Gederts IEVINSH

Dr.habil.biol. Gederts IEVINSH Head of the Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia 4 Kronvalda Blv., LV 1586 Riga, Latvia Phone: +371 67034864 Fax:     +371 69481961 E-mail: gederts.ievins@lu.lv Senior Researcher, Head of the Department of Plant Physiology Institute of Biology, University of Latvia 3 Miera Str., LV 2169 Salaspils, Latvia Phone: +371 67945423 Fax:     +371 69345412

Born: June 30, 1960, Riga, Latvia

Interests:

• Hormonal regulation of plant development and adaptation
• Endogenous oxidative stress and plant resistance
• Ethylene biosynthesis
• Plant peroxidases
• Plant - herbivore interactions

Brief Description of Main Research:

The major restraints on plant growth and productivity are unfavourable environmental conditions that usually are represented either by environmental pollution or by global climate changes. These conditions may alter a range of plant processes occurring at the biochemical, cellular, molecular, morphological, and physiological levels depending upon the duration and the extent of the stress. It is especially challenging to identify the stress responses that might be exploited to improve plant stress tolerance. The research of Dr. Gederts Ievinsh aims at further understanding of biochemical and molecular mechanisms that provide plant development in variable environmental conditions and affect stress tolerance. The objective of investigations at the present point is to increase knowledge about the defence system against oxidative stress in plant cells, its organization, localization and structure, and its mechanisms of responses to environmental variables and its regulation. Experimental work on evaluation of biochemical and molecular basis of stress tolerance in potato tissue culture and investigation of induction and regulation of antioxidative responses in pine needles in relation to stress tolerance are based on a hypothesis that a capacity to induce high activity of antioxidative system as a result of stress is related to plant stress tolerance. As ascorbate peroxidase has a central role in antioxidative protection in plants and ethylene may be suggested as a potent regulator of stress adaptation responses, the research is focused on investigation of biochemical and molecular aspects of relationship between ascorbate peroxidase and ethylene.

Ongoing tasks include: (i) isolation of stress responses related to general stress tolerance; (ii) characterization of changes of expression, activity and localization of antioxidative enzymes during stress response; (iii) investigation of factors regulating ascorbate peroxidase gene expression and activity under the effect of environmental stress; (iv) construction of transgenic plants over- and underproducing ascorbate peroxidase and characterization of them; analysis of antioxidative responses in plants with genetically altered intensity of ethylene biosynthesis; (v) finding of insect-specific signalling pathways in plants in comparison to wound-induced signalling; (vi) searching for local and systemic metabolic changes in plants (antioxidative stress reactions and wound-response proteins) due to insect-specific signalig systems.

Languages: English, Russian, Latvian

Education:

• University of Latvia (Faculty of Biology), Biologist, Lecturer in Biology and Chemistry, 1984
• Candidate of Biological Sciences (Plant Physiology, 1990, Institute of Biology, Kazan, Russia).
  Thesis: Peroxidase system of winter rye seedlings in relation to growth, lignification and ethylene formation.
• Dr.biol. (Plant Physiology, 1994, University of Latvia)
• Dr.habil.biol. (Plant Physiology, 1996, University of Latvia).
    Thesis: Ethylene and peroxidases in the control of plant development and adaptation.

Experience:

• Junior Scientific Researcher, Department of Plant Physiology , Institute of Biology, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1985-1990
• Scientific Researcher, Department of Plant Physiology , Institute of Biology, Latvian Academy of Sciences,1991
• Senior Scientific Researcher, Department of Plant Physiology , Institute of Biology, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1992 -
• Visiting Scientist, Department of Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden, January 1993 - August 1993
• Head of the Department of Plant Physiology,  Institute of Biology, Latvian Academy of Sciences,1994 -
• Part time lecturer in Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, 1995 - 1997
• Visiting Professor, Department of Microbiology, University of Nevada, USA, February 1997 - April 1997.
• State Professor, University of Latvia, 1999 -

Professional Activities and Memberships:

• Chairman, Latvian Society of Plant Physiologists, 1991-
• Member, Scandinavian Society of Plant Physiologists, 1990-
• Member, Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists, 1993-
• Member, American Society of Plant Physiologists, 1996-
• Reviewer, Physiologia Plantarum, 1996-
• Member (Plant Physiology), Panel for Research Evaluation (Biology, Geography,Geology), Latvian Council of Science, 1996-
• Member, Panel of Habilitation and Promotion (Biology I), University of Latvia, 1997- 1999
• Vice-Chairman, Panel of Promotion (Biology I), University of Latvia, 2000 -

Courses (University of Latvia):

• Plant Physiology
• Physiological Ecology of Plants
• Plant Biochemistry
• Plant - Environment Interactions: Implications of Endogenous Oxidative Stress
• Plant Growth Regulation
• Scientific Experiment in Plant Physiology

Representative Publications:

• Ievinsh G., Iljin V., Kreicbergs O., Romanovskaya O. Effect of ethephon on the activity of the ethylene-forming enzyme and the biosynthesis of ethylene in winter rye seedlings. – Biochem. Physiol. Pflanzen, 1990, 186, pp. 221–228.
• Ievinsh G., Romanovskaya O. Accelerated lignification as a possible mechanism of growth inhibition in winter rye seedlings caused by ethephon and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid. – Plant Physiol. Biochem., 1991, 29, pp. 327–331.
• Ievinsh G., Iljin V., Vucina I., Romanovskaya O. Gradient of ethylene formation in the growing leaf of winter rye seedlings: effect of ethephon. – Soviet Plant Physiol., 1991,  38, pp. 539–543.
• Ievinsh G. Soluble lipoxygenase activity in rye seedlings as related to endogenous and exogenous ethylene and wounding. – Plant Sci., 1992, 82, pp. 155–159.
• Ievinsh G. Characterization of the peroxidase system in winter rye seedlings: compartmentation and dependence on leaf development and hydrogen donors used. – J. Plant Physiol., 1992, 140, pp. 257–263.
• Ievinsh G., Kreicbergs O. Endogenous rhythmicity of ethylene production in growing intact cereal seddlings. – Plant Physiol., 1992, 100, pp. 1389–1391.
• Ievinsh G., Iljin V., Kreicbergs O. Coleoptile removal-induced ethylene production in winter rye seedlings. – Biol. Plant., 1993, 35, pp. 229–236.
• Ievinsh G., Tillberg E. Stress-induced ethylene biosynthesis in pine needles: a search for the putative 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid-independent pathway. – J. Plant Physiol., 1995, 145, pp. 308–314.
• Ievinsh G., Valcina A., Ozola D. Induction of ascorbate peroxidase activity in stressed pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles: a putative role for ethylene. – Plant Sci., 1995, 112, pp. 167-173.
• Ievinsh G., Ozola D. Ethylene and the defense against endogenous oxidative stress in higher plants.-  In: A.K. Kanellis et al. (eds.), Biology and Biotechnology of the Plant Hormone Ethylene. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1997, pp.217-228.
• Ievinsh G., Ozola D. Spatial distribution of ethylene production by individual needles along a shoot of Pinus sylvestris L.: relationship with peroxidase activity. - Annals of Botany,  1998, 82, pp. 489-495.
• Ievinsh G., Kruzmane D., Selga T. Ethylene evolution as a possible indicator of long term radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation in natural conditions and an acute UV-B exposure. - Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Section B, 1999, 53, pp.30-33.
• Kruzmane D., Ievinsh G. Characterization of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles. - Plant Science, 1999, 142, pp.13-19.
• Ievinsh G., Kruzmane D., Rusite E., Arente G., Gertnere D. Modulation of Solanum tuberosum L. morphogenesis and antioxidative status in a stem explant culture by limitation of gas exchange: putative effects of ethylene. - Journal of Plant Physiology, 2000, vol. 156, pp.717-723.
• Ievinsh G., Dreibante G., Kruzmane D. Changes of ACC ozidase activity in stressed Pinus sylvestris L. needles. - Biol. Plant., 2001, vol.44, pp. 233-237.
• I.Steinite, A.Gailite, G.Ievinsh. Reactive oxygen and ethylene are involved in the regulation of regurgitant-induced responses in bean plants - J. Plant. Physiol., 2004, vol. 161, p. 191-196. 
• A.Gailite, U.Andersone, G.Ievinsh. Arthopod-induced neoplastic formations on trees change photosynthetic  levels and oxidative enzyme activities. - J. Plant Interactions, 2005, vol.1, N 1, p. 61-67.
• U.Andersone, G.Ievinsh. In vitro regeneration of mature Pinus sylvestris buds stored at freezing temperatures. - Biologia Plantarum, 2005, vol. 49, N 2, p. 281-284.
• D.Klavina, A.Gailite, G.Ievinsh. Initial responses of explants from rare and endangered coastal plant species during initiation of tissue culture. - Acta Univ. Latviensis, 2006,  vol. 710, Biology, pp. 81-91. 

Research Projects:

• G. Ievinsh (Head of Project). Phytohormone ethylene in the regulation of plant growth and development. Latvian Council of Science, # 90.107 (1991-1993).
• G. Ievinsh (Head of Project). Regulation of plant development and adaptation: physiological, biochemical and ultrastructural aspects of relationship between phytohormones (ethylene) and a system of detoxifying enzymes. Latvian Council of Science, # 93.151 (1994-1996).
• G. Ievinsh (Principal Investigator of the Latvian Group). Photo-oxidant toxicity and nutrient imbalance in trees as consequence of increased nitrogen emission and inputs, EV5VCT920092. Ethylene and peroxidases in early diagnosis of forest decline, ERBCIPDCT925019 (1994-1996).
• G. Ievinsh (Head of Project). Early stress responses and molecular markers for environmental stress resistance in conifers. Danish Research Councils (1994-1996).
• G. Ievinsh (Head of Project). Biochemical and molecular mechanisms of stress adaptation in plants: antioxidative enzymes and regulative factors. Latvian Council of Science, # 96.0111 (1997-1999).
• G. Ievinsh (Head of Latvian group). Ascobate peroxidase gene transcripts in pine: expression in oxidative stress. National Science Foundation Grant Award # 96 31151 (1996-1998).
• G. Ievinsh (Head of Project). Molecular ecology of plant-herbivore interactions. Latvian Council of Science, # 98.0910 (1999-2001).
• G.Ievinsh (Head of Project). Biochemical and Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Stress Tolerance: Role of Abiotic and Biotic Factors in Control of Antistress Reactions. Latvian Council of Science, # 01.0343 (2001 - 2004 ).
• G.Ievinsh (Head of Project). Fundamental BAsis for Phytocentric Approach in Ecobiological Investigations: Abiotic and Endogenous Control of Biotic Interactions in PLants and Reversible Effect of Plant Responses.   Latvian Council of Science, # 05.1509 (2005 -  ).

Last update 26.02.2008