Degrees

Ph. D., Dartmouth College (2008)
M. S., Pohang University of Science and Technology (2002)
B. E., Yonsei University (2000)

Professional Training and Experience

Assistant Scientist, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2014-2015)
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Teaching Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2013)
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2009-2014) 

Teaching Interests

Molecules, Genes, and Cells (BIOL191)
Molecular Genetics with Laboratory (BIOL/BCBP 371)
Biochemistry with Laboratory (BIOL/BCBP/CHEM 331)
Seminar in Biology of Metals (BIOL 470) 

Research Interests

Jeong Lab website: www.thejeonglab.org

Iron is a metal nutrient essential for nearly all organisms and plays vital roles in fundamental metabolic processes. Paradoxically, the chemical properties that make iron beneficial can cause toxic effects if iron is present in excess or improperly localized. Therefore, iron is tightly regulated at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels.

My research group studies the molecular mechanisms that regulate iron in plants. A major global challenge is to sustainably feed the growing population. While caloric malnutrition has significantly decreased, malnutrition of micronutrients, especially iron, affects nearly half of world’s population and is the most deleterious among deficiencies of essential micronutrients. Plants are the primary dietary source of iron worldwide, but staple crops, are not rich in iron. To provide a sustainable solution to malnutrition, biofortification, the process of enhancing the nutritional value of crops via selective breeding or genetic engineering, is necessary, and we must understand how iron is regulated in plants to develop strategies for biofortification. Meanwhile, iron is one of the most limiting nutrients for plant growth. Thus, elucidating iron homeostasis in plants is key to improving plant growth, crop yields, and human nutrition.

Publications

Amherst College student co-authors are denoted with their class year.

Su J'24E, Yao Z, Wu Y, Lee J, Jeong J. (2022) Minireview: Chromatin-based regulation of iron homeostasis in plants. Front. Plant Sci. 13:959840. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.959840

Kim LJ'19, Tsuyuki KM'18, Hu F'19, Park EY'19, Zhang J'18, Gallegos Iraheta J'20, Chia J-C, Huang R, Tucker AE, Clyne M'18, Castellano C'16, Kim A'19, Chung DD'19, DaVeiga CT'20, Parsons EM'20, Vatamaniuk OK, Jeong J. (2021) Ferroportin 3 is a dual-targeted mitochondrial/chloroplast iron exporter necessary for iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis. Plant J. 107:215-236. DOI:10.1111/tpj.15286

Gikonyo JG, Keyser A, Tobiason J, Jeong J, Park C. (2021) In vivo evaluation of oxygenic photogranules' photosynthetic capacity by pulse amplitude modulation and phototriphic-irradiance curves. ACS ES&T 1:551 DOI: 10.1021/acsestengg.0c00221

Park EY '19, Tsuyuki KM '18, Parsons EM '20, Jeong J. (2020) PRC2-mediated H3K27me3 modulates shoot iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Signal. & Behav. 15:9 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2020.1784549

Park EY'19, Tsuyuki KM'18, Hu F'19, Lee J and Jeong J. (2019) PCR2-mediated H3K27me3 contributes to transcriptional regulation of FIT-dependent iron deficiency response. Front. Plant Sci. 10:627. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00627

Park C '16, Jeong J. (2018) Synergistic cellular responses to heavy metal exposure: a minireview. Biochim. Biophys. Acta, Gen. Subj. 1862:1584-1591. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2018.04.003

Jeong J, Merkovich A '17*, Clyne M '18*, Connolly EL. (2017) Directing iron transport in dicots: regulation of iron acquisition and translocation. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 39:106-113. DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2017.06.014

MacDiarmid CM, Taggart J, Jeong J, Kerdsomboon K, Eide DJ. (2016) Activation of the yeast UBI4 polyubiquitin gene by Zap1 via an intragenic promoter is critical for zinc-deficient growth.  J. Biol. Chem. 291:18880-96. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M116.743120

Jeong J, Eide DJ. (2013) SLC39 family of metal ion transporters.  Mol. Asp. Med. 34:612-619. DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2012.05.011 

Jeong J, Walker J, Wang F, Park JG, Palmer AE, Rorhbach M, Giunta C, Steinmann B, Eide DJ. (2012) Promotion of vesicular zinc efflux by ZIP13 and its implications for spondylocheiro dysplastic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.109: E3530-E3538. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211775110  
[Recommended by Faculty1000. http://f1000.com/prime/717969071].

Jeong J, Guerinot ML. (2009) Homing in on iron homeostasis in plants. Trends Plant Sci. 14:280-285. DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2009.02.006 

Jeong J,  Connolly EL. (2009) Iron uptake mechanisms in plants: functions of the FRO family of ferric reductases: Plant Sci. 176:709-714. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0708367105 

Jeong J,  Guerinot ML. (2008) Biofortified and bioavailable: The golden standard for plant-based diets. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.105:1777-1778. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0712330105 

Jeong J, Cohu C, Kerkeb L, Pilon M, Connolly EL, Guerinot ML. (2008) Chloroplast Fe(III) chelate reductase activity is essential for seedling viability under iron limiting conditions. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 152:2301-2308, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0708367105

Jeong J, Suh S, Guan C, Tsay YF, Moran N, Oh CJ, An CS, Demchenko KN, Pawlowski K, Lee Y. (2004) A nodule-specific dicarboxylate transporter from alder is a member of the peptide transporter family. Plant Physiol. 134:969-78. DOI: 10.1104/pp.103.032102

Lee J, Bae H, Jeong J, Lee JY, Yang YY, Hwang I, Martinoia E, Lee Y. (2004) Functional expression of a bacterial heavy metal transporter in Arabidopsis enhances resistance to and decreases uptake of heavy metals. Plant Physiol. 133:589-96. [Recommended by Faculty1000. http://f1000.com/prime/1003741#cite]
DOI: 10.1104/pp.103.021972
 
 
Outreach publications:

Kim LJ '19 and Jeong JBats, Blood, and the Biology of Iron: It is all about balance. Front. Young Minds. 9:575121. 

DaVeiga CT '20, Parsons EM '20, and Jeong J. Biofortification: Battling Hidden HungerFront. Young Minds. 8:114

Clyne M'17* and Jeong J (2019) How Do Bacteria Fight Back Against VirusesFront. Young Minds. 7:2. 

Park EY'19*, Tsuyuki KM'18*, Hu F'19*, Lee J and Jeong J (2019)  What helps plants get just the right amount of iron? Kalka G and Watson R, Eds. Science Journal for Kids 

Spanish version of "What helps plants get just the right amount of iron?", Translated by Kim L '19 ¿Cómo pueden obtener las plantas la cantidad correcta del hierro? Kalka G and Watson R Eds, Science Journal for Kids

 

Selected Awards and Honors

National Science Foundation (NSF) Award #2143478, CAREER: Investigation of the Cellular and Physiological Effects of Chloroplast/Mitochondrial Iron Export in Plants (2022-2027)

NSF Award #1754969, RUI: Mitochondrial Ferroportin and Iron Homeostasis in Plants (2018-2022)

Faculty Resaerch Grant: H. Axel Schupf '57 Fund for Intellectual Life: Investigating the Role of Chromatin Remodeling in Iron Homeostasis (2020-2021)

American Society of Plant Biologists 2016 Women’s Young Investigator Travel Award (2016)
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Teaching Fellowship (2013)
Molecular and Applied Nutrition Training Program Fellowship (NIH T32; 2012-2013)

Selected Professional Activities

Faculty Member, Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts-Amherst (2016-current)

Review Editor, Plant Membrane Traffic and Transport specialty section of Frontiers in Plant Science (2021-current)