People
Paula McSteen
Professor, Biological Sciences
Phone: 573-882-9830 or 573-882-1575 (lab)
mcsteenp@missouri.edu
371D Bond Life Sciences Center
Paula McSteen is a professor of biological sciences and part of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG). Developmental biologist Paula McSteen is studying the genetics of the maize plant, and in particular she is investigating how a certain plant growth hormone – auxin – affects the manner in which a corn plant grows branches, leaves, flowers, and ears. In cooperation with other researchers, McSteen discovered that auxin is critical for controlling growth within a group of plant stem cells, called meristems, which can develop into leaves, flowers or any number of plant organs. McSteen’s research is expected to improve understanding of the corn plant, which at some point may lead to increased crop yields. Her work with maize has already led other researchers to begin investigations on how the hormone auxin works in other plants, including trees.
News about Paula McSteen
May 12, 2021
Beyond counting: computer science partnership helps speed up plant science experiments
Apr 28, 2021
Lab explores link between genetic differences and domestication in kale
Research Topics
- Axillary Meristem
- Boron
- Brassica
- Cell Biology
- Development
- Embryogenesis
- Evolution
- Genomics
- Grass
- Inflorescence
- Maize
- Meristem
- Molecular
- Mutants
- Organogenesis
- Phosphorylation
- Phylogenetic
- Plant
- Serine Threonine Protein Kinase
- Signaling
- Thiamine
- Transcription
2023
Hormonal control of medial–lateral growth and vein formation in the maize leaf. Robil J M, McSteen P. New Phytologist; Volume 238, Issue 1, Pages 125 - 141.
Date published: April 1, 2023Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2022
Mapping Maize Mutants Using Bulked-Segregant Analysis and Next-Generation Sequencing. Best N B, Mcsteen P. Current Protocols; Volume 2, Issue 11.
Date published: November 1, 2022Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Molecular, cellular, and developmental foundations of grass diversity. McSteen, Paula; Kellogg, Elizