Staff profile

Research Interests

Cells in multicellular organisms communicate with each other to synchronise their responses to internal and external growth & developmental cues. Cell-to-cell communication is essential in adaptive responses to both biotic and abiotic stress. The Arabidopsis plasma membrane is endowed with numerous receptor-like kinases with a ligand-binding ecto-domain and an intracellular kinase domain. This suggests that cell-cell communications via the apoplastic route could be more widespread than previously thought. The functions of only a handful of these plasma membrane receptors and their cognate ligands have been characterised. We are using proteomics, genomics, and metabolomics to identify genes/proteins/metabolites important in plant stress responses. By focusing on the Extracellular Matrix, we hope to capture signals and signal-regulatory proteins in this sub-cellular compartment with roles in programmed cell death and adaptive responses to drought and pathogen attack. We created an extensive in-house database of plant ECM proteins and we are mining publicly available crop datasets for linking with model plants.

 Current projects in the group focus on identifying new genes/proteins in:

1]. Programmed Cell Death

2]. Adaptation to Drought Stress

3]. Pathogen Defence

• Durham Centre for Crop Improvement Technology
• Molecular Plant Sciences

Journal Article

• Goodman, Heather L., Kroon, Johan T. M., Tomé, Daniel F. A., Hamilton, John M. U., Alqarni, Ali O. & Chivasa, Stephen (2022). Extracellular ATP targets Arabidopsis RIBONUCLEASE 1 to suppress mycotoxin stress-induced cell death. New Phytologist 235(4): 1531-1542.
• Johnson, Karen L., Gray, Neil D., Stone, Wendy, Kelly, Bryce F.J., Fitzsimons, Mark F., Clarke, Cathy, Blake, Lynsay, Chivasa, Stephen, Mtambanengwe, Florence, Mapfumo, Paul, Baker, Andy, Beckmann, Sabrina, Dominelli, Lena, Neal, Andrew L. & Gwandu, Tariro (2022). A nation that rebuilds its soils rebuilds itself- an engineer's perspective. Soil Security 7: 100060.
• Gwandu, T., Blake, L. I., Nezomba, H., Rurinda, J., Chivasa, S., Mtambanengwe, F. & Johnson, K. L. (2022). Waste to resource: use of water treatment residual for increased maize productivity and micronutrient content. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 44(10): 3359-3376.
• Smith, Sarah J., Goodman, Heather, Kroon, Johan T.M., Brown, Adrian P., Simon, William J. & Chivasa, Stephen (2021). Isolation of Arabidopsis extracellular ATP‐binding proteins by affinity proteomics and identification of PHOSPHOLIPASE C‐LIKE 1 as an extracellular protein essential for fumonisin B1 toxicity. The Plant Journal 106(5): 1387-1400.
• Ngcala, Mamosa G., Goche, Tatenda, Brown, Adrian P., Chivasa, Stephen & Ngara, Rudo (2020). Heat Stress Triggers Differential Protein Accumulation in the Extracellular Matrix of Sorghum Cell Suspension Cultures. Proteomes 8(4): 29.
• Goche, Tatenda, Shargie, Nemera G., Cummins, Ian, Brown, Adrian P., Chivasa, Stephen & Ngara, Rudo (2020). Comparative physiological and root proteome analyses of two sorghum varieties responding to water limitation. Scientific Reports 10(1): 11835.
• Chivasa, Stephen (2020). Insights into Plant Extracellular ATP Signaling Revealed by the Discovery of an ATP-Regulated Transcription Factor. Plant and Cell Physiology 61(4): 673-674.
• Chivasa, Stephen & Goodman, Heather L. (2020). Stress‐adaptive gene discovery by exploiting collective decision‐making of decentralised plant response systems. New Phytologist 225(6): 2307-2313.
• Ramulifho, Elelwani, Goche, Tatenda, Van As, Johann, Tsilo, Toi John, Chivasa, Stephen & Ngara, Rudo (2019). Establishment and Characterization of Callus and Cell Suspension Cultures of Selected Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench Varieties: A Resource for Gene Discovery in Plant Stress Biology. Agronomy 9(5): 218.
• Abedi, Sepideh, Astaraei, Fatemeh Razi, Ghobadian, Barat, Tavakoli, Omid, Jalili, Hassan, Greenwell, H. Christopher, Cummins, Ian & Chivasa, Stephen (2019). Decoupling a novel Trichormus variabilis-Synechocystis sp. interaction to boost phycoremediation. Scientific Reports 9: 2511.
• Ngara, Rudo, Ramulifho, Elelwani, Movahedi, Mahsa, Shargie, Nemera G., Brown, Adrian P. & Chivasa, Stephen (2018). Identifying differentially expressed proteins in sorghum cell cultures exposed to osmotic stress. Scientific Reports 8(1): 8671.
• González-Torralva, F., Brown, A.P. & Chivasa, S. (2017). Comparative proteomic analysis of horseweed (Conyza canadensis) biotypes identifies candidate proteins for glyphosate resistance. Scientific Reports 7: 42565.
