Research

Rajeev Arora

General Information

Rajeev Arora received his B.S. (Biology; 1975) degree from Meerut University and M.S. (Horticulture; 1979) from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology in India. He received his Ph.D. in Horticulture & Crop Physiology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1990. Rajeev was Associate Professor - Evironmental Horticulture for West Virginia University before joining the horticulture faculty at ISU in 2001.

Current Research

Research Interests

  1. Structural and functional perturbations in membrane transport properties during low temperature stress in plants;
  2. Physiological and molecular mechanism of cold hardening and dehardening in plants with emphasis on
    1. identification of "cold-acclimation genes", their expression and regulation during cold hardiness transitions (cold-acclimation and deacclimation)
    2. functions of "cold-acclimation proteins" vis-a-vis protection of plant cells from freeze-thaw stress
    3. identification of molecular markers linked to genes controlling freezing tolerance
    4. understanding the mechanism of photoprotection in overwintering evergreens
  3. Ice nucleation and propagation within plant tissues during a freezing event
  4. Physiology of seed priming, and its role in enhancing germination performance under environmental stresses

Lab Personnel:

Graduate Students (past and present):

Post-doctoral Research Associates (past and present)

Publications

Updated February, 2009

  1. Arora, R. and J.P. Palta. 1986 Protoplasmic swelling as a symptom of freezing injury in onion bulb cells. Its simulation in extracellular KCl and prevention by calcium. Plant Physiology 82: 625-629. [link to PDF]
  2. Arora, R. and J.P. Palta 1988. In vivo perturbation of membrane-associated calcium by freeze-thaw stress in onion bulb cells. Simulation of this perturbation in extracellular KCl and alleviation by calcium. Plant Physiology 87: 622-628. [link to PDF]
  3. Arora, R. and J.P. Palta 1989. Evidence for the loss of membrane associated calcium in the early stages of freezing injury. In Calcium Research in Plants: A Workshop on Methods. (Proceedings of USDA and NSF sponsored workshop held in Hawaii)
  4. Steffen, K.L., R. Arora and J.P. Palta 1989. Relative sensitivity of photosynthesis and respiration to freeze-thaw stress in herbaceous species: Importance of realistic freeze-thaw protocols. Plant Physiology 89: 1372-1379. [link to PDF]
  5. Arora, R. and J.P. Palta 1989. Perturbation of membrane calcium as a molecular mechanism of freezing injury. In J. Cherry, ed., Environmental Stress in Plants: Biochemical and Physiological Mechanisms,NATO-ASI Series-"G" Ecological Series, Vol. 19, Springer-Verlag,Inc., N.Y. pp. 281-290. (Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop symposium held at Norwick, UK)
  6. Arora, R. and J.P. Palta 1991. A loss in Plasma-membrane ATPase activity and its recovery coincides with incipient freeze-thaw injury and post-thaw recovery in onion bulb scale tissue. Plant Physiology 95: 846-852. [link to PDF]
  7. Wisniewski, M.E., G.E. Davis and R. Arora. 1991. The effect of macerase, oxalic acid and EGTA on deep supercooling and pit membrane structure of xylem parenchyma of peach. Plant Physiology 96: 1354-1359. [link to PDF]
  8. Arora, R., M.E. Wisniewski and D.J. Makus 1992. Frost hardiness of asparagus. HortScience 27: 823-824.
  9. Arora, R., M.E. Wisniewski and R. Scorza 1992. Cold acclimation in genetically related (sibling) deciduous and evergreen peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch). I. Seasonal changes in cold hardiness and polypeptides of bark and xylem  tissues. Plant Physiology 99: 1562-1568. [link to PDF]
  10. Wisniewski, M.E. and R. Arora 1992. Responses of fruit trees to cold temperatures, In Alan R. Biggs (ed.), Handbook of Cytology, Histology and Histochemistry of Fruit Tree Diseases, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL, pp. 299-320. (Book chapter)
  11. Wisniewski, M.E., G. Davis and R. Arora 1993. The role of pit membrane structure in deep supercooling of xylem parenchyma. In P.H. Li and L. Christersson (eds.), Advances in Plant Cold Hardiness, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL, pp 213-226. (Proceedings of the Fourth International Plant Cold Hardiness Symposium held at Uppsala, Sweden)
  12. Takeda, F., R. Arora, M.E. Wisniewski, G. Davis and M.R. Warmund 1993. Assessment of freeze injury in 'Boskoop Giant' black currant buds. HortScience 28: 652-654.
  13. Arora, R. and M.E. Wisniewski 1994. Cold acclimation in genetically related (sibling) deciduous and evergreen peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch). II. A 60 kD polypeptide in cold acclimated bark tissue of peach is heat-stable and related to dehydrin family of proteins. Plant Physiology 105: 95-101. [link to PDF]
  14. Adler, P., R. Arora, A. El Ghaouth, D. M. Glenn and J. M. Solar. 1994. Bioremediation of phenolic compounds from water with plant root surface peroxidases. J. of Environmental Quality 23: 1113-1117.
  15. Arora, R. and M. Wisniewski. 1995. Ultra structural and protein changes in cell suspension cultures of Prunus persica (L.) Batsch in response to low  temperature-induced cold acclimation and ABA treatments. Plant Cell, Tissue & Organ Culture 40: 17-24.
  16. Steffen, K.L., R.M. Wheeler, R. Arora, J.P. Palta and T.W. Tibbitts. 1995. Balancing photosynthetic light-harvesting and light-utilization capacities in potato leaf tissue during acclimation to different growth temperatures. Physiologia Plantarum 94: 51-56.
  17. Rowland, L.J., A. Levi, R. Arora, E. L. Ogden, M. M. Muthalif, N. Vorsa, and M. E. Wisniewski. 1995. Progress toward identifying markers linked to genes controlling chilling requirement and cold hardiness in blueberry. J. Small Fruit and Viticulture 3 (2/3): 39-52
  18. Arora, R. and M.E. Wisniewski. 1996. Accumulation of 60 kD dehydrin protein in peach xylem tissues and its relationship to cold acclimation. HortScience 31: 923-925.
  19. Wisniewski, M.E., T.J. Close, T. Artlip and R. Arora.1996. Seasonal patterns of dehydrins and 70 kDa heat shock proteins in bark tissues of eight species of woody plants. Physiologia Plantarum 96: 496-505 [link to PDF]
  20. Arora, R., M.E. Wisniewski and L.J. Rowland.1996. Cold acclimation and alterations in dehydrin and bark storage proteins in the leaves of sibling deciduous and evergreen peach. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci 121: 915-919.
  21. Arora, R., L.J. Rowland and G.R. Panta. 1997. Chill-responsive dehydrins in blueberry: Are they associated with cold hardiness or dormancy transitions. Physiologia Plantarum 101: 8-16. [link to PDF]
  22. Arora, R., M.E. Wisniewski and L.J. Rowland. 1997. Low temperature-induced expression of dehydrins in deciduous fruit crops and their relation to cold acclimation and/or dormancy. Acta Horticulturae 441: 175-182.
  23. Rowland, L.J. and R. Arora. 1997. Proteins related to endodormancy (rest) in woody perennials. Plant Science 126: 119-144.
  24. Arora, R., L.J. Rowland, G.Panta, C.C. Lim, Jeffrey S. Lehman and N. Vorsa. 1998 Genetic control of cold hardiness in blueberry. In P.H. Li and T.H.H. Chen (eds.), Plant Cold Hardiness: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Physiology. Plenum Press, NY, pp 99-106. (Proceedings of the Fifth International Plant Cold Hardiness Symposium held at Corvallis, OR)
  25. Lim, C-C., R. Arora and E.C. Townsend. 1998. A comparison of Gompertz and Richards functions for estimating freezing injury in rhododendrons using electrolyte leakage. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 123: 246-252.
  26. Arora, R., D.S. Pitchay and B.C. Bearce. 1998. Water-stress-induced heat tolerance in geranium leaf tissue: A Possible Linkage through Stress Proteins? Physiologia Plantarum 103: 24-34. [link to PDF]
  27. Lim, C-C, R. Arora and S. L. Krebs. 1998. Genetic Study of Freeze-Tolerance in Rhododendron Populations: Implications for Cold Hardiness Breeding. J. Amer. Rhododendron Soc. 52 (3): 143-148.
  28. Rowland, L.J., R. Arora, J.F. Lehman, A. Levi, E.L. Ogden, G.R. Panta and C-C. Lim. 1999. Use of Blueberry to Study Genetic Control of Chilling Requirement and Cold Hardiness in Woody Perennials. HortScience 34: 1185-1191.
  29. Lim, C-C., S.L. Krebs, and R. Arora. 1999. A 25 kD dehydrin in association with age- and genotype-dependent leaf freezing tolerance in Rhododendron. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 99: 912-920. [link to PDF]
  30. Levi, A., G.R. Panta, C.M. Parmentier, M.M. Muthalif, R. Arora, S. Shankar and L.J. Rowland. 1999. Complementary DNA cloning, sequencing and expression of an unusual dehydrin from blueberry floral buds. Physiologia Plantarum 107: 98-109. [link to PDF]
  31. Arora, R., L.J. Rowland, J.S. Lehman, C-C. Lim, G.R. Panta, and N. Vorsa. 2000. Genetic analysis of freezing tolerance in blueberry. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 100: 690-696. [link to PDF]
  32. Wisniewski, M.E. and R. Arora. 2000. Structural and biochemical aspects of cold hardiness in woody plants. In M. Jain & S. Minocha (eds.), Molecular Biology of Woody Plants, Vol. 2, Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 419-438. (Book Chapter)
  33. Wisniewski, M.E. and R. Arora. 2000. Seasonally regulated proteins in Peach: What are they and what do they do? In: J.-D. Viemont and J. Crabbe (eds.), Dormancy in Plants: From whole plant behaviour to cellular control, CAB International, pp 161-172. (Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Plant Dormancy held at Angers, France)
  34. utinen, M-L, R. Arora, M.E. Wisniewski, E. Ashworth, R. Strimbeck, & J.P. Palta. 2001. Mechanisms of Frost Survival. In F. Bigras & S. Colombo (eds.), Conifer Cold Hardiness, Kluwer Publishers, pp. 89-120. (Book Chapter)
  35. Gulen, H., R. Arora, A. Kuden, S.L. Krebs and J. Postman. 2002. Peroxidase isozyme profiles in compatible and incompatible pear-quince graft combinations. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 127 (2): 152-157.
  36. Arora, R., S.L. Krebs and C-C. Lim. 2002. Mapping cold hardiness genes in rhododendrons: An assessment of strategy. J. Amer. Rhododendron Soc. 56 (4): 204-206.
  37. Arora, R. 2002. Cold acclimation in Rhododendron: A genetic and physiological study. In P.H. Li and T. Palva (eds.), Plant Cold Hardiness: Gene regulation and genetic engineering. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, NY, pp 77-92. (Proceedings of the Sixth International Plant Cold Hardiness Symposium held in Helsinki, Finland)
  38. Arora, R., L.J. Rowland and K. Tanino. 2003. Induction and release of bud dormancy in woody perennials: A science comes of age. HortScience 38: 911-921
  39. Rowland, L.J., S. Mehra, A. Dhanaraj, E.L. Ogden and R. Arora. 2003. Identification of molecular markers associated with cold tolerance in blueberry. Acta Hortculturae 625: 59-69
  40. Arora, R., C-C Lim, S.L. Krebs and C.O. Marian. 2003. A Genetic and Physiological Study of Rhododendron Cold Hardiness. In: G. Argent and M. McFarlane (eds.), Rhododendrons in Horticulture & Science, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh publication, Edinburgh, pp. 208-217. (Proceedings of the International Rhododendron Conference, Edinburgh)
  41. Arora, R. 2003. Temperature Relations In: T. Baugher and S. Singha (eds.), Concise Encyclopedia of Temperate Tree Fruit, Haworth Press, pp. 327-337 (Book Chapter).
  42. Ehlenfeldt, M.K., L.J. Rowland and R. Arora. 2003. Bud hardiness and deacclimation in blueberry cultivars with varying species ancestry: Flowering time may not be a good indicator of deacclimation. Acta Horticulturae 626: 39-44
  43. Rowland, L.J., A. Dhanaraj, J. Polashock and R. Arora. 2003. Utility of blueberry-derived EST-PCR primers in related Ericaceae species.HortScience 38: 1428-1432
  44. Adler, P.R. J.R. Cumming, and R. Arora, 2003. Nature of mineral nutrient uptake by plants. In: Agricultural Sciences: Soil-Plant-Water-Air Relations, edited by Rattan Lal, in Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), Developed under the Auspices of the UNESCO, Eolss Publishers, Oxford, UK, pp. 1-14. [http://www.eolss.net] (Book Chapter)
