The Groups > Tony Bacic
 

Professor A (Tony) Bacic
Personal Chair
The University of Melbourne
Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics

Website: http://www.plantcell.unimelb.edu.au ; http://www.vcpfg.com
Email: abacic@unimelb.edu.au

Research Aims
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My major research interests focus on the following areas:

  • Structure, function and biosynthesis of complex carbohydrates in biological systems (cell walls, cell surfaces, extracellular matrices).
  • Biotechnological applications of polysaccharides.
  • Functional genomics in the growth and end-use quality of cereals; cloning and expression of polysaccharide synthases / glycosyl transferases; proteomics of the Golgi and plasma membranes.
  • Abiotic stress in cereals; applications of proteomics and metabolomics technologies to understanding boron tolerance in cereals and salt and frost tolerance in native gasses adapted to survival in salt marshes and Antarctic environments.
  • Development of platform technologies (glycomics / proteomics / metabolomics) for functional genomics.
Group members
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GRDC - BAcic / NEWBIGIN

  • Tony Bacic
  • Ed Newbigin

Staff

  • MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
  • Monika Doblin
  • Claudia Vergara
  • MICROSCOPY
  • Sarah Wilson
  • PROTEOMICS / CARBOHYDRATE CHEMISTRY / BIOCHEMISTRY
  • Siria Natera

Support Staff

  • Krysten Byford
  • Zofia Felton
  • Joanne Noble
  • Renae Sarec

Students

  • Lynette Brownfield
  • Dyani Lewis
  • Anne Medhurst
  • Dina Yulia

ACPFG - BAcic

Staff

  • Ross Chapman
  • John Patterson
  • Ute Roessner-Tunali

Support Staff

  • Kris Ferguson
  • Joanne Noble
  • Zofia Felton
  • Megan Forbes

VCPFG - BAcic / NEWBIGIN / HOWLETT

Support Staff

  • Mark Platt

CRC for BIOPRODUCTS - clarke / bacic

Staff

  • Ming-Long Liao
  • Shaio-Lim Mau
  • Filomena Pettolino
  • Rongwei Teng

Support Staff

  • Zofia Felton
  • Joanne Noble
  • Georgina Thomas
  • Alisa Turbic

Students

  • Naomi Ling
  • Simone Poznanski
  • Indira Prabasari
  • Zhu Ying

ARC - schultz / bacic

Staff

  • Brian Jones

Students

  • Yolanda Gaspar
  • Kim Johnson
  • Umesh Nagasandra
  • Yongmei Qu
Funding
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Currently active

  • ARC / GRDC : Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics : Abiotic stress & productivity in cereals. (with P. Langridge, G. Fincher, G. Spangenberg, K. Basford) AUD$20million (2003-2007)

  • ARC: Assembly & function of arabinogalactan-proteins, a class of proteoglycans involved in plant growth and development (with C. Schultz) AUD$420,000 (2003-2005)

  • STII (Vic Dept of Innovation. Industry & Regional Devt) Victorian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (with B.J. Howlett, G. Spangenberg, E. Newbigin ) AUD$4million (2002-2005)

  • Grains Research & Development Corporation: Functional genomics in the growth and end-use quality of cereals
    (with E. Newbigin , G. Fincher, P. Langridge) AUD$4.1million (2000-2004)

  • Cooperative Research Centres Program, Office of The Chief Scientist, Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet: CRC for Bioproducts (A.E. Clarke, D. Boger, A. Lane , Tridan - Albright and Wilson [Aust] Ltd . AUD$13.7million (1999-2006)

Techniques in the laboratory
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(see also website - http://www.vcpfg.com)

Functional Genomics Platform Technologies

  • Glycomics
  • Proteomics
  • Metabolomics
Techniques in the laboratory
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Main areas of expertise

  1. Glycomics
  2. Proteomics
  3. Metabolomics
Publications - Last 5 years
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Book

  • Nothnagel EA, Bacic A , Clarke AE (eds) (2000) Cell and developmental biology of arabinogalactan-proteins, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishing Corp, NY, 301pp.

Chapters of Books

  • Oxley D, Currie GC, Bacic A (2004) Analysis of carbohydrate from glycoproteins. In: Purifying proteins for proteomics: A laboratory manual, RJ Simpson (ed), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor , New York , USA , ch 25, pp579-636.

  • Doblin MS, Vergara CE, Read S, Newbigin E, Bacic A (2003) Plant cell wall biosynthesis: making the bricks. In: The Plant Cell Wall, J Rose (ed), Blackwell Publishing, UK , ch 6, pp.183-222.

  • Johnson K, Jones B, Schultz CJ, Bacic A (2003) Non-enzymic cell wall (glyco)proteins. In: The Plant Cell Wall, J Rose (ed), Blackwell Publishing, UK , ch 4, pp. 111-154.

  • Clarke AE, Currie G, Gilson P, Mau S-L, Oxley D, Schultz C, Sommer-Knudsen J, Bacic A (2000) Arabinogalactan-proteins in reproductive tissues of flowering plants. A historical perspective of work from the Plant Cell Biology Research Centre, University of Melbourne , Victoria , Australia . In: EA Nothnagel, A Bacic, AE Clarke (eds) Cell and developmental biology of arabinogalactan-proteins, Kluwer Academic /Plenum Publishing Corp, NY pp 121-131.

  • Bacic A , Currie G, Gilson P, Mau S-L, Oxley D, Schultz C, Sommer-Knudsen J, Clarke AE (2000) Structural classes of arabinogalactan-proteins. In: EA Nothnagel, A Bacic, AE Clarke (eds) Cell and developmental biology of arabinogalactan-proteins, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishing Corp, NY pp11-23.

Reviews

  • Gaspar YM, Johnson KL, McKenna JA, Bacic A, Schultz C (2001) The complex structures of arabinogalactan-proteins and the journey towards understanding function. Plant Molecular Biology 47: 161-176.

  • Chiovitti A, Kraft GT, Bacic A, Liao M-L (2001) Gelling polysaccharides from Australian seaweeds: research and potential. Marine and Freshwater Research 52: 917-935.

  • Li H-J, Bacic A, Read SM (2000) Regulation of bacterial, yeast and plant polysaccharide synthases: implications for the regulation of pollen-tube callose synthase. Acta Botanica Sinica 42(8): 771-787.

  • Ilg T, Handman E, Ng K, Stierhof YD, Bacic A (1999) Mucin-like proteophosphoglycans from the protozoan parasite Leishmania . Trends in Glycoscience & Glycotechnology 11: 53-71.

Journal Articles

  • Chiovitti A, McManus LJ, Kraft GT, Bacic A , Liao M-L (2004) Extraction and characterization of agar from Australian Pterocladia lucida. Journal of Applied Phycology 16 (in press).

  • Chiovitti A, Higgins MJ, Harper RE, Wetherbee R, Bacic Griffiths KM, Bacic A , Howlett BJ (2003) Sterol composition of mycelia of the plant pathogenic ascomycete Leptosphaeria maculans . Phytochemistry 62:147-153.

  • Bacic A, (2003) The complex polysaccharides of the raphid diatom Pinularia viridis (Bacillariophyceae) Journal of Phycology 39(2): 543-554.

  • Teng R, Ang C, McManus D, Armstrong D, Mau S-L, Bacic A (2003) Regioselective acylation of ginsenosides by Novozyme 435. Tetrahedron Letters 44(30): 5661-5664.

  • Chiovitti A, Bacic A , Burke J, Wetherbee R (2003) Heterogeneous xylose-rich glycans are associated with extracellular glycoconjugates from the biofouling diatom Craspedostauros australis (Bacillariophyceae). European Journal of Phycology 38: 351-360.

  • Johnson KL, Jones BJ, Bacic A , Schultz CJ (2003) The Fasciclin-like arabinogalactan-proteins of Arabidopsis : A multigene family of putative cell adhesion molecules. Plant Physiology 133(4): 1911-1925.

  • Read S, Bacic A (2002) Prime time for cellulose. Science 295: 59-60.

  • Schultz CJ, Rumsewicz Mr, Johnson KL, Jones BJ, Gaspar Y, Bacic A (2002) Using genomic resources to guide research directions: The arabinogalactan-protein gene family as a test case. Plant Physiology 129: 1448-1463.

  • Gilson P, Gaspar YM, Oxley D, Youl JJ, Bacic A (2001) NaAGP4 is an arabinogalactan-protein whose expression is suppressed by wounding and fungal infection in Nicotiana alata . Protoplasma 215: 128-139.

  • Doblin M, De Melis L, Newbigin E, Bacic A , Read SM (2001) Pollen tubes of Nicotiana alata express two genes from different b -glucan synthase families. Plant Physiology 125: 2040-2052.

  • Schmid F, Stone BA, McDougall M, Bacic A , Martin KL, Brownlee RTC, Chai E, Seviour RJ (2001) Structure of epiglucan, a highly side-chain branched (1-3;1-6)- b -glucan from the micro fungus Epicoccum nigrum Ehrenb. ex Schlecht. Carbohydrate Research 331: 163-171.

  • Matsubara K, Matsuura Y, Bacic A , Liao M-L, Hori K, Miyazawa K (2001) Anticoagluant properties of a sulfated galactan preparation from a marine green alga, Codium cylindricum . International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 28: 395-399.

  • Pettolino F, Hoogenraad NJ, Ferguson C, Bacic A, Johnson E, Stone BA (2001) A (1-4)- b -mannan-specific monoclonal antibody and its use in the immunocytochemical location of galactomannans. Planta 214: 235-242.

  • Chiovitti A, Kraft GT, Bacic A , Craik DJ, Liao M-L (2001) Chemistry, properties and phylogenetic implications of the methylated carrageenans from red algae of the genus Areschougia (Areschougiaceae, Gigartinales, Rhodophyta). Journal of Phycology 37: 1127-1137.

  • Sims IM, Middleton K, Lane AG, Cairns AJ, Bacic A (2000) Characterisation of extracellular polysaccharides from suspension cultures of members of the Poaceae. Planta 210: 261-268.

  • Schultz CJ, Johnson K, Currie G, Bacic A (2000) The classical arabinogalactan-protein gene family of Arabidopsis . The Plant Cell 12: 1751-1768.

  • Burton RA, Gibeaut DM, Bacic A , Findlay K, Roberts K, Hamilton A, Baulcombe DC, Fincher GB (2000) Virus-induced silencing of a plant cellulose synthase gene. The Plant Cell 12: 691-705.

  • Oxley D, Bacic A (1999) Structure of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol membrane anchor of an arabinogalactan-protein from Pyrus communis suspension-cultured cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 96: 14246-14251.

  • Ferguson C, Bacic A , Anderson MA, Read SM (1999) Subcellular distribution of arabinogalactan-proteins in pollen grains and tubes as revealed with a monoclonal antibody raised against stylar arabinogalactan-proteins. Protoplasma 206: 105-117.

  • McConville MJ, Wetherbee R, Bacic A . (1999) Subcellular location and composition of the wall and secreted extracellular sulphated polysaccharides/proteoglycans of the diatom Stauroneis amphioxys Gregory. Protoplasma 206: 188-200.

  • Chiovitti A, Bacic A , Kraft GT, Craik DJ, Liao M-L, (1999) Pyruvated carrageenans from Solieria robusta and its adelphoparasite Tikvahiella candida . Hydrobiologia 398/399: 401-409.

  • Li H, Bacic A , Read SM (1999) Role of callose synthase zymogen in regulating cell wall deposition in pollen tubes of Nicotiana alata Link et Otto. Planta 208: 528-538.
Ten career-best publications
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  • Doblin M, De Melis L, Newbigin E, Bacic A , Read SM (2001) Pollen tubes of Nicotiana alata express two genes from different b -glucan synthase families. Plant Physiology 125: 2040-2052.

  • Burton RA, Gibeaut DM, Bacic A , Findlay K, Roberts K, Hamilton A, Baulcombe DC, Fincher GB (2000) Virus-induced silencing of a plant cellulose synthase gene. The Plant Cell 12: 691-705.

  • Schultz CJ, Rumsewicz MR, Johnson KL, Jones BJ Gaspar Y, Bacic A (2002). Using genomic resources to guide research directions: The arabinogalactan-protein gene family as a test case. Plant Physiology 129:1448-1463.

  • Oxley D, Bacic A (1999) Structure of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol membrane anchor of an arabinogalactan-protein from Pyrus communis suspension-cultured cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 96: 14246-14251.

  • Youl J, Bacic A , Oxley D (1998) Arabinogalactan-proteins from Nicotiana alata and Pyrus communis contain glycosylphosphatidylinositol membrane anchors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 95: 7921-7926.

  • Ilg T, Stierhof Y-D, Craik D, Simpson R, Handman E, Bacic A (1996) Purification and structural characterization of a filamentous mucin-like proteophosphoglycan secreted by Leishmania parasites. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 271: 21583-21596.

  • Chiovitti A, Kraft GT, Saunders GW, Liao M-L, Bacic A (1995) A revision of the systematics of the Nizymeniaceae (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) based on polysaccharides, anatomy, and nucleotide sequences. Journal of Phycology 31: 153-166.

  • Chen C-G, Pu Z-Y, Moritz RL, Simpson RJ, Bacic A , Clarke AE, Mau S-L (1994) Molecular cloning of a gene encoding an arabinogalactan-protein from pear ( Pyrus communis ) cell suspension culture. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences, USA 91: 10305-10309.

  • McConville MJ, Homans SW, Thomas-Oats JE, Dell A, Bacic A (1990) Structures of the glycoinositolphospholipids from Leishmania major : a family of novel galactofuranose-containing glycolipids. Journal of Biological Chemistry 265: 7385-7395.

  • Bacic A , Harris PJ, Stone BA (1988) Structure and function of plant cell walls. In: J Preiss (ed) The Biochemistry of Plants Vol. 14. Academic Press, New York, pp. 297-371.

 

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