Eevi Rintamäki
Professor, Vice Head of Department
Department of Life Technologies evirin@utu.fi +358 29 450 4201 +358 50 430 9491 Itäinen Pitkäkatu 4 C Turku Office: 6040 ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1353-3995 |
Plant biochemistry; Photosynthesis; Chloroplast metabolism; Light reaction; Carbon fixation; Regulation; Plant productivity; Thioredoxin; Photoprotection
I studied biochemistry, genetics and plant physiology at the University of Turku in 1975-1982 and obtained the PhD in plant physiology in 1989. I did part of my doctoral studies in in Rothamsted Experimental Station, U.K. in 1985-1986, worked as a junior researcher of the Academy of Finland in 1987-1989, as a visiting researcher at the Stockholm University in 1996-1997, and as a guest professor at the University of Gothenburg in 2013. I have been an acting professor in Plant Physiology in 1998-2006, professor in Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology in 2006-2011, and professor in Molecular Plant Biology at the University of Turku since 2011. For the years 2001-2006 I was a Member of the Research Council for Biosciences and Environment of the Academy of Finland. I have been a Vice Director of the Department of Biology in 2007-2009 and a Vice Director of the Department of Biochemistry at University of Turku since 2012. I am also a Director of Doctoral Program in Molecular Life Sciences at the University of Turku since 2015 and a member of the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology of Primary Producers, the Academy of Finland in 2014-2019.
Plants are ultimate harvesters of sunlight, the growth and development of which largely depend on abiotic and biotic environmental factors. Light is the most important factor influencing both energy metabolism and developmental processes of the photoautotrophic organisms. Plants have adopted efficient mechanisms to sense changes of light conditions and to induce adaptive processes in order to cope with environmental stresses and to raise plant fitness in natural growth conditions. Apart from the basic task in photosynthetic energy metabolism, chloroplasts are also the place for a numerous metabolic reactions including nitrogen and sulphur assimilation, biosynthesis of amino acids, lipids, hormones, cofactors and secondary metabolites that directly affect plant growth capacity. Redox signals are crucial in the control of these chloroplast functions. My project addresses to systemic analysis of chloroplast redox networks with specific focus on the plastidial members of thioredoxin protein family, and to molecular dissection of their function in plant development, control of chloroplast metabolism, determination of biomass yield and in relation to plant fitness. The aim of my research project is to discover the molecular mechanisms which are involved in the regulation of photosynthetic reactions under naturally fluctuating environmental conditions. The main goal is to identify the components, the modifications of which increase photosynthetic efficiency and thus productivity of plants and photosynthetic microbes.
I have extensive and long teaching experience in plant science since 1982. I have given lectures and run courses (basic, medium and advance level) in plant physiology, plant genetics and biotechnology, plant development, plant biochemistry and molecular biology, and specific courses in photosynthesis. Since 1999 I have been a responsible professor for the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree study program in Plant Physiology (Molecular Plant Biology since 2010), since 2013 a Research director of doctoral candidates in Molecular Plant Biology, and involved in the development teaching programs in the faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (the faculty of Science and Engineering since 2018.-) at the University of Turku.
- Enhanced function of non-photoinhibited photosystem II complexes upon PSII photoinhibition (2023)
- BBA - Bioenergetics
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - PSI Photoinhibition and Changing CO2 Levels Initiate Retrograde Signals to Modify Nuclear Gene Expression (2023)
- Antioxidants
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Plants acclimate to Photosystem I photoinhibition by readjusting the photosynthetic machinery (2022)
- Plant, Cell and Environment
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Dissecting the interaction of photosynthetic electron transfer with mitochondrial signalling and hypoxic response in the Arabidopsis rcd1 mutant (2020)
- Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Two chloroplast thioredoxin systems differentially modulate photosynthesis in Arabidopsis depending on light intensity and leaf age (2020)
- Plant Journal
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Arabidopsis RCD1 coordinates chloroplast and mitochondrial functions through interaction with ANAC transcription factors (2019)
- eLife
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Chloroplast thioredoxin systems dynamically regulate photosynthesis in plants (2019)
- Biochemical Journal
(Refereed review article in scientific journal (A2)) - Multilevel regulation of non-photochemical quenching and state transitions by chloroplast NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase (2019)
- Physiologia Plantarum
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Regulation of cyclic electron flow by chloroplast NADPH-dependent thioredoxin system (2018)
- Plant Direct
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Chloroplast thioredoxin systems: prospects for improving photosynthesis (2017)
- Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences
(Refereed review article in scientific journal (A2)) - Fotosynteesi (2017) Sarvikas Päivi, Suorsa Marjaana, Rintamäki Eevi, Vapaavuori Elina, Aro Eva-Mari, Tyystjärvi Esa
(Text book, professional manual or guide or a dictionary (D5)) - Crosstalk between chloroplast thioredoxin systems in regulation of photosynthesis (2016)
- Plant, Cell and Environment
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Changing the light environment: chloroplast signalling and response mechanisms (2014)
- Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences
(Refereed review article in scientific journal (A2)) - Thioredoxin-dependent regulatory networks in chloroplasts under fluctuating light conditions (2014)
- Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Deletion of chloroplast NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase results in inability to regulate starch synthesis and causes stunted growth under short-day photoperiods (2013)
- Journal of Experimental Botany
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Overexpression of chloroplast NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase in Arabidopsis enhances leaf growth and elucidates in-vivo function of reductase and thioredoxin domains (2013)
- Frontiers in Plant Science
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Overexpression of chloroplast NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase in Arabidopsis enhances leaf growth and elucidates in vivo function of reductase and thioredoxin domains (2013)
- Frontiers in Plant Science
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Posttranslational Influence of NADPH-Dependent Thioredoxin Reductase C on Enzymes in Tetrapyrrole Synthesis (2013)
- Plant Physiology
(Refereed journal article or data article (A1)) - Coordination of Plastid and Light Signaling Pathways upon Development of Arabidopsis Leaves under Various Photoperiods (2012)
- Molecular Plant
(Refereed review article in scientific journal (A2)) - Retrograde signaling from functionally heterogeneous plastids (2012)
- Frontiers in Plant Science
(Refereed review article in scientific journal (A2))