Frédéric Marsolais, Ph. D.

Image Frédéric Marsolais
Research Scientist

Research program in protein chemistry of pulses

Current research and/or projects

Current research focuses on the protein chemistry of legumes and amino acid metabolism in seed.

Research and/or project statements

  • Soybean protein and pathology: genomic approaches to improving soybean for Canadian growers
  • Genetic improvement of protein and seed quality traits in pea
  • Asparagine metabolism and function in nitrogen signaling

Recent publications

Research articles

  1. Xiong R, Wang A, Marsolais F, Todd C (2022) A fast and efficient method to introduce Apple Latent Spherical Virus to legume plants via Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation of hairy roots. Legume Sci. 3, e154. doi:10.1002/leg3.154
  2. Palmer JP, Pajak A, Robson B, Zhang B, Joshi J, Diapari M, Pauls KP, Marsolais F (2021) PECTIN ACETYLESTERASE 8 influences pectin acetylation in the seed coat, seed imbibition and dormancy in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Legume Sci 3, e130. doi:10.1002/leg3.130
  3. Luo Y, Na R, Nowak J, Qiu Y, Lu QS, Yang C, Marsolais F, Tian L. (2021) Development of a Csy4-processed guide RNA delivery system with soybean-infecting virus ALSV. BMC Plant Biol. 21, 419. doi:10.1186/s12870-021-03138-8
  4. Kambhampati S, Pajak A, Marsolais F (2021) Evidence that class I glutamine amidotransferase, GAT1_2.1, acts as a glutaminase in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Sci 312, 111033. doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2021.111033
  5. Fu Y-B, Cober ER, Morrison MJ, Marsolais F, Peterson GW, Horbach C (2021) Patterns of genetic variation in a soybean germplasm collection as characterized with genotyping-by-sequencing. Plants 10, 1611. doi: 10.3390/plants10081611. Special Issue on “Genetic Diversity, Conservation and Innovative Plant Breeding Strategies”
  6. Song J, Xie X, Chen C, Shu J, Thapa RK, Nguyen V, Bian S, Kohalmi SE, Marsolais F, Zou J, Cui Y (2021) Endosperm-synthesized pioneer-like transcription factor LEAFY COTYLEDON1 enables embryo maturation in Arabidopsis. Nat Commun 12, 3963. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-24234-1. Featured on Editors’ Highlights Focus webpage of “Plants and agriculture” in Nat Commun
  7. Viscarra-Torrico RC, Aga Pajak A, Soler Garzón A, Zhang B, Pandurangan S, Diapari M, Song Q, Conner RL, House JD, Miklas PN, Hou A, Marsolais F (2021) Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with increased cysteine and methionine concentration. Legume Sci. e103. doi: 10.1002/leg3.103
  8. Arshad M, Puri A, Simkovich AJ, Renaud J, Gruber MY, Marsolais F, Hannoufa A (2020) Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of alfalfa in response to microRNA156 under high temperature. BMC Genomics 21, 758. doi: 10.1186/s12864-020-07161-1
  9. Reinprecht Y, Schram L, Marsolais F, Smith TH, Hill B and Pauls KP (2020) Effects of nitrogen application on nitrogen fixation in common bean production. Front. Plant Sci. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01172.
  10. Islam N, Bett KE, Pauls KP, Marsolais F, Dhaubhadel S (2020) A basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, PvTT8, encoded by the P gene, regulates postharvest seed coat darkening in pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Plants, People, Planet 2, 663-677. doi: 10.1002/ppp3.10132.
