Leila Feiz
Senior Research Associate
Investigating fundamental mechanisms of protein homeostasis that regulate photosynthesis, development, and stress adaptation in plants.
Email: lf259@cornell.edu
- Feiz L., Shyu C., Wu S., Ahern K.R., Gull I., Rong Y., Artymowicz C.J., Piñeros M.A., Fei Z., Brutnell T.P., and Jander G. (2024). COI1 F-box proteins regulate DELLA protein levels, growth, and photosynthetic efficiency in maize. The Plant Cell 36(9): 3237–3259.
- Feiz L., Asakura Y., Mao L., Strickler S., Fei Z., Rojas M., Barkan A., and Stern D. (2021). CFM1, a member of the CRM-domain protein family, functions in chloroplast group II intron splicing in Setaria viridis. The Plant Journal 105: 639–648.
- Feiz L., Strickler S.R., van Eck J., Mao L., Movahed N., Taylor C., Gourabathini P., Fei Z., and Stern D.B. (2020). Setaria viridis chlorotic and seedling-lethal mutants define critical functions for chloroplast gene expression. The Plant Journal 104: 917–931.
- Vitlin Gruber A. and Feiz L. (2018). Rubisco assembly in the chloroplast. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 5:24.
- Feiz L., Williams-Carrier R., Belcher S., Montano M., Barkan A.B., and Stern D.B. (2014). A protein with an inactive pterin-4a-carbinolamine dehydratase domain is required for Rubisco biogenesis in plants. The Plant Journal 80: 862–869.
- Feiz L., Williams-Carrier R., Wostrikoff K., Belcher S., Barkan A.B., and Stern D.B. (2012). Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase accumulation factor 1 is required for holoenzyme assembly in maize. The Plant Cell 24: 3435–3446.
- Feiz L., Beecher B., Martin J.M., and Giroux M.J. (2009). In planta mutagenesis determines the functional regions of puroindoline proteins. Genetics 183: 853–860.
- Feiz L., Wanjugi H.W., Melnyk C.W., Altosaar I., Martin J.M., and Giroux M.J. (2009). Puroindolines co-localize to the starch granule surface and increase seed polar lipid content. Journal of Cereal Science 50: 91–98.
- Feiz L., Martin J.M., and Giroux M.J. (2009). Creation and functional analysis of new puroindoline alleles in Triticum aestivum. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 118: 247–257.
- Feiz L., Martin J.M., and Giroux M.J. (2008). The relationship between wheat grain hardness and wet-milling quality. Cereal Chemistry 85: 44–50.
- Feiz L., Irshad M., Pont-Lezica R.F., Canut H., and Jamet E. (2006). Evaluation of cell wall preparations for proteomics: a new procedure for purifying cell walls from Arabidopsis hypocotyls. Plant Methods 2: 1–13.
US Patent No. 11,859,194 (2024). Compositions and methods useful for the regulation of abiotic stress responses in higher plants. Inventors: David B. Stern, Coralie E. Salesse-Smith, and Leila Feiz.
My research focuses on protein homeostasis in plants, with an emphasis on three areas: (1) intercellular protein transport in C₄ plants, (2) hormone-regulated proteolysis and its role in C₄ plant development, and (3) the molecular mechanisms underlying autophagy and autophagosome biogenesis.
Although C₄ species represent only a small fraction of plant diversity, they contribute disproportionately to global agricultural productivity. C₄ photosynthesis evolved through specialized anatomical and biochemical adaptations, including the partitioning of photosynthetic functions between mesophyll and bundle sheath cells, which enhances carbon fixation efficiency under environmental stress. Despite their importance, the mechanisms underlying C₄ development and evolution remain poorly understood. My research investigates these mechanisms by characterizing mutants with altered C₄ cell-type specificity and by studying phytohormone signaling pathways that regulate protein homeostasis and development. Using genetic and transgenic approaches in Setaria viridis and maize, I aim to identify the molecular processes that drive C₄ cell differentiation, chloroplast specialization, and photosynthetic efficiency.
A second major focus of my research is autophagy, a fundamental process that regulates plant growth, stress responses, and cellular homeostasis. Using plant–insect interactions as an experimental platform, I investigate the mechanisms that control autophagy initiation, autophagosome biogenesis, and endomembrane trafficking. This work has identified novel aphid effector proteins that target plant trafficking and autophagy pathways, providing new insights into the cellular machinery that governs autophagosome formation.
Together, these research programs seek to uncover fundamental mechanisms of protein homeostasis that regulate photosynthesis, development, and stress adaptation in plants.
