Publications


Gourlay G, Hawkins BJ, Albert A, Schnitzler JP and Constabel CP
(2021) Condensed tannins as antioxidants that protect poplar against oxidative stress from drought and UV-B.
Plant, Cell and Environment, in press

Ma D, Tang H, Reichelt M, Piirtola EM, Salminen JP, Gershenzon J and Constabel CP (2021) Poplar MYB117 promotes anthocyanin synthesis and enhances flavonoid B-ring hydroxylation by upregulating the flavonoid 3’,5’-hydroxylase gene.
Journal of Experimental Botany 72, 3864-3880.


Boateng K, Hawkins BJ, Yanchuk AD, Fellenberg C and Constabel CP (2021). ) Factors affecting foliar oregonin and condensed tannin in red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.): phytochemicals implicated in defense against western tent caterpillar (Malacosoma californicum Packard).
Journal of Chemical Ecology 47, 680–688.


Lea C, Bradbury S and Constabel CP (2021) Anti-herbivore activity of oregonin, a diarylheptanoid found in leaves and bark of red alder (Alnus rubra).
Journal of Chemical Ecology
:47: 215-216 (Link)


Lea C, Simhadrib C, Bradbury S, Wulff JE, and Constabel CP (2020). Efficient purification of the diarylheptanoid oregonin from red alder (Alnus rubra) leaves and bark combining aqueous extraction, spray drying and flash-chromatography. Phytochemical Analysis, 2020: 1-8.

Boateng K, Hawkins BJ, Constabel CP, Yanchuk AD and Fellenberg C (2020). Red alder defense mechanisms against western tent caterpillar defoliation.
Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 51, 627-637.

Gourlay, G, Ma D, Schmidt A, and Constabel CP (2020). MYB134-RNAi poplar plants show reduced tannin synthesis in leaves but not roots and increased susceptibility to oxidative stress. Journal of Experimental Botany, 71, no. 20, 6601-6611.

Fellenberg C, Corea O, Yan L-H, Archinuk F, Piirtola E-M, Gordon H, Reichelt M, Brandt W, Wulff W, Ehlting J, Constabel, CP
(2019) Discovery of salicyl benzoate UDP- glycosyltransferase, a central enzyme in poplar salicinoid phenolic glycoside biosynthesis.
The Plant Journal, 99, 102-115.


Gourlay, G., Constabel CP (2019) Condensed tannins are inducible antioxidants and protect hybrid poplar against oxidative stress. Tree Physiology 39: 345-355.

Ma D, and Constabel CP (2019) MYB repressors as regulators of phenylpropanoid metabolism inplants. Trends in Plant Science 24: 275-289.

Constabel, C.P. (2018) Molecular controls of proanthocyanidin synthesis and structure: prospects for genetic engineering in crop plants.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 66, 38: 9882-9888.(Link)


Ma D, Reichelt M, Yoshida K, Gershenzon J, Constabel CP (2018) Two R2R3-MYB proteins are broad repressors of flavonoid and phenylpropanoid metabolism in poplar.
The Plant Journal 96: 949-965.


Ferguson A, Carvalho E, Gourlay G, Walker V, Martens S, Salminen J-P and Constabel CP (2018) Phytochemical analysis of salal berry (Gaultheria shallon Pursh.), a traditionally-consumed fruit from western North America with exceptionally high proanthocyanidin content.
Phytochemistry 147: 203-210. (Link)


Shay PE, Constabel CP and Trofymow TA (2018) Evidence for the role and fate of water-insoluble condensed tannins in the short-term reduction of carbon loss during litter decay.
Biogeochemistry
137: 127-141. (open access)


Ullah C, Unsicker SB, Fellenberg C, Constabel CP, Schmidt A, Gershenzon J and Hammerbacher A
(2017) Flavan-3-ols are effective chemical defenses in Poplar against Rust (Melampsora spp.) infection. Plant Physiology 175: 1560-1578 (open access) 


Shay PE, Trofymow TA and Constabel CP
 (2017) An improved butanol-HCl assay for quantification of water-soluble,acetone:methanol-soluble, and insoluble proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins). Plant Methods 13: 63 (open access


James AM, Ma D, Mellway R, Gesell A, Yoshida K, Walker V, Tran L, Stewart D, Reichelt M, Jussi Suvanto, Salminen J-P, Gershenzon J, Séguin A, and Constabel CP (2017) Poplar MYB115 and MYB134 transcription factors regulate proanthocyanidin synthesis and structure.
Plant Physiology
174: 154-171.(open access)


Yoshida K, Ma D and Constabel CP (2015) The MYB182 protein downregulates proanthocyanidin and anthocyanin biosynthesis in poplar by repressing both structural and regulatory flavonoid genes. Plant Physiology 167 no. 3 693-710. (open access)

Chedgy RJ, Köllner TG and Constabel CP (2015) Functional characterization of two acyltransferases from Populus trichocarpa capable of synthesizing benzyl benzoate and salicyl benzoate, potential intermediates in salicinoid phenolic glycoside biosynthesis
Phytochemistry, online (Link)


McKown AD, Guy RD, Quamme L, Klapste J, La Mantia J, Constabel CP, El-Kassaby YA, Hamelin R, Zifkin, M and Azam MS (2014) Association genetics, geograhy, and ecophysiology link stomatal patterning in Populus trichocarpa with carbon gain and disease resistance trade-offs. Molecular Ecology 23(23): 5771–5790.