  11. Jiang Y, MacLean DE, Perry GE, Marsolais F, Hill B, Pauls KP (2020) Evaluation of beneficial and inhibitory effects of nitrate on nodulation and nitrogen fixation in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Legume Sci. 2, e45. doi: 10.1002/leg3.45.
  12. Xiong R, Pajak A, Wang A, Yoshikawa N, Marsolais F, Todd CD (2019) Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation of asymptomatic Apple latent spherical virus as gene silencing vector in pea (Pisum sativum L.). Legume Sci. 1, e14. doi: 10.1002/leg3.14.  
  13. Wilker JL, Navabi A, Rajcan I, Marsolais F, Hill B, Torkamaneh D, Pauls PK (2019) Agronomic performance and nitrogen fixation of heirloom and conventional dry bean varieties under low-nitrogen field conditions. Front Plant Sci. 10, 952. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00952. Research Topic: Legumes for Global Food Security
  14. Joshi J, Saboori-Robat E, Solouki M, Mohsenpour M, Marsolais F (2019) Distribution and possible biosynthetic pathway of non-protein sulfur amino acids in legumes. J Exp Bot 70, 4115-4121. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erz291. Special issue: Sulfur nutrition: impacts on plant development, metabolism, and stress responses.
  15. Joshi J, Renaud J, Sumarah M, Marsolais F (2019) Deciphering S-methylcysteine biosynthesis in common bean by isotopic tracking with mass spectrometry. Plant J 100, 176-186. doi: 10.1111/tpj.14438 (Cover figure)
  16. Chen C, Shu J, Li C, Thapa R, Nguyen V, Yu K, Yuan Z-C; Kohalmi S, Liu J, Marsolais F, Huang S, Cui Y (2019) RNA polymerase II independent recruitment of SPT6L at transcription start sites in Arabidopsis. Nucl Acids Res 47, 6714-6725. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkz465
  17. Saboori-Robat E, Joshi J, Pajak A, Solouki M, Mohsenpour M, Renaud J, Marsolais F. (2019) Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) accumulates most S-methylcysteine as its γ-glutamyl dipeptide. Plants 8, 126. doi: 10.3390/plants8050126. Special Issue "Advances in Plant Sulfur Research"
  18. Ajewole A, Santamaria-Kisiel L, Pajak A, Jaskolski M, Marsolais F (2018) Structural basis of potassium activation in plant asparaginases. FEBS J 285, 1528-1539. doi.: 10.1111/febs.14428
  19. Duwadi K, Austin RS, Mainali HR, Bett K, Marsolais F, Dhaubhadel, S (2018) Metabolomics and transcriptomics of two pinto bean cultivars that differ in postharvest seed coat darkening reveal extensive differences in proanthocyanidin biosynthesis and accumulation. BMC Genomics 19, 260. doi: 10.1186/s12864-018-4550-z
  20. Balasubramanian PM, Rupert T, Marsolais F, Park SJ, Navabi A, Smith TH, Khanal R, Burt AJ, Pauls KP (2018) AAC Argosy navy dry bean. Can J Plant Sci 98, 199–202. doi: 10.1139/CJPS-2017-0176
  21. Balasubramanian PM, Rupert T, Marsolais F, Park SJ, Navabi A, Smith TH, Khanal R, Burt AJ, Pauls KP (2018) AAC Shock navy dry bean. Can J Plant Sci 98, 203–206 doi: 10.1139/CJPS-2017-0175
  22. Chen C, Li C, Wang Y, Renaud J, Tian G, Kambhampati S, Saatian B, Vi N, Hannoufa A, Marsolais F, Yuan Z-C, Yu K, Austin RS, Liu J, Kohalmi SE, Wu K, Huang S, Cui Y. (2017) Cytosolic acetyl-CoA promotes histone acetylation predominantly at H3K27 in Arabidopsis. Nat Plants 3, 814-824. doi: 10.1038/s41477-017-0023-7

