Curriculum Vitae Dutch PI (maximum 4 pages)
4a. Personal details
Title(s), initial(s), first name, surname:
Male / female:
Date and place of birth:
Nationality:
Birth country of parents:
Prof. Dr. J. C. M. (Sjef) Smeekens
Male
26 October 1955, Hoogstraten, Belgium
The Netherlands
Belgium/The Netherlands
4b. Master's
University / College of Higher Education:
Date (dd/mm/yy):
Main subject:
Utrecht University
13 December 1982 (cum laude)
Molecular Biology
4c. Doctorate
University / College of Higher Education:
Date (dd/mm/yy):
Supervisor (‘Promotor’):
Title of thesis:
proteins
Utrecht University
17 December 1986 (cum laude)
Prof. Dr. P. J. Weisbeek
Transport of nuclear encoded chloroplast
4d. Current employment
- Type of contract:
Current position
Postdoc
Assistant professor (UD)
Associate professor (UHD)
Full professor (HGL)
Other, please specify
Fixed term
Permanent
X
4f. Work experience since graduating
(per appointment: fte, permanent position (‘vast’) / fixed-term (‘tijdelijk’))





Since Sept. 1997: Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology, Universiteit Utrecht.
(permanent)
July 1994-August 1997: Associate professor, Biology, Universiteit Utrecht.
(permanent)
1989-1994: KNAW senior researcher Molecular Cell Biology, Universiteit Utrecht
(fixed term).
1987-1988: EMBO Long Term Post-doctoral Fellowship. University of California,
Berkeley, Molecular Plant Biology (fixed term).
january 1983 tot january 1987: PhD student SON/NWO, Cell Biology, Universiteit
Utrecht (fixed term).
4g. Man-years of research 30
4h. Brief summary of research over the last five years
(maximum 250 words)
For over two decades I have been fascinated by the mechanisms used by plants to sense
sugars and how this information is linked to resource allocation, energy metabolism and
growth strategies. Sugars are best known as metabolic substrate but are also essential
signaling molecules in a multitude of processes during the plant life cycle. In the Molecular
Plant Physiology laboratory we want to understand at the molecular level how sugars are
sensed and how this information feeds into signaling networks that regulate metabolic,
physiological and developmental processes in plants. Such studies are important for crop
yield improvement in agriculture and for understanding the adaptation processes that allow
plants to survive in competitive and changing environments. We
study in detail the S1/C group of transcription factors that are major regulators of
metabolism and the trehalose 6-phosphate regulatory molecule that is essential for sugar
utilization and growth. These systems are interconnected and are linked to the centrally
important SnRK1 (plant AMPK) energy response module in a SnRK1 – S1/C bZIP – T6P
regulatory network. Research in the lab is mainly carried out with the plant model species
Arabidopsis thaliana that allows for the use of advanced technological and bioinformatics
tools developed for this plant. Molecular and functional genomics, natural variation analysis,
bioinformatics and computational analysis of regulatory networks are among the
technologies used in our research.
4i. International activities



Member/chair of many international reviewing, advisory and professorial
appointment boards.
Organizer of many national and international meetings/summer schools on plant
science.
Three-four lectures at international scientific meetings each year
Editor/advisory member of several international plant science journals.


4j. Other academic activities











F1000 (Faculty of 1000) Contributing Member, since 2002
Chair NWO-ALW (Neth. Science Foundation) Working group on Experimental Plant
Biology (2008-2011)
Chair of the Utrecht University committee “UU Metabolomics Centre”, 2004-2008.
Board member, Department of Biology, UU, since 2006-2012.
Director, Biology Educational Institute, since 2006-2012.
Advisory Board, Pisa University Graduate School of Biomolecular Sciences, Pisa, Italy,
2006-2007.
Foreign member, Biology Funding Committee, FWO Belgian Fundamental Sciences
Organisation 2003-2011, Brussels, Belgium
Editor “Plant Physiology” 1998-2005
Advisory Editorial Board “The Plant Journal” since 2002, “Trends in Plant Sciences”
since 1998, “Plant Molecular Biology” 1998-2003. “Frontiers In”, since 2011.
Graduate School 'Experimental Plant Sciences' Theme leader ‘Metabolism’. 19992006.
Management Team, Centre for Biosystems Genomics (CBSG) Centre of Excellence,
Netherlands Genomics Initiative (2002-2007 and 2007-2012) Theme leader ‘Crop
Quality’ and ‘Arabidopsis’.
4k. Scholarships and prizes

