Dr April Hastwell is a plant molecular biologist with the School of Agriculture and Food Science at The University of Queensland, Australia. The focus of her research group is on roles of short signalling peptides in root development including in molecular networks controlling the beneficial legume-rhizobia symbiosis and nodule development.
Journal Article: Nodule formation and nitrogen fixation in Acacia holosericea plants grown in soil admixed with iron ore tailings
Yu, Lina, You, Fang, Wu, Songlin, Lu, Zhaohua, Hastwell, April, Ferguson, Brett and Huang, Longbin (2023). Nodule formation and nitrogen fixation in Acacia holosericea plants grown in soil admixed with iron ore tailings. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 23 (1), 1085-1095. doi: 10.1007/s42729-022-01105-2
Book Chapter: Soybean CLE peptides and their CLAVATA-like signaling pathways
Jones, Candice H., Hastwell, April H., Gresshoff, Peter M. and Ferguson, Brett J. (2022). Soybean CLE peptides and their CLAVATA-like signaling pathways. Soybean physiology and genetics. (pp. 153-175) edited by Hon-Ming Lam and Man-Wah Li. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/bs.abr.2022.02.006
Journal Article: Characterisation of Medicago truncatula CLE34 and CLE35 in nitrate and rhizobia regulation of nodulation
Mens, Celine, Hastwell, April H., Su, Huanan, Gresshoff, Peter M., Mathesius, Ulrike and Ferguson, Brett J. (2021). Characterisation of Medicago truncatula CLE34 and CLE35 in nitrate and rhizobia regulation of nodulation. New Phytologist, 229 (5) nph.17010, 2525-2534. doi: 10.1111/nph.17010
Rapid generation of superior legume crops using tissue culture-free genome editing
(2023–2026) The Hermon Slade Foundation
Australian Peptide Display Facility (ARC LIEF administered by University of Sydney)
(2022) University of Sydney
Legume meristem signalling peptides: an untapped niche
(2020–2023) ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
The Characterisation of Root Meristem Growth Factor (RGF)/GOLVEN (GLV)/CLE-Like (CLEL) Peptides in Soybean Root Development and Nodulation
Doctor Philosophy
Revolutionising CRISPR genome editing to generate superior legume crops
Doctor Philosophy
Characterising novel molecular players in soybean nodulation under low pH conditions
(2022) Master Philosophy
Peptide regulation of plant-microbe interactions in legumes
Legumes are capable of forming beneficial symbioses with bacteria and fungal microbes within the soil, however, they are also at risk from harmful microbial pathogens. While the beneficial symbioses allow the plant to uptake valuable nutrients, reducing the amount of agricultural inputs, pathogenic organisms significantly impact the plant fitness and untimely yield. When the plant and a microbe interact, there are numerous plant signalling pathways that are activated to enable or prevent the interaction from occurring. Many small signalling proteins, known as peptides, are at the centre of these interactions. These peptides are small, mobile signals and often contain complex post-translational modifications to enable important messages to be relayed across cells and organs.
Aspects of this project will use bioinformatics, molecular biology, microbiology and plant physiology to help understand how groups of different signalling peptides are involved and how they help control plant-microbe interactions.
Soybean CLE peptides and their CLAVATA-like signaling pathways
Jones, Candice H., Hastwell, April H., Gresshoff, Peter M. and Ferguson, Brett J. (2022). Soybean CLE peptides and their CLAVATA-like signaling pathways. Soybean physiology and genetics. (pp. 153-175) edited by Hon-Ming Lam and Man-Wah Li. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/bs.abr.2022.02.006
Advances in understanding soybean physiology and growth
Zhang, M. B., Chu, X. T., Su, H. N., Hastwell, A. H., Gresshoff, P. M. and Ferguson, B. J. (2018). Advances in understanding soybean physiology and growth. Achieving sustainable cultivation of soybeans: volume 1 breeding and cultivation techniques. (pp. 3-22) edited by Henry T. Nguyen. Sawston, Cambridge, United Kingdom: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. doi: 10.19103/as.2017.0034.01
Yu, Lina, You, Fang, Wu, Songlin, Lu, Zhaohua, Hastwell, April, Ferguson, Brett and Huang, Longbin (2023). Nodule formation and nitrogen fixation in Acacia holosericea plants grown in soil admixed with iron ore tailings. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 23 (1), 1085-1095. doi: 10.1007/s42729-022-01105-2
Mens, Celine, Hastwell, April H., Su, Huanan, Gresshoff, Peter M., Mathesius, Ulrike and Ferguson, Brett J. (2021). Characterisation of Medicago truncatula CLE34 and CLE35 in nitrate and rhizobia regulation of nodulation. New Phytologist, 229 (5) nph.17010, 2525-2534. doi: 10.1111/nph.17010
GmYUC2a mediates auxin biosynthesis during root development and nodulation in soybean
Wang, Youning, Yang, Wei, Zuo, Yanyan, Zhu, Lin, Hastwell, April H., Chen, Liang, Tian, Yinping, Su, Chao, Ferguson, Brett J. and Li, Xia (2019). GmYUC2a mediates auxin biosynthesis during root development and nodulation in soybean. Journal of Experimental Botany, 70 (12), 3165-3176. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erz144
Legume nodulation: the host controls the party
Ferguson, B. J., Mens, C., Hastwell, A. H., Zhang, M. B., Su, H., Jones, C. H., Chu, X. T. and Gresshoff, P. M. (2018). Legume nodulation: the host controls the party. Plant, Cell and Environment, 42 (1), 41-51. doi: 10.1111/pce.13348
Hastwell, April H., Corcilius, Leo, Williams, James, Gresshoff, Peter M., Payne, Richard J. and Ferguson, Brett J. (2018). Triarabinosylation is required for nodulation-suppressive CLE peptides to systemically inhibit nodulation in Pisum sativum. Plant, Cell and Environment, 42 (1), 188-197. doi: 10.1111/pce.13325