Book

  1. The Common Bean Genome (2017) Perez de la Vega M, Santalla M, Marsolais F (eds). Series Compendium of Plant Genomes. Springer International Publishing, Cham, Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-63526-2

Book Chapters

  1. Wiesinger JA, Marsolais F, Glahn RP (2021) Health implications and nutrient bioavailability of bioactive compounds in dry beans and other pulses. In Dry Beans and Pulses Production, Processing and Nutrition, 2nd ed. Siddiq M, Uebersax MA, eds. Wiley. pp. 505-529. doi: 10.1002/9781119776802
  2. Kambhampati S, Ajewole E, Marsolais F. (2018) Recent advances in asparagine metabolism. In Progress in Botany Vol. 79. Cánovas FM, Lüttge U, Matyssek R (eds). Springer International Publishing, Cham, Switzerland. pp. 49-74. doi: 10.1007/124_2017_13
  3. Joshi J, Pandurangan S, Diapari M, Marsolais F (2017) Comparison of gene families: seed storage proteins. In The Common Bean Genome. Perez de la Vega M, Santalla M, Marsolais F (eds). Series Compendium of Plant Genomes. Springer International Publishing, Cham, Switzerland. pp. 201-217. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-63526-2_10
  4. Pérez de la Vega M, Santalla M, Marsolais F (2017) Prospects: the importance of common bean as a model crop. In The Common Bean Genome. Perez de la Vega M, Santalla M, Marsolais F (eds). Series Compendium of Plant Genomes. Springer International Publishing, Cham, Switzerland. pp. 289-295. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-63526-2_13

Professional activities / interests

  • Member, Editorial Board, Legume Science
  • Associate Editor, Frontiers in Plant Science, Specialty Section Plant Breeding
  • Member, Editorial Board, Agronomy

Education and awards

  • B. Sc. Microbiology, Laval University, 1992
  • M. Sc. Biology, Laval University, 1995
  • Ph. D. Biology, Concordia University, 2001
  • NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow, 2001-2003
  • Distinguished Achievement Award, Bean Improvement Cooperative, 2019

International experience and/or work

  • Research Associate, Department of Biology, Duke University, 2001-2002
  • Research Associate, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2002-2003

Key publications

  1. Kambhampati S, Ajewole E, Marsolais F. (2017) Recent advances in asparagine metabolism. In Progress in Botany. Cánovas F, Lüttge U, Matyssek R (eds). Springer International Publishing, Cham, Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/124_2017_13

    2017 - View publication details

  2. Balasubramanian, P.M., Rupert, T., Marsolais, F., Park, S.J., Navabi, A., Smith, T.H., Khanal, R., Burt, A.J., Pauls, K.P. (2017). AAC Shock navy dry bean. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 98(1), 203-206. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2017-0175

    2017 - View publication details

  3. Balasubramanian, P.M., Rupert, T., Marsolais, F., Park, S.J., Navabi, A., Smith, T.H., Khanal, R., Burt, A.J., Pauls, K.P. (2017). AAC Argosy navy dry bean. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, [online] 98(1), 199-202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2017-0176

    2017 - View publication details

  4. Pandurangan S, Marsolais F (2017) Analysis of phaseolin gene copy number by quantitative PCR. Annual Report of the Bean Improvement Cooperative 60, p. 107-108

    2017 - View publication details

  5. Joshi J, Renaud JB, Sumarah MW, Marsolais F (2017) Combining isotope labelling with high resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to study sulfur amino acid metabolism in seeds of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Plant Sulfur Metabolism in Higher Plants. Fundamental, Environmental and Agricultural Aspects. Series: Proceedings of the International Plant Sulfur Workshop. De Kok LJ, Hawkesford MJ, Haneklaus SH, Schnug E, eds. Springer. pp. 135-144

    2017 - View publication details

  6. Pandurangan, S., Diapari, M., Yin, F.G., Munholland, S., Perry, G.E., Chapman, B. P., Huang, S., Sparvoli, F., Bollini, R., Crosby, W.L., Pauls, K.P., and Marsolais, F. (2016 accepted). "Genomic analysis of storage protein deficiency in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).", Frontiers in Plant Science.