  45. Marian, C.O., A. Eris, S.L. Krebs, and R. Arora. 2004. Environmental regulation of 25 kDa dehydrin in relation to Rhododendron cold acclimation. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 354-359. [link to PDF]
  46. Wisniewski, M.. C. Bassett and R. Arora. 2004. Distribution and partial characterization of seasonally-expressed proteins in different aged shoots and roots of 'Loring' peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch). Tree Physiology 24: 339-345. [link to PDF]
  47. Marian, C.O., S.L. Krebs and R. Arora. 2004. Dehydrin variability among Rhododendron spp: A 25 kDa dehydrin is highly conserved and associated with cold acclimation across a wide array of species. New Phytologist 161 (3): 773-780. [link to PDF]
  48. Wisniewski, M., M. Fuller, J. Palta, J. Carter and R. Arora. 2004. Ice nucleation, propagation, and deep supercooling in woody plants. In: R. Arora (Ed.), Adaptations and Responses of Woody Plants to Environmental Stresses, Haworth Press, NY, pp. 5-16. (Book Chapter) (Co-published simultaneously in J. Crop Improvement, 2004, Vol 10: 5-16)
  49. Panta, G.R., L.J. Rowland, R. Arora, E.L. Ogden and C-C. Lim. 2004. Inheritance of cold hardiness and dehydrin genes in diploid mapping populations of blueberry. In: R. Arora (Ed.), Adaptations and Responses of Woody Plants to Environmental Stresses, Haworth Press, NY, pp. 37-52. (Book Chapter) (Co-published simultaneously in J. Crop Improvement, 2004, Vol 10, No. ?,: 37-52)
  50. Arora, R., L.J. Rowland, E.L. Ogden, A.L. Dhanaraj, C.O. Marian, M.K. Ehlenfeldt, and B. Vinyard. 2004. Rate of dehardening, stage of bud opening, and changes in dehydrin metabolism in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) cultivars during deacclimation at constant, warm temperatures. J. Amer Soc. Hort. Sci. 129 (5): 667-674. [link to PDF]
  51. Arora, R. and C-C. Lim. 2005. A 27 kDa Rhododendron protein is associated with constitutive freezing tolerance and is related to the ABA/water deficit stress-inducible family of proteins J. Hort. Sci. & Biotech 80: 171-176
  52. Wei, H., A.L. Dhanaraj, L.J. Rowland., Y. Fu, S.L. Krebs and R. Arora. 2005. Comparative analysis of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from cold-acclimated and non-acclimated leaves of Rhododendron catawbiense Michx. Planta 221: 406-416 [link to PDF]
  53. Wei, H., A.L. Dhanaraj, R. Arora, L.J. Rowland, Y. Fu and L. Sun. 2005. Identification of cold acclimation responsive Rhododendron genes for lipid metabolism, membrane transport, and lignin biosynthesis: importance of moderately abundant ESTs in genomic studies. Plant Cell & Environment 29: 558-570 [link to PDF]
  54. Wei, H., Y. Fu, and R. Arora. 2005. Intron-flanking EST-PCR markers: from genetic marker development to gene structure and phylogenetic analysis in Rhododendron. Theoretical and Applied Genetics [link to PDF]
  55. Kalberer, S.R, M.E. Wisniewski and R. Arora. 2006. (Invited Review) Deacclimation and reacclimation of cold hardy plants: current understanding and emerging concepts. Plant Science 171: 3-16 [link to PDF]
  56. Kalberer, S.R, N. Leyva-Estrada, S. L. Krebs and R. Arora (2006) Frost dehardening and rehardening of floral buds of deciduous azaleas depend on genotypic biogeography. Environmental & Experimental Botany 59: 264-275 [link to PDF]
  57. Wei, H., Y. Fu and Rajeev Arora. 2006. Utilization of intron-flanking EST-specific markers in the hhylogenetic analysis and parentage identification of Rhododendron species and hybrids. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 131 (6): 814-819 [link to PDF]
  58. Xiong Y, S. Fei, E. C. Brummer, R. Arora, R. E. Barker, G. Jung, S.E. Warnke. 2007. Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci Controlling Winter Hardiness in Ryegrass. Molecular Breeding 19: 125-136 [link to PDF]
  59. Dhanaraj, A.L, N.W. Alkharouf, H.S. Beard, I.B. Chouikha, B.F. Mathews, H. Wei, R. Arora, and L.J. Rowland. 2007. Gene expression profiles during cold acclimation in blueberry under field and cold room conditions using cDNA microarrays. Planta 225: 735-751 [link to PDF]