NWO TOP research grant, 2010



Teacher of the year, 1998-1999 (Utrecht University)
KNAW senior investigator, 1989-1994.
EMBO Long Term Fellowship, 1987-1988 (UC Berkeley)
4l. Publications (maximum 25 key publications)
- International (refereed) journals
- National (refereed) journals
- Books
- Contributions to books
- Other













Delatte TL, Schluepmann H, Smeekens SC, de Jong GJ, Somsen GW (2011) Capillary
electrophoresis-mass spectrometry analysis of trehalose-6-phosphate in Arabidopsis
thaliana seedlings. Anal Bioanal Chem., 400(4):1137-44.
Li P, Wind JJ, Shia X, Zhanga H, Hanson J, Smeekens SC and Teng S (2011). Fructose
sensitivity is suppressed in Arabidopsis by the transcription factor ANAC089 lacking
the membrane-bound domain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A., 108,3436-41.
Ma J, Hanssen M, Lundgren K, Hernandez L, Delatte L, Ehlert A, Liu C-M,
Schluepmann H, Droge-Laser W, Moritz T, Smeekens S and Hanson J (2011). The
sucrose-regulated Arabidopsis transcription factor bZIP11 reprograms metabolism
and regulates trehalose metabolism. New Phytologist. 191(3):733-45
Smeekens, S, Ma, J, Hanson, J, Rolland, F (2010) Sugar signals and molecular
networks controlling plant growth. Cur Opin Plant Biol in press. Curr Opin Plant Biol.
13:274-9.
Wind J,Smeekens S, Hanson J. (2010) Sucrose: metabolite and signaling molecule.
Phytochemistry 71, 1610-4.
Bentsink L, Hanson J, Hanhart CJ, Blankestijn-de Vries H, Coltrane C, Keizer P, El-Lithy
M, Alonso-Blanco C, de Andrés T, Reymond M, van Eeuwijk F, Smeekens S,
Koornneef M (2010) Natural variation for seed dormancy is regulated by additive
genetic and molecular pathways. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 107:4264-9.
Hanson, J. and Smeekens, S.C.M. (2009) Sugar Perception and Signaling – an Update.
Curr. Op. Plant Biol. 12, 562-567.
Alonso-Blanco, C., Aarts, M.G.M., Bentsink, L., Keurentjes, J.J.B., Reymond, M.,
Vreugdenhil, D., and Koornneef, M. (2009) What Has Natural Variation Taught Us
about Plant Development, Physiology, and Adaptation? Plant Cell 21,1877-1896.
Rutjens, B., Bao, D., van Eck-Stouten, E., Brand, M., Smeekens, S., Proveniers M.
(2009) Shoot apical meristem function in Arabidopsis requires the combined
activities of three BEL1-like homeodomain proteins Plant J. 58, 641–654.
Rahmani, F., Hummel, M., Schuurmans, J., Wiese-Klinkenberg A., Smeekens, S. and J.
Hanson (2009) Sucrose control of translation mediated by a uORF encoded peptide.
Plant Physiology 150, 1356-67.
Hummel, M., Rahmani, F., Smeekens, S. and J. Hanson (2009) Sucrose-mediated
translational control. Annals of Botany 104, 1-7
Delatte, TL, Selman, MHJ, Schluepmann, H, Somsen, GW, Smeekens, SCM, de Jong,
GJ (2009). Determination of trehalose-6-phosphate in Arabidopsis seedlings by
successive extractions followed by anion exchange chromatography–mass
spectrometry. Anal Biochem 389, 12-17.
Weltmeier, F., Rahmani, F., Ehlert, A., Dietrich, K., Schütze, K., Wang, X., Chaban, C.,
Hanson, J., Teige, M., Harter, K., Vicente-Carbajosa, J., Smeekens, S. and DrögeLaser, W. (2009). Expression patterns within the Arabidopsis C/S1 bZIP transcription














