Dr. Christof Rampitsch

Image Christof Rampitsch
Research Scientist

Research Scientist in Proteomics and Biological Mass Spectrometry.

Current research and/or projects

My programme uses proteomics, peptidomics, bioinformatics and biological mass spectrometry to investigate plant-pathogen interactions.  Research is mainly focused on Puccinia triticina (wheat leaf rust), with emphasis on effector proteins and peptides, and on Fusarium graminearum, with emphasis on mycotoxin biosynthesis regulation.  

Our lab collaborates extensively with other researchers who use proteomics but lack the expertize, equipment and software to address complex biological questions.  These projects currently involve complex analyses using stable-isotope-labelled tags, label-free quantification, and analyzing post-translational modifications (phosphorylation and redox modifications).

Research and/or project statements

Projects:

  • Stomata signalling pathways for increasing yield potential in wheat
  • Mitigating Emerging Threats to Wheat in Canada
  • Integrated genomics, plant pathology and breeding research for improvement of Fusarium Head Blight resistance in Canadian cereals
  • Developing “prairie cold tolerance” for early-season germination and establishment in prairie crops

Professional activities / interests

Host-pathogen interactions

Proteomics

Peptidomics

Biological Mass Spectrometry

Education and awards

Ph.D.  Plant Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada.

M.Sc., Biotechnology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

B.Sc. (Hons) Biochemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

International experience and/or work

  • Hardware Training: LTQ mass spectrometer (Thermo Training Centre, Palm Beach FL)
  • Hardware Training: nano HPLC (Dionex Training Centre, Chicago IL)
  • Software Training: Mascot (MatrixScience Course, Savannah GA) 
  • Sabbatical Leave, University of Zürich/ETH Functional Genomics Centre Zürich CH.
  • Hardware Training: Q Exactive mass spectrometer (Thermo, on-site)
  • Software training, MaxQuant, Berlin (Summer School)

Key publications

  1. *Foroud NA, González-Peña Fundora D, Stasiuk S, Sridhar PS, Sharma T, Loewen MC, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Thakor N. Unravelling the cell wall integrity pathway of Fusarium graminearum. 12th International Congress of Plant Pathology. Paris, FRANCE. August 20-25, 2023.

    2023 - View publication details

  2. *Foroud NA, González-Peña Fundora D, Stasiuk S, Eranthodi A, Ryabova D, Shostak K, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Sridhar P, Sharma T, Loewen M, Thakor N. Modification of the mitogen-activation protein kinase kinase 1 (Mkk1) activation loop in Fusarium graminearum. 16th European Fungal Genetics Congress; Fusarium Workshop. Innsbruck, AUSTRIA. March 5-8, 2023. (Oral Presentation)

    2023 - View publication details

  3. Natalia V. Bykova, Christof Rampitsch, Abir U. Igamberdiev, Plant proteomics: From the molecular basis of biological processes to a systems biology perspective, Journal of Plant Physiology, Volume 280, 2023, 153880, ISSN 0176-1617, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153880.

    2023 - View publication details

  4. *Foroud NA, González-Peña Fundora D, Stasiuk S, Eranthodi A, Ryabova D, Shostak K, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Sridhar P, Sharma T, Loewen M, Thakor N. Unravelling the cell wall integrity cascade in Fusarium graminearum. 43rd Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta. Brooks AB. November 2-4, 2022. (Oral Presentation)

    2022 - View publication details

  5. Gonzàlez-Peña Fundora D, Shostak K, Subramaniam R, Eranthodi A, Rampitsch C, Thakor N, *Foroud NA. The over-expression of Fusarium graminearum MAPK, Mgv1, alters fungal biochemistry but does not affect morphocultural phenoptypes ore virulence in wheat heads. 15th European Fusarium Symposium (Virtual meeting) Ghent, Belgium. May 31 - June 1, 2021. (Oral Presentaion)

    2021 - View publication details

  6. Bykova NV, Rampitsch C, McCallum B, Bakkeren G, Wang X, Huang M, Fernando U, Radovanovic N, Rampitsch M, Linning R (2021) Profiling the total and nuclear proteomes of host-pathogen interactions of the wheat Thatcher near-isogenic line for Lr2a resistance gene with virulent and avirulent races of Puccinia triticina. 4th International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO) Conference. Virtual Conference hosted from Winnipeg, Canada, March 9-11, 2021. Poster http://www.inppo2020.org/

    2021 - View publication details

  7. Gonzàlez-Peña Fundora D, Eranthodi A, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Thakor N, *Foroud NA. Characterization of Fusarium graminearum transformants over-expressing the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, MKK2, and a phosphomimic thereof. 41st Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta. On-line meeting, through Lethbridge AB. November 4-5, 2020. (Oral Presentation)

    2020 - View publication details

  8. Eranthodi A, Gonzàlez-Peña Fundora D, Subramaniam R, Ouellet T, Rampitsch C, Smith M, Schultz E, *Foroud NA. Role of a secreted cerato-platanin protein in growth, infection and DON accumulation by Fusarium graminearum. 41st Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta. On-line meeting, through Lethbridge AB. November 4-5, 2020. (Oral Presentation)