• Smith, Sarah J., Kroon, Johan. T. M., Simon, William. J., Slabas, Antoni R. & Chivasa, Stephen (2015). A Novel Function for Arabidopsis CYCLASE1 in Programmed Cell Death Revealed by Isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantitation (iTRAQ) Analysis of Extracellular Matrix Proteins. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics 14(6): 1556-1568.
• Smith, SJ, Wang, Y, Slabas, AR & Chivasa, S (2014). Light regulation of cadmium-induced cell death in Arabidopsis. Plant Signaling & Behavior 8(12): e27578.
• Wang, Y., Kroon, J.K.M., Slabas, A.R. & Chivasa, S. (2013). Proteomics reveals new insights into the role of light in cadmium response in Arabidopsis cell suspension cultures. Proteomics 13(7): 1145-1158.
• Chivasa, S, Tomé, DF & Slabas, AR (2013). UDP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Is a Novel Plant Cell Death Regulator. Journal of Proteome Research 12(4): 1743-1753.
• Chivasa, S & Slabas, AR (2012). Plant extracellular ATP signalling: new insight from proteomics. Molecular BioSystems
• Wang, Y, Slabas, AR & Chivasa, S (2012). Proteomic analysis of dark response in Arabidopsis cell suspension cultures. Journal of Plant Physiology 169(17): 1690-1697.
• Chivasa, S., Simon, J.W., Murphy, A.M., Lindsey, K., Carr, J.P. & Slabas, A.R. (2010). The effects of extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate on the tobacco proteome. Proteomics 10(2): 235-244.
• Chivasa S, Tome DF, Hamilton JM, & Slabas AR. (2010). Proteomic analysis of extracellular ATP-regulated proteins identifies ATP synthase {beta}-subunit as a novel plant cell death regulator. Molecular Cell Proteomics
• Chivasa, S, Tomé, DF, Murphy, AM, Hamilton, JM, Lindsey, K, Carr, JP & Slabas, AR (2009). Extracellular ATP: a modulator of cell death and pathogen defense in plants. Plant Signaling & Behavior 4(11): 1078-1080.
• Demidchik, V, Shang, ZL, Shin, R, Thompson, E, Rubio, L, Laohavisit, A, Mortimer, JC, Chivasa, S, Slabas, AR, Glover, BJ, Schachtman, DP, Shabala, SN & Davies, JM (2009). Plant extracellular ATP signalling by plasma membrane NADPH oxidase and Ca2+ channels. Plant Journal 58(6): 903-913.
• Chivasa, S., Murphy, A., Hamilton, J., Lindsey, K., Carr, J. & Slabas, A.R. (2009). Extracellular ATP is a regulator of pathogen defence in plants. The Plant Journal 60(3): 436-448.
• Chivasa, S., Hamilton, J.M. Pringle, R.S. Ndimba, B.K. Simon, J.W., Lindsey, K. & Slabas, A.R. (2006). Proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in fungal elicitor-treated Arabidopsis cell cultures. Journal of Experimental Botany 57: 1553-1562.
• Ndimba, BK, Chivasa, S, Simon, JW & Slabas, AR (2005). Identification of Arabidopsis salt and osmotic stress responsive proteins using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Proteomics 5(16): 4185-4196.
• Chivasa, S, Simon, WJ, Yu, XL, Yalpani, N & Slabas, AR (2005). Pathogen elicitor-induced changes in the maize extracellular matrix proteome. Proteomics 5(18): 4894-4904.
• Chivasa, S, Ndimba, BK, Simon, JW, Lindsey, K & Slabas, AR (2005). Extracellular ATP functions as an endogenous external metabolite regulating plant cell viability. Plant Cell 17(11): 3019-3034.
• Slabas, AR, Ndimba, B, Simon, JW & Chivasa, S (2004). Proteomic analysis of the Arabidopsis cell wall reveals unexpected proteins with new cellular locations. Biochemical Society Transactions 32: 524-528.
• Ndimba, BK, Chivasa, S, Hamilton, JM, Simon, WJ & Slabas, AR (2003). Proteomic analysis of changes in the extracellular matrix ofArabidopsis cell suspension cultures induced by fungal elicitors. Proteomics 3(6): 1047-1059.
• Chivasa, S, Ekpo, EJA & Hicks, RGT (2002). New hosts of Turnip Mosaic Virus in Zimbabwe. Plant Pathology 51(3): 386-386.
• Chivasa, S, Ndimba, BK, Simon, JW, Robertson, D, Yu, XL, Yu, XL, Knox, JP, Bolwell, P & Slabas, AR (2002). Proteomic analysis of the Arabidopsis thaliana cell wall. Electrophoresis 23(11): 1754-1765.
• Chivasa, S, Berry, OJ, ap Rees, T & Carr, JP (1999). Changes in gene expression during development and thermogenesis in Arum. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 26(5): 391-399.
• Murphy, AM, Chivasa, S, Singh, DP & Carr, JP (1999). Salicylic acid-induced resistance to viruses and other pathogens: a parting of the ways? Trends in Plant Science 4(4): 155-160.
• Chivasa, S & Carr, JP (1998). Cyanide restores N gene-mediated resistance to tobacco mosaic virus in transgenic tobacco expressing salicylic acid hydroxylase. Plant Cell 10(9): 1489-1498.
• Chivasa, S, Murphy, AM, Naylor, M & Carr, JP (1997). Salicylic Acid Interferes with Tobacco Mosaic Virus Replication via a Novel Salicylhydroxamic Acid-Sensitive Mechanism. Plant Cell 9(4): 547-557.