  60. Kalberer, S.R, N. Leyva-Estrada, S. L. Krebs and R. Arora. 2007. Cold hardiness of floral buds of deciduous azaleas: dehardening, rehardening, and endodormancy in late winter. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci 132:73-79 [link to PDF]
  61. Lin, W. Y. Peng, G. Li, R. Arora , Z. Tang, W. Su, and W. Cai. Isolation and functional characterization of PgTIP1, a hormone autotrophic cells-specific tonoplast intrinsic protein in ginseng. J. Experimental Botany 58: 947-956 [link to PDF]
  62. Peng, Y., W. Lin, W. Cai, and R. Arora. 2007. Overexpression of a Pinax ginseng tonoplast aquaporin alters salt tolerance, drought tolerance and cold acclimation ability in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Planta 226: 729-740. [link to PDF]
  63. Naik, D., A.N. Dhanaraj, R. Arora and L.J. Rowland. 2007. Identification of genes associated with cold acclimation in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) using a subtractive hybridization approach. Plant Science 173: 213-222 [link to PDF]
  64. Peng, Y. †, W. Lin, H. Wei, S.L. Krebs, and R. Arora. 2008. Phylogenetic analysis and seasonal cold acclimation-associated expression of early light-induced protein genes of Rhododendron catawbiense. Physiologia Plantarum 132: 44-52 [link to PDF]
  65. Rowland, L.J., A.L. Dhanaraj, D. Naik, N. Alkharouf, B. Matthews, and R. Arora. 2008. Study of cold tolerance in blueberry using EST libraries, cDNA microarrays, and subtractive hybridization. HortScience 43(7): 1975-1981
  66. Rowland, L.J., E.L. Ogden, M.K. Ehlenfeldt, and R. Arora. 2008. Cold tolerance of blueberry genotypes throughout the dormant period from acclimation to deacclimation. HortScience 43 (7): 1970-74
  67. Thapa, B., R. Arora, A.D. Knapp and E.C. Brummer. 2008. Applying freezing test to quantify cold acclimation in Medicago truncatula Gaertn. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 133: 684-691 [link to PDF]
  68. Reyes, J.L., F. Campos, H. Wei, R. Arora, Y. Yang, D.T. Karlson, and A. A. Covarrubias. 2008. Functional dissection of hydrophilins during in vitro freeze protection. Plant Cell & Environment 31: 1781-1790 [link to PDF]
  69. Peng, Y., J.L. Reyes, H. Wei, Y. Yang, D. Karlson, A.A. Covarrubias, S.L. Krebs, A. Fessehaie and R. Arora. 2008. RcDhn5, a cold acclimation-responsive dehydrin from Rhododendron catawbiense rescues enzyme activity from dehydration effects in vitro and enhances freezing tolerance in RcDhn5-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants. Physiologia Plantarum 134: 583-587. [link to PDF]
  70. Pagter, M., C.R. Jensen, K.K. Petersen, F. Liu and R. Arora. 2008. Changes in carbohydrates, ABA and bark proteins during seasonal cold acclimation and deacclimation in Hydrangea species differing in cold hardiness. Physiologia Plantarum 134: 473-485 [link to PDF]
  71. Arora, R., Y. Peng, D. Karlson, J.L. Reyes, and A.A. Covarrubias. 2008. Physiology of cold hardening in Rhododendron: Role of a dehydrin protein from R..catawbiense (RcDhn5) in cryoprotection improving freezing tolerance. J. Amer. Rhododendron Soc. 62 (3): 153-158 [link to PDF]
  72. Peng, Y., R. Arora, G. Li, X. Wang, A. Fessehaie. 2008. Rhododendron catawbiense plasma membrane intrinsic proteins are aquaporins, and their over-expression compromises constitutive freezing tolerance and cold acclimation ability of transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Plant Cell & Environment 31: 1275-1289 [link to PDF]
  73. Wang, X., R. Arora, H.T. Horner, and S.L. Krebs. 2008. Structural Adaptations in Overwintering Leaves of Thermonastic and Non-thermonastic Rhododendron Species. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 133: 768-776 [link to PDF]
  74. Hao, Wei, R. Arora, A.K. Yadav, and N. Joshee. (2009) Freezing Tolerance and Cold Acclimation in Guava (Psidium guajava L.). HortScience 44: 1258-1266. [link to PDF]

 

Books

Teaching

Courses taught:

  1. Horticulture 221 (Principles of Horticulture)

  2. Horticulture 321 (Horticulture Physiology)

  3. STB / Hort 543 (Seed Physiology)

Rajeev Arora Bio