    2020 - View publication details

  9. Wang, X., Che, M.Z., Khalil, H.B., McCallum, B.D., Bakkeren, G., Rampitsch, C., Saville, B.J. (2020). The role of reactive oxygen species in the virulence of wheat leaf rust fungus Puccinia triticina. Environmental Microbiology, [online] 22(7), 2956-2967. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.15063

    2020 - View publication details

  10. Rampitsch, C., Huang, M., Djuric-Cignaovic, S., Wang, X., Fernando, U. (2019). Temporal Quantitative Changes in the Resistant and Susceptible Wheat Leaf Apoplastic Proteome During Infection by Wheat Leaf Rust (Puccinia triticina). Frontiers in Plant Science, [online] 10 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01291

    2019 - View publication details

  11. Rampitsch M, Huang M, Zhen Y, Radovanovic N, Xu W, Rampitsch C, Bykova NV (2019). Profiling of histone acetylation and methylation marks associated with embryo and aleurone tissue-specific epigenetic regulation of seed dormancy in wheat. ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics. Atlanta, Georgia, June 2 - 6, 2019. Poster presentation, Abstract ID number: 299846.

    2019 - View publication details

  12. Fernando, U., Chatur, S., Joshi, M., Thomas Bonner, C., Fan, T., Hubbard, K., Chabot, D., Rowland, O., Wang, L., Subramaniam, R., Rampitsch, C. (2019). Redox signalling from NADPH oxidase targets metabolic enzymes and developmental proteins in Fusarium graminearum. Molecular Plant Pathology, [online] 20(1), 92-106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12742

    2019 - View publication details

  13. Eranthodi A, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Ouellet T, González-Peña Fundora D, Schultz EA, Foroud NA. 2018. Characterization of three cysteine-rich proteins from the secretome of Fusarium graminearum. 9th Canadian Workshop of Fusarium Head Blight and the 4th Canadian Wheat Symposium Joint Meeting, Winnipeg MB, CANADA. Nov 19-22, 2018. (Oral Presentation)

    2018 - View publication details

  14. González-Peña Fundora D, Eranthodi A, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Thakor N, Foroud NA. 2018. Overexpression of the Fusarium graminearum mitogen-activated protein kinase, Mgv1, does not affect vegetative growth or virulence. 4th Lethbridge Research & Development Centre Graduate Symposium. Lethbridge AB, CANADA, November 15, 2018. Award Winning Presentation.

    2018 - View publication details

  15. Eranthodi A, Subramaniam R, Ouellet T, Rampitsch C, Shostak K, González-Peña Fundora D, Schultz EA, Foroud NA. 2018. The role of three secreted cysteine-rich proteins of Fusarium graminearum fungal growth and host infection. 4th Lethbridge Research & Development Centre Graduate Symposium. Lethbridge AB, CANADA, November 15, 2018.

    2018 - View publication details

  16. Bykova NV, Rampitsch M, Rampitsch C, Huang M (2018) Histone posttranslational modification landscape related to epigenetic regulation of seed dormancy in wheat. 3rd International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO) World Congress. Padova, Italy, September 9-12, 2018. Poster presentation

    2018 - View publication details

  17. Rampitsch C, Bykova NV, Wang X, Huang M, Djuric-Ciganovic S (2018) Candidate Effector Proteome of the apoplastic space of wheat leaves infected with leaf rust (Puccinia triticina). 3rd International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO) World Congress. Padova, Italy, September 9-12, 2018. Oral presentation

    2018 - View publication details

  18. González-Peña Fundora D, Eranthodi A, Goyal RK, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Thakor N, Foroud NA. 2018. Effects of over-expressing the Mgv1 mitogen-activated protein kinase in Fusarium graminearum. 2018 Canadian Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting. Québec QC, CANADA, June 18-22, 2018. Published Abstract in the Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology. DOI:10.1080/07060661.2019.1519163

    2018 - View publication details

  19. Huang M, Fernando U, Djuric-Ciganovic S, Wang X, Bakkeren G, Linning R, Bykova NV, Rampitsch C (2018) Quantitative proteomic approaches to characterize the dynamic and comprehensive defence responses of wheat to leaf rust. 66th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics, San Diego, CA, USA, June 3-7, 2018. Poster

    2018 - View publication details

  20. González-Peña Fundora D, Subramaniam R, Rampitsch C, Eranthodi A, Thakor N, Foroud NA. 2018. MAPK overexpression in Fusarium graminearum—towards characterization of the Mgv1 signalling pathway. 14th European Fusarium Seminar, Tulln, AUSTRIA, April 8-12, 2018.

    2018 - View publication details

Research facility

Route 100, Unit 100-101
Morden, MB R6M 1Y5
Canada

Affiliations

Editorial Board, Proteomics.

Associate Editor (Microbial Genetics, Genomics and Proteomics), BMC Microbiology.

Language

English

Other languages

Deutsch