factor network: availability of heterodimerization partners controls gene expression
during stress response and development. Plant Mol Biol. 69, 107-119.
Teng, S., Rognoni, S., Bentsink, L. and Smeekens, S. C. M.(2008) The Arabidopsis
GSQ5/DOG1 Cvi allele is induced by the ABA-mediated sugar signalling pathway, and
enhances sugar sensitivity by stimulating ABI4 expression. Plant J. 55:372-381.
Hanson, J., Hanssen, M., Wiese, A., Hendriks, M. M. W. B. Smeekens, S. C. M. (2008)
The sucrose regulated transcription factor bZIP11 affects amino acid metabolism by
regulating the expression of ASPARAGINE SYNTHETASE1 and PROLINE
DEHYDROGENASE2. Plant J. 53:935-949.
Dekkers, S.J.W, Schuurmans, J. A.M.J., Smeekens S. C.M. (2008) Interaction between
sugar and abscisic acid signalling during early seedling development in Arabidopsis
Proveniers, M., Rutjens, B., Brand, M. and Smeekens, S. (2007) The Arabidopsis TALE
homeobox gene ATH1 controls floral competency through positive regulation of FLC.
Plant J. 52, 899-913
Rognoni, S., Teng, S., Arru, L., Smeekens, S. C. M., Perata, P. (2007) Sugar effects on
early seedling development in Arabidopsis. Plant Growth Regul. 52:217-228.
Sugar and Abscisic Acid Regulation of Germination and Transition to Seedling
Growth (2007) S. J.W. Dekkers and S. C.M. Smeekens. In: Seed Development,
Dormancy and Germination. Eds. Bradford, K and Nonogaki, H. Blackwell Publishing,
pp 305-327.
De Vos, M., Denekamp, M., Dicke, M., Vuylsteke, M., Van Loon, L.C., Smeekens,
S.C.M. and Pieterse, C.M.J. (2006) The Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factor
AtMYB102 functions in defense against the insect herbivore Pieris rapae. Plant
Signaling & Behavior 1: 305-311.
Ritsema T, Hernández L, Verhaar A, Altenbach D, Boller T, Wiemken A and Smeekens
S (2006) Developing fructan-synthesizing capability in a plant invertase via mutations
in the sucrose-binding box. Plant Journal 48, 228-237.
Ehlert,A., Weltmeier,F., Wang,X., Mayer,C.S., Smeekens,S., Vicente-Carbajosa,J., and
Droge-Laser,W. (2006) Two-hybrid protein-protein interaction analysis in
Arabidopsis protoplasts: establishment of a heterodimerization map of group C and
group S bZIP transcription factors. Plant Journal 46:890-900.
Lasseur,B., Lothier,J., Djoumad,A., De Coninck,B., Smeekens,S., van Laere,A.,
Morvan-Bertrand,A., Van den,E.W., and Prud'homme,M.P. (2006) Molecular and
functional characterization of a cDNA encoding fructan:fructan 6Gfructosyltransferase (6G-FFT)/fructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase (1-FFT) from
perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). J Exp.Bot. 57:2719-2734.
Teng S, Keurentjes J, Bentsink L, Koornneef M and Smeekens S (2005) Sucrose
specific induction of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis requires the
MYB75/PAP1 gene. Plant Physiol, 139, 1840-1852.
Ritsema T, Verhaar A, Vijn I and Smeekens S (2005) Using natural variation to
investigate the function of individual amino acids in the sucrose-binding box of
fructan:fructan 6G-fructosyltransferase (6G-FFT) in product formation. Plant Mol.
Biol. 58, 597–607.
Kolbe A., Tiessen A., Schluepmann H., Paul M., Ulrich S. and Geigenberger, P. (2005)
Trehalose 6-phosphate regulates starch synthesis via posttranslational redox
activation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 102, 1111823.
Wiese,A , Elzinga,N, Wobbes, B and Smeekens, S (2005) Sucrose-induced
translational repression of plant bZIP-type transcription factors. Biochem. Soc.
Trans. 33, 272–275.