Arabinosylation modulates the growth-regulating activity of the peptide hormone CLE40a from soybean
Corcilius, Leo, Hastwell, April H., Zhang, Mengbai, Williams, James, Mackay, Joel P., Gresshoff, Peter M., Ferguson, Brett J. and Payne, Richard J. (2017). Arabinosylation modulates the growth-regulating activity of the peptide hormone CLE40a from soybean. Cell Chemical Biology, 24 (11), 1347-1355. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.08.014
Hastwell, April H., de Bang, Thomas C., Gresshoff, Peter M. and Ferguson, Brett J. (2017). Author Correction: CLE peptide-encoding gene families in Medicago truncatula and lotus japonicus, compared with those of soybean, common bean and Arabidopsis (vol 7, 9384, 2017). Scientific Reports, 7 (1) 15474, 15474. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-14991-9
Hastwell, April H., de Bang, Thomas C., Gresshoff, Peter M. and Ferguson, Brett J. (2017). CLE peptide-encoding gene families in Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus, compared with those of soybean, common bean and Arabidopsis. Scientific Reports, 7 (1) 9384, 9384. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-09296-w
Hastwell, April H., Gresshoff, Peter M. and Ferguson, Brett J. (2015). Genome-wide annotation and characterization of CLAVATA/ESR (CLE) peptide hormones of soybean (Glycine max) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and their orthologues of Arabidopsis thaliana. Journal of Experimental Botany, 66 (17), 5271-5287. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erv351
The structure and activity of nodulation-suppressing CLE peptide hormones of legumes
Hastwell, April H., Gresshoff, Peter M. and Ferguson, Brett J. (2015). The structure and activity of nodulation-suppressing CLE peptide hormones of legumes. Functional Plant Biology, 42 (3), 229-238. doi: 10.1071/FP14222
Ferguson, Brett J., Li, Dongxue, Hastwell, April H., Reid, Dugald E., Li, Yupeng, Jackson, Scott A. and Gresshoff, Peter M. (2014). The soybean (Glycine max) nodulation-suppressive CLE peptide, GmRIC1, functions interspecifically in common white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), but not in a supernodulating line mutated in PvNARK. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 12 (8), 1085-1097. doi: 10.1111/pbi.12216
Gresshoff, Peter M., Hayashi, Satomi, Biswas, Bandana, Mirzaei, Saeid, Indrasumunar, Arief, Reid, Dugald, Samuel, Sharon, Tollenaere, Alina, van Hameren, Bethany, Hastwell, April, Scott, Paul and Ferguson, Brett J. (2014). The value of biodiversity in legume symbiotic nitrogen fixation and nodulation for biofuel and food production.. Journal of Plant Physiology, 172 (2-3), 128-136. doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2014.05.013
Negative regulation of legume nodules by inducible signal peptides
Hastwell, April, Li, Dongxue, Tollenaere, Alina, Gresshoff, Peter M. and Ferguson, Brett J. (2014). Negative regulation of legume nodules by inducible signal peptides. 17th Australian Nitrogen Fixation Conference, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 28 September - 2 October 2014.
Characterisation of Medicago truncatula CLE34 and CLE35 in nodulation control
Mens, Celine, Hastwell, April, Su, Huanan, Gresshoff, Peter, Mathesius, Ulrike and Ferguson, Brett (2020). Characterisation of Medicago truncatula CLE34 and CLE35 in nodulation control.
Functional characterisation of novel peptide hormones in legume nodulation and plant development
Hastwell, April (2018). Functional characterisation of novel peptide hormones in legume nodulation and plant development. PhD Thesis, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2018.808
Rapid generation of superior legume crops using tissue culture-free genome editing
(2023–2026) The Hermon Slade Foundation
Australian Peptide Display Facility (ARC LIEF administered by University of Sydney)
(2022) University of Sydney
Legume meristem signalling peptides: an untapped niche
(2020–2023) ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
The Characterisation of Root Meristem Growth Factor (RGF)/GOLVEN (GLV)/CLE-Like (CLEL) Peptides in Soybean Root Development and Nodulation
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Revolutionising CRISPR genome editing to generate superior legume crops
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Molecular analysis of novel CLE peptide hormones that respond to legume pathogens
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Use of beneficial microbes to improve growth, disease resistance and nutritional value in plants and algae
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Characterising novel molecular players in soybean nodulation under low pH conditions
(2022) Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.
Peptide regulation of plant-microbe interactions in legumes
Legumes are capable of forming beneficial symbioses with bacteria and fungal microbes within the soil, however, they are also at risk from harmful microbial pathogens. While the beneficial symbioses allow the plant to uptake valuable nutrients, reducing the amount of agricultural inputs, pathogenic organisms significantly impact the plant fitness and untimely yield. When the plant and a microbe interact, there are numerous plant signalling pathways that are activated to enable or prevent the interaction from occurring. Many small signalling proteins, known as peptides, are at the centre of these interactions. These peptides are small, mobile signals and often contain complex post-translational modifications to enable important messages to be relayed across cells and organs.
Aspects of this project will use bioinformatics, molecular biology, microbiology and plant physiology to help understand how groups of different signalling peptides are involved and how they help control plant-microbe interactions.