Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular and Human Genetics; Program in Cell & Molecular Biology
Associate Director of Research, Vegetables and Fruit Improvement Center,
Texas A&M University

B.S., University of Arizona, 1984
Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1993
Postdoc, Whitehead Institute, 1997

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
We study both model systems biology in plants as well as translational research related to agricultural improvement. At the molecular level, our goals are to understand the structure, biological function, and regulation of transporter proteins that control trafficking into and out of the plant vacuole. Many of our molecular approaches use the standard genetic “tool kit”.  

Another major goal in our group is to learn how to manipulate the expression and function of these transporters to increase the nutritional content of crop plants, improve plant productivity, and cleanse polluted soils. For this second objective, we collaborate with faculty at the Children’s Nutrition Research here at Baylor and faculty at the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M. Obtaining help from nutritional scientists, we perform clinical trials addressing how changes in plant architecture alter nutrient bioavailability.

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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
1. Zhao J, Barkla BJ, Marshall J, Pittman JK, Hirschi KD (2008). The Arabidopsis cax3 mutants display altered salt tolerance, pH sensitivity and reduced plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity. Planta 227: 659-669.

2. Morris J, Hawthorne KM, Hotze T, Abrams SA, Hirschi KD (2008). Nutritional impact of elevated calcium transport activity in carrots. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105: 1431-1435.

3. Morris J, Nakata P, McConn M, Brock A, Hirschi KD (2007). Increased calcium bioavailability in mice fed genetically engineered plants lacking calcium oxalate (Cover). Plant. Mol. Biol. 64: 613-618.

4. Mei H, Zhao J, Pittman JK, Lachmansingh J, Park S, Hirschi KD (2007). In planta regulation of the Arabidopsis Ca2+/H+ antiporter CAX1. J. Exp. Bot. 58: 3419-3427.

5. Korenkov V, Park S, Cheng N-H, Sreevidya C, Lachmansingh J, Morris J, Hirschi KD (2007). Enhanced Cd2+-selective root-tonoplast-transport in tobaccos expressing Arabidopsis cation exchangers. Planta  225: 403-411.

6. Korenkov V, Hirschi K, Crutchfield JD, Wagner GJ (2007). Enhancing tonoplast Cd/H antiport activity increases Cd, Zn, and Mn tolerance, and impacts root/shoot Cd partitioning in Nicotiana tabacum L. Planta 226: 1379-1387.

7. Shigaki T, Hirschi, KD (2006). Diverse Functions and Molecular Properties Emerging for CAX Cation/H⁺ Exchangers in Plants. Plant Biol. 8: 419-429.

8. Shigaki T, Rees I, Nakhleh L, Hirschi KD (2006). Identification of the three distinct phylogenetic groups of CAX cation/proton antiporters. J. Mol. Evol. 63: 815-825.

9. Cheng NH, Liu JZ, Brock A, Nelson RA, Hirschi KD (2006). AtGRXcp, an Arabidopsis chloroplastic glutaredoxin, is critical for protection against protein oxidative damage. J. Biol. Chem. 281: 26280-26288.

10. Bock KW, Honys D, Ward JM, Padmanaban S, Nawrocki EP, Hirschi KD, Twell D, Sze H (2006). Integrating membrane transport with male gametophyte development and function through transcriptomics. Plant Physiol. 140: 1151-1168.

For more publications, see listing on Pub Med.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Kendal Hirschi, Ph.D.
Baylor College of Medicine
Children's Nutrition Research Center Rm. 11004
Houston, TX 77030, U.S.A.

Telephone: 713-798-7011
Fax: 713-798-7078
E-mail:
Web site: http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/faculty/kendalh.htm

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