    2016 - View publication details

  7. Kambhampati S, Pandurangan S, Renaud JB, Austin RS, Sumarah MW, Marsolais F (2016) Combined transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches provide new insights into C/N partitioning in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana. Poster presentation. CSPB/CSHS 2017. Vancouver, July 4-7

    2016 - View publication details

  8. Hou A, Viscarra C, Diapari M, Marsolais F, Pajak A, Conner RL (2016) Genetic improvement of protein quality in edible beans with adaptation to Manitoba. Poster presentation. Tenth Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, Winnipeg, October 25-28

    2016 - View publication details

  9. Nowak J, Marsolais F, Tian L (2016) Developing herbicide tolerance in common bean through genome editing technology. Poster presentation. 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, Winnipeg, October 25-28

    2016 - View publication details

  10. Dhaubhadel, S., Austin, R.S., Marsolais, F., Chen, L., Bett, K., Islam, N.S. and Mainali, H.R.M. (2016) Seed coat transcriptome analysis of two pinto bean cultivars that differ in post-harvest seed coat darkening identifies candidate slow darkening genes. 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, Winnipeg, MB, Oct 25-28.

    2016 - View publication details

  11. Dhaubhadel, S., Austin, R.S., Marsolais, F., Chen, L., Bett, K., Islam, N.S. and Mainali, H.R.M. (2016) Seed coat transcriptome analysis of two pinto bean cultivars that differ in post-harvest seed coat darkening identifies candidate slow darkening genes. 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, Winnipeg, MB, Oct 25-28.

    2016 - View publication details

  12. Jafari, M., Rajabzadeh, A.R., Tabtabaei, S., Marsolais, F., Legge, R.L. (2016). Physicochemical characterization of a navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) protein fraction produced using a solvent-free method. Food Chemistry, [online] 208 35-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.102

    2016 - View publication details

  13. Ma, Z., Marsolais, F., Bernards, M.A., Sumarah, M.W., Bykova, N.V., Igamberdiev, A.U. (2016). Glyoxylate cycle and metabolism of organic acids in the scutellum of barley seeds during germination. Plant Science, [online] 248 37-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2016.04.007

    2016 - View publication details

  14. Joshi J, Renaud JB, Marsolais F (2016) Unveiling sulfur amino acid metabolism in common bean seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris). Oral presentation. Plant Biotech 2016. Kingston, June 19-21

    2016 - View publication details

  15. Joshi J, Renaud JB, Marsolais F (2016) Unveiling sulfur amino acid metabolism in common bean seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris). Oral presentation. Plant Biotech 2016. Kingston, June 19-21

    2016 - View publication details

  16. Kambhampati S, Pandurangan S , Renaud J, Austin R, Sumarah M, Marsolais F (2016) Combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis of asparagine treated Arabidopsis roots provide new insights into N metabolism. Oral presentation. Plant Biotech 2016. Kingston, June 19-21

    2016 - View publication details

  17. Nowak J, Tian L, Marsolais F (2016) Whole plant regeneration of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties. Oral presentation. Plant Biotech 2016. Kingston, June 19-21

    2016 - View publication details

  18. Cohen, H., Pajak, A., Pandurangan, S., Amir, R., Marsolais, F. (2016). Higher endogenous methionine in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds affects the composition of storage proteins and lipids. Amino Acids, [online] 48(6), 1413-1422. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00726-016-2193-4

    2016 - View publication details

  19. Kilpatrick, K., Pajak, A., Hagel, J.M., Sumarah, M.W., Lewinsohn, E., Facchini, P.J., Marsolais, F. (2016). Characterization of aromatic aminotransferases from Ephedra sinica Stapf. Amino Acids, [online] 48(5), 1209-1220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00726-015-2156-1

    2016 - View publication details

  20. Ma, Z., Marsolais, F., Bykova, N.V., Igamberdiev, A.U. (2016). Nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species mediate metabolic changes in barley seed embryo during germination. Frontiers in Plant Science, [online] 7(FEB2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.00138

    2016 - View publication details

Research facility

1391 Sandford Street
London, ON N5V 4T3
Canada

Affiliations

  • Adjunct Research Professor (Tier 1), Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario
  • Member, Research Subcommittee, Ontario Pulse Committee
  • Member, Bean Improvement Cooperative
  • Member, AOCS, Protein and co-Products Division
  • Member, Canadian Society of Plant Biologists

Language

English
French