John E. Thompson

Full Adjunct Professor

Cross-appointed (Chemistry)

Associate Vice President, University Research

BSA (Toronto), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Alberta, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC)

Email: jet@uwaterloo.ca

Research interests

Biochemistry and molecular biology of programmed cell death: the molecular basis of membrane deterioration in senescing and aging tissues; comparative aspects of senescence and stress including the role of hormones and the involvement of free radicals; functional genomics of senescence and apoptosis.

Selected publications

• F. Ma, Z. Liu, T-W. Wang, M.T. Hopkins, C.A. Peterson and J.E. Thompson. (2010). Arabidopsis eIF5A3 influences growth and the response to osmotic and nutrient stress.  Plant, Cell & Environ. (In press).

• B. Maier, T Ogihara, A. Trace, S. Tersey,  R.D. Robbins, S. Chakrabarti, C. Nunemaker,  N. Stull, C. Taylor,  J.E. Thompson, R. Dondero, E. Lewis, C. Dinarello, J. Nadler and R. Mirmira. (2010). The  hypusine modification of eIF5A is essential for mRNA shuttling  and translation during the cytokine response in pancreatic islets. Journal Clinical Investigation. 120, 2156-2170.

• Z. Sun, Z. Cheng, C.A. Taylor, B.J. McConkey and J.E. Thompson. (2010). Apoptosis induction  by eIF5A1 involves activation of the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway.  Journal of Cellular Physiology  223, 798-809.

• M.T. Hopkins, Y, Lampi, T-W. Wang, Z. Liu and J.E. Thompson. (2008).  eIF5A is involved in pathogen induced cell death and development of disease symptoms in Arabidopsis thaliana.  Plant Physiology 148, 479-489.

• C. Moore,  E.N. Martin, G. Lee, C.A. Taylor, R. Dondero, L.L. Reznikov, C. Dinarello , J.E. Thompson and M.W. Scheld. (2008). Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) siRNA-liposome complexes reduce inflammation and increase survival in murine models of severe sepsis and acute lung injury. Journal of Infectious Diseases 198, 1407-1414.

• S. Jin, C.A. Taylor, Z. Liu, Z. Sun, B. Ye and J.E. Thompson.  (2008). Suppression of primary and disseminated murine tumor growth with eIF5A1 gene therapy.  Gene Therapy and Molecular Biology  12, 207-218.

• Z. Liu, J. Duguay, F. Ma, T.-W. Wang, R. Tshin, M. Hopkins, L. McNamara and J.E. Thompson. (2008).  Modulation of eIF5A1 expression alters xylem abundance in Arabidopsis thaliana J. Exptl. Bot. 59, 939–950.

• M. Hopkins, C. Taylor, Z. Liu, F. Ma, L. McNamara, T. W. Wang and J.E. Thompson. (2007). Regulation and execution of molecular disassembly and cabolism during senescence.  New Phytologist  175, 201-214.

• A. Padham, M.T. Hopkins, T.-W. Wang, L. Nowack, M. Lo, M.D. Smith, C. Taylor and J.E. Thompson. (2007). Characterization of a chloroplast lipase from Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 143, 1372-1384.

• C.A. Taylor, D.O. Cliché, Z. Sun,  M.T. Hopkins and J.E. Thompson. (2007). Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A induces apoptosis in colon cancer cells and is imported into the nucleus in response to TNFα signaling. Exptl. Cell Research 313, 437-449.

• J. Duguay, S. Jamal, Z. Liu, T.-W. Wang and J.E. Thompson. (2007).  Leaf-specific suppression of deoxyhypusine synthase in Arabidopsis thaliana enhances growth without negative pleiotropic effects. J. Plant Physiol. 164, 408-42.

• T.W. Wang, C. Zhang, W. Wu, L. Nowack, E. Madey and J.E. Thompson. (2005). Suppression of deoxyhypusine synthase expression in tomato delays fruit softening and alters growth and development.  Plant Physiol. 138, 1372-1382.

• T.W. Wang, W. Wu, C. Zhang, L.M. Nowack, Z. Liu and J.E. Thompson. (2005). Antisense suppression of deoxyhypusine synthase by vacuum-infiltratrion of Agrobacterium enhances growth and seed yield of canola. Physiol. Plant. 124, 493-503.

• M. Lo, C. Taylor, L. Wang, L. Nowack, T.-W. Wang and J.E. Thompson. (2004). Characterization of an ultraviolet B-induced lipase in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 135, 947-958.

• C.A. Taylor, M. Senchyna, J. Flanagan, E.M. Joyce, D.O. Cliché, A.N. Boone, S. Culp-Stewart and J.E. Thompson. (2004). The Role of eIF-5A in TNF-α-induced Apoptosis of Lamina Cribrosa Cells. Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science, 45, 3568-3576.

• J.E. Thompson, M.T. Hopkins, C. Taylor and T.W. Wang. (2004). Regulation of Senescence by Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A; Implications for Plant Growth and Development. Trends in Plant Science, 4, 174-179.

• F. Schade, J.E. Thompson and R.L. Legge. (2003). Use of a Plant-derived Enzyme Template for the Production of the Green-note volatile, Hexanal. Biotech. BioEng. 84, 265-273.

• T.W. Wang, L. Lu, C.G. Zhang, C. Taylor and J.E. Thompson. (2003). Pleiotropic Effects of  Suppressing Deoxyhypusine Synthase Expression in Arabidopsis thaliana.  Plant Mol. Biol. 52, 1223-1235. 

• M.T. Kaup, C.D. Froese and J.E. Thompson. (2002).  A Role for Diacylglyerolacyl transferase during Leaf Senescence. Plant Physiology 129, 1616-1626.

• E. Madey, L.M. Nowack and J.E. Thompson. (2002).  Isolation and characterization of lipid in phloem sap of canola. Planta 214, 625-634.

• F. Schade, R.L. Legge and J.E. Thompson. (2001).  Fragrance volatiles of developing and senescing carnation flowers. Phytochemistry, 56, 703-710.

• E. Mady, L.M. Novack, L. Su, Y. Hong, K.A. Hudak and J.E. Thompson. (2001).  Characterization of plasma membrane domains enriched in lipid metabolites.  J. Exptl. Bot., 52, 669-679.

• T.W. Wang, L. Lu, D. Wang and J.E. Thompson. (2001).  Isolation and characterization of senescence-induced cDNAs encoding deoxyhypusine synthase and eucaryotic initiation factor 5 from tomato.  J. Biol. Chem., 276, 17541-17549.

• K.E. Wilson, J.E. Thompson, N.P.A. Huner and B.M. Greenberg. (2001).  Effects of ultraviolet-A exosure on ultraviolet-B induced accumulation of specific flavanoids in Brassica napus. Photochem. Photobiol., 73, 678-684.

• Y. Hong, T.W. Wang, K.A. Hudak, F. Schade, C.D. Froese and J.E. Thompson. (2000).  An ethylene-induced cDNA encoding a lipase expressed at the onset of senescence. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (US), 97, 8717-8722.

• M.D. Smith, D.D. Licutalosi and J.E. Thompson. (2000).  Co-association of cytochrome f catabolites and plastid-lipid-associated protein with chloroplast lipid particles.  Plant Physiol. 124, 211-221.

• K.A. Hudak, E. Madey, Y. Hong, L. Sue and J.E. Thompson. (2000).  Immunopurification of H⁺-ATPase-containing lipid-protein particles from the cytosol of carnation petals.  Physiol. Plant 109, 304-312.