Gesell A, Yoshida K, Tran LT and Constabel CP (2014) Characterization of an apple TT2-type R2R3 MYB transcription factor functionally similar to the poplar proanthocyanidin regulator PtMYB134. Planta 240:497-511.

Boeckler GA, Towns M, Unsicker SB, Mellway RD, Yip L, Hilke I, Gershenzon J and
Constabel CP
(2014) Transgenic upregulation of the condensed tannin pathway in poplar leads to a dramatic shift in leaf palatability for two tree-feeding Lepidoptera.
Journal of Chemical Ecology 40(2): 150-158.


Veljanovski V and Constabel CP (2013) Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of two UDP-glycosyltransferases from poplar. Phytochemistry, 91:148-157.(Link)

Winder RS, Lamarche J, Constabel CP and Hamelin RC (2013) The effects of high-tannin leaf litter from transgenic poplars on microbial communities in microcosm soils. 
Frontiers in Microbiology 4, article 290.


Kosonen M, Keski-Saari S, Ruuhola T, Constabel CP and Julkunen-Titto R (2012) Effects of overproduction of condensed tannins and elevated temperature on chemical and ecological traits of genetically modified hybrid aspens (Populus tremula x P. tremuloides).
Journal of Chemical Ecology
) 38(10):1235-1246.


Tran LT, Taylor JS and Constabel CP (2012) The polyphenol oxidase gene family in land plants: Lineage-specific duplication and expansion. BMC Genomics 13:395. (Link)

Barbehenn RV, Niewiadomski J, Kochmanski J and Constabel CP (2012) Limited effect of reactive oxygen species on the composition of susceptible essential amino acids in the midguts of Lymantria dispar caterpillars. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology 81(2): 1-18.

Zifkin M, Jin A, Ozga JA, Zaharia I, Schernthaner JP, Gesell A, Abrams S, Kennedy JA and Constabel CP (2012) Gene expression and metabolite profiling of developing highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fruit indicates transcriptional regulation of flavonoid metabolism and activation of abscisic acid metabolism. Plant Physiology 158(1): 200-224. (Link)

Tran LT and Constabel CP (2011) The polyphenol oxidase gene family in poplar: phylogeny, differential expression and identification of a novel, vacuolar isoform.
Planta 234(4): 799-813.(Link)


Barbehenn RV and Constabel CP (2011) Tannins in plant-herbivore interactions.
Phytochemistry 72:1551-1565. (Link)


Barbehenn RV, Dukatz C, Holt C, Reese A, Martiskainen O, Salminen JP, Yip L, Tran LT and Constabel CP (2010) Feeding on poplar leaves by caterpillars potentiates foliar peroxidase action in their guts and increases plant resistance. Oecologia 164: 993-1004.(Link)

Dafoe NJ, Gowen BE and Constabel CP (2010) Thaumatin-like proteins are differentially expressed and localized in phloem tissues of hybrid poplar. BMC Plant Biology 10:191. (Link)

Veljanovski V, Major IT, Patton JJ, Bol E, Louvet S, Hawkins BJ and Constabel CP (2010) Induction of acid phosphatase transcripts, protein and enzymatic activity by simulated herbivory of hybrid poplar. Phytochemistry 71:619-626. (Link)

Constabel CP and Lindroth RL (2010) The impact of genomics on advances in herbivore defene and secondary metabolim in Populus. In: Genetics and Genomics of Populus (S Jansson, R Bhalaero, A Groover, eds). Springer Verlag, pp. 279-305.

Mellway, RD and Constabel CP (2009) Metabolic engineering and potential functions of proanthocyanidins in poplar. Plant Signaling & Behavior 4: 790-792.

Mellway RD, Tran LT, Prouse MB, Campbell MM, and Constabel CP (2009) The wound-, pathogen-, and UV-B -responsive MYB134 gene encodes an R2R3 MYB transcription factor that regulates proanthocyanidin synthesis in poplar. Plant Physiology 150: 924-941. (Link)

Dafoe NJ and Constabel CP (2009) Proteomic analysis of hybrid poplar xylem sap.
Phytochemistry 70: 856-863. (Link)


Dafoe NJ, Zamani A, Ekramoddoullah AKM, Lippert D, Bohlmann J and Constabel CP (2009). Analysis of the poplar phloem proteome and its response to simulated insect herbivory.
Journal of Proteome Research 8: 2341-2350. [reprint PDF]


Barbehenn RV, Jaros A, Yip L, Tran LT, Kanellis AK and Constabel CP (2008) Evaluating ascorbate oxidase as a plant defense against leaf-chewing insects using transgenic poplars.
Journal of Chemical Ecology 34: 1331-1340. [reprint PDF]

Major IT and Constabel CP (2008) Functional analysis of the Kunitz Trypsin Inhibitor family in Poplar reveals biochemical diversity and multiplicity in defense against herbivores.
Plant Physiology 146: 888-903. (Link)

Constabel CP and Barbehenn RV (2008) Defensive roles of polyphenol oxidase in plants. In: Induced Plant Resistance to Herbivory (A. Schaller ed.), Springer Verlag, pp. 253-269. [reprint PDF]

Major IT and Constabel CP (2007) Shoot-root defense signaling and activation of root defense by leaf damage in poplar. Canadian Journal of Botany 85:1171-1181. [reprint PDF]

Major IT and Constabel CP (2007) Insect regurgitant and wounding elicit similar defense responses in poplar leaves. Not something to spit at? Plant Signaling and Behavior 2: 1-3. [reprint PDF]

Barbehenn RV, Jones CP, Yip L, Tran LT and Constabel CP (2007) Limited impact of elevated levels of polyphenol oxidase on tree-feeding caterpillars? Assessing individual plant defenses with transgenic poplar. Oecologia 154: 129-140. [reprint PDF]

Miranda M, Ralph S, Mellway RM, White R, Bohlmann J, Heath MC and Constabel CP (2007) The transcriptional response of hybrid poplar to infection by Melampsora medusae leaf rust involves induction of the flavonoid pathway.
Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 20: 816-831. [reprint PDF]


Major IT and Constabel CP (2006) Molecular analysis of poplar defense against herbivory. Comparison of wound- and insect elicitor-induced gene expression. New Phytologist 172: 617-635. [reprint PDF]

Constabel CP and Major IT (2005) Molecular biology and biochemistry of induced insect defense in Populus. In: Chemical Ecology and Phytochemistry of Forest Ecosystems.
Recent Advances in Phytochemistry 39: 119-143. [reprint PDF]


Wang J and Constabel CP (2004) Polyphenol oxidase in transgenic Populus enhances resistance to forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) herbivory and is activated in the insect gut.
Planta 220: 87-96. [reprint PDF]


Wang J and Constabel CP (2004) Three polyphenol oxidase genes from hybrid poplar are differentially expressed during development and after wounding and elicitor treatment.
Physiologia Plantarum 122: 344-353. [reprint PDF]


Christopher ME, Miranda, M, Major IT and Constabel CP (2004) Gene expression profiling of systemically wound-induced defenses in hybrid poplar. Planta 219: 936-947. [reprint PDF]

Miranda M, Christopher ME and Constabel CP (2004) The variable nature of herbivore defense: evidence for rapidly diverging Kunitz trypsin inhibitor genes in Populus. In: Plant Adaptation: Molecular Biology and Ecology. (Cronk QC, Whitton J, Ree RH, and Taylor IEP, eds). NRC Research Press, Ottawa, pp. 153-158.

Wang J and Constabel CP (2003) Biochemical characterisation of two polyphenol oxidase isoforms from hybrid poplar. Phytochemistry 64: 115-121. [reprint PDF]

Haruta M and Constabel CP (2003) Rapid alkalinization factors (RALFs) in poplar cell cultures: peptide isolation, cDNA cloning, and differential expression in leaves and methyl jasmonate-treated cells. Plant Physiology 131: 814-823. (Link)

Peters D and Constabel CP(2002) Molecular analysis of herbivore-induced condensed tannin synthesis: Cloning, expression of dihydroflavanol reductase from trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides). Plant Journal 32: 701-712. [reprint PDF]

Haruta M, Major IT, Christopher ME, Patton JJ and Constabel CP (2001) A Kunitz trypsin inhibitor gene family from trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.): cloning, functional expression, and induction by wounding and herbivory. Plant Molecular Biology 46: 347-359. [reprint PDF]

Haruta M, Pedersen JA and Constabel CP (2001) Polyphenol oxidase and herbivore defense in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides): cDNA cloning, expression, and potential substrates.
Physiologia Plantarum 112: 552-558. [reprint PDF]


Constabel CP, Yip L, Patton JJ and Christopher ME (2000) Polyphenol oxidase from hybrid poplar: cloning and expression in response to wounding and herbivory.
Plant Physiology 124: 285-296. (Link)