Dr. Shizue Matsubara

Research focus

Being the primary photosynthetic organ, plant leaves show striking variations in morphology and biochemical compositions to fulfil their functions under ever-changing environmental conditions. We study how leaf functional traits ― mostly polygenic (controlled by multiple genes) ― arise in different genotypes during development and in response to environmental fluctuations. To this end, we use a range of quantitative phenotyping techniques alongside isotopic labeling and genetic approaches.

Research Matsubara

Most important publications

  1. Niu Y, Matsubara S, Nedbal L, Lazar D (2024) Dynamics and interplay of photosynthetic regulatory processes depend on the amplitudes of oscillating light. Plant Cell Environ. doi: 10.1111/pce.14879.
  2. Nies T, Matsubara S, Ebenhöh O (2024) A mathematical model of photoinhibition: exploring the impact of quenching processes. in silico Plants 6(1). doi: 10.1093/insilicoplants/diae001.
  3. Gao Y, Stein M, Oshana L, Zhao W, Matsubara S, Stich B (2023) Exploring natural genetic variation in photosynthesis-related traits of barley in the field. bioRxiv:2023.2012.2004.569890. doi: 10.1101/2023.12.04.569890.
  4. Banh AT, Thiele B, Chlubek A, Hombach T, Kleist E, Matsubara S (2022) Combination of long-term (13)CO(2) labeling and isotopolog profiling allows turnover analysis of photosynthetic pigments in Arabidopsis leaves. Plant Methods 18(1):114. doi: 10.1186/s13007-022-00946-3.
  5. Thiele B, Matsubara S (2020) Carotenoid Isotopolog Profiling in (13)C-Labeled Leaf Extracts by LC-MS and LC-FTICR-MS. Methods Mol Biol 2083:263-277. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9952-1_20.
  6. Schneider T, Bolger A, Zeier J, Preiskowski S, Benes V, Trenkamp S, Usadel B, Farre EM, Matsubara S (2019) Fluctuating Light Interacts with Time of Day and Leaf Development Stage to Reprogram Gene Expression. Plant Physiol 179(4):1632-1657. doi: 10.1104/pp.18.01443.
  7. Alter P, Dreissen A, Luo FL, Matsubara S (2012) Acclimatory responses of Arabidopsis to fluctuating light environment: comparison of different sunfleck regimes and accessions. Photosynth Res 113(1-3):221-237. doi: 10.1007/s11120-012-9757-2.
  8. Beisel KG, Jahnke S, Hofmann D, Köppchen S, Schurr U, Matsubara S (2010) Continuous turnover of carotenes and chlorophyll a in mature leaves of Arabidopsis revealed by 14CO2 pulse-chase labeling. Plant Physiol 152(4):2188-2199. doi: 10.1104/pp.109.151647.
  9. Matsubara S, Krause GH, Aranda J, Virgo A, Beisel KG, Jahns P, Winter K (2009) Sun-shade patterns of leaf carotenoid composition in 86 species of neotropical forest plants. Funct Plant Biol 36(1):20-36. doi: 10.1071/FP08214.
  10. Matsubara S, Chow WS (2004) Populations of photoinactivated photosystem II reaction centers characterized by chlorophyll a fluorescence lifetime in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101(52):18234-18239. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0403857102.