Richard B. Hallick
Professor of Biochemistry, and Molecular & Cellular Biology
Ph.D. 1971, University of Wisconsin

Plant molecular biology; organization and expression of chloroplast genes; introns and RNA splicing.

Web Site: Personal Home Page

Research Interests

We are interested in the molecular biology of the chloroplast. In recent years, work has been directed at the following aspects of chloroplast gene expression:

(1) Determination of the structure and identity of chloroplast genes, and the arrangement of these genes into transcription units,

(2) Studies on the temporal regulation of chloroplast gene expression during chloroplast biogenesis,

(3) Analysis of enzymes involved in specific transcription of chloroplast gene in vitro and in processing of primary transcripts,

(4) Splicing and evolution of cell organelle introns.

Most chloroplast genes are organized into multicistronic transcription units. Many of the protein genes contain multiple introns that have highly conserved boundary sequences related to plant nuclear and chloroplast intron containing species. We have been characterizing RNA processing steps required for RNA maturation, and developing techniques for studying chloroplast RNA splicing reactions. We have recently discovered a new type of genetic element designated twintrons, which are introns within introns. We are currently characterizing the mechanism of twintron splicing, and studying the structural and functional domains of chloroplast introns.

A new project is to study the evolutionary history of introns and twintrons in genus Euglena and related protists.

Selected Publications

A.S. Boyer, and R.B. Hallick, Purification and characterization of a soluble DNA-dependent chloroplast RNA polymerase from Pisum sativum. Plant Science 137: 13-32 (1998).

N. A. Doetsch, M. D. Thompson, M. R. Favreau, and R. B. Hallick, ³Comparison of psbK operon organization and group III intron content in chloroplast genomes of 12 Euglenoid species², Molec. Gen. Genet. 264: 682-690 (2001).

N.A. Doetsch, M.R. Favreau, N. Kuscuoglu, M.D. Thompson, and R.B. Hallick, ³Chloroplast transformation in Euglena gracilis: splicing of a group III twintron transcribed from a transgenic psbK operon² Curr. Genet. 39: 49-60 (2001)

E.V. Shevelava, N.V. Giordani, and R.B. Hallick, ³Identification and comparative analysis of the alpha-subunit gene of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from seven Euglena species². Nucl. Acids Res., 30: 1247-1254 (2002).

E.V. Sheveleva and R.B. Hallick, ³Recent horizontal intron transfer to a choloroplast genome². Nucl. Acids Res.,32(2):803-10 (2003).

Contact Information

Mailing:
Dr. Richard B. Hallick, Professor
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
University of Arizona
1041 E. Lowell Street
Biosciences West #524A
Tucson AZ 85721-0088

Telephone: 520-621-3026/-9687
Fax: 520-621-1697, or -9288

Hallick@arizona.edu

Biological Sciences West
1041 East Lowell Street
P.O. Box 210088 · Tucson, AZ 85721-0088
Tel: (520) 621-5110
FAX (520) 626-9204

Life Sciences South
1007 East Lowell Street
P.O. Box 210106 · Tucson, AZ 85721-0106
FAX (520) 621-3709