrity and Stress Response
Selection of genotypes of autochthonous sheep breeds from samples deposited at the IMGGE ex situ gene bank by means of molecular markers, aimed at determining core collections comprising the highest genetic diversity
А new aroma hop variety from Backi Petrovac for craft breweries
CEEPUS network “Managing forests for climate change”
Science on the move - from lab to streets & school (ScienceSCool)
Proteomic and transcriptomic changes under nitrate deficiency in the sink and source leaf tissue of variegated maize and pelargonium-VARIEGOMICS

HEAD OF THE LABORATORY

• Jelena Samardzic, Associate research professor

FULL RESEARCH PROFESSOR

• Milorad Kojić
• Jelena M. Aleksić
• Milan Senćanski

ASSOCIATE RESEARCH PROFESSOR

• Gordana Timotijević
• Dragana Nikolić
• Marija Vidović
• Mira Milisavljević
• Bojana Banović Đeri

ASSISTANT RESEARCH PROFESSOR

• Dragana Bosnić
• Jelena Malešević
• Ivana Prodić

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

• Ivana Nikolić
• Sofija Nešić
• Kristina Zeljić Stojiljković
• Stefan Stanovčić

JUNIOR RESEARCHER

• Jelena Miladinović
• Natalija Azanjac
• Ana Pantelić
• Dejana Milić

OTHERS

• Stefan Isaković

• Desiccation Tolerance in Ramonda serbica Panc.: An Integrative Transcriptomic, Proteomic, Metabolite and Photosynthetic Study
  Vidović M, Battisti I, Pantelić A, Morina F, Arrigoni G, Masi A, Jovanović SV
  Plants (Basel). 2022;11(9):1199.
• Forest Genetics Research in the Mediterranean Basin: Bibliometric Analysis, Knowledge Gaps, and Perspectives
  Fady B, Esposito E, Abulaila K, Aleksic JM, Alia R, Alizoti P, Apostol EN, Aravanopoulos P, Ballian D, Kharrat MBD, Carrasquinho I, Albassatneh MC, Curtu AL, David-Schwartz R, de Dato G, Douaihy B, Homer Eliades NG, Fresta L, Gaouar SBS, Illoul MH, Ivetic V, Ivankovic M, Kandemir G, Khaldi A, Khouja ML, Kraigher H, Lefevre F, Mahfoud I, Marchi M, Martin FP, Picard N, Sabati M, Sbay H, Scotti-Saintagne C, Stevens DT, Vendramin GG, Vinceti B, Westergren M.
  Curr Forestry Rep. 2022;8:277–298.
• Efficient protein extraction for shotgun proteomics from hydrated and desiccated leaves of resurrection Ramonda serbica plants
  Vidović M, Franchin C, Morina F, Veljović-Jovanović S, Masi A, Arrigoni G
  Anal Bioanal Chem. 2020;412(30):8299-8312
• Silicon alleviates copper (Cu) toxicity in cucumber by increased Cu-binding capacity
  Bosnić D, Nikolić D, Timotijević G, Pavlović J, Vaculík M, Samardžić J, Nikolić M
  Plant Soil 2019;441:629-641
• Genomic data provide new insights on the demographic history and the extent of recent material transfers in Norway spruce
  Chen J, Li L, Milesi P, Jansson G, Berlin M, Karlsson B, Aleksić MJ, Vendramin GG, Lascoux M
  Evol Appl 2019;12(8):1539-1551
• A comparative study of liquid holding restitution of viability after oxidative stress in Ustilago maydis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell populations
  Milisavljevic M, Kojic M
  Fungal Genet Biol 2020;134:103284
• Silicon Alleviates Iron Deficiency in Barley by Enhancing Expression of Strategy II Genes and Metal Redistribution
  Nikolic DB, Nesic S, Bosnic D, Kostic L, Nikolic M, Samardzic JT
  Front Plant Sci 2019;10:416
• Revealing new information from existing genomic data for pepper mild mottle virus pathotype determination
  Banović Đeri B, Pajić V, Dudić D
  Crop Prot 2018;107:93-103
• Collaboration in the actions of Brh2 with resolving functions during DNA repair and replication stress in Ustilago maydis
  Kojic M, Milisavljevic M, Holloman WK
  DNA Repair (Amst) 2018;63:47-55
• Bioavailability of Nutritional Resources From Cells Killed by Oxidation Supports Expansion of Survivors in Ustilago maydis Populations
  Milisavljevic M, Petkovic J, Samardzic J, Kojic M.
  Front Microbiol 2018;9:990

Head Office / Mailing address:
Vojvode Stepe 444a,
11042 Belgrade 152, Serbia

Tel: +381 11 3976414
Mob: +381 65 3976414
Faks: +381 11 3975808

lab08@imgge.bg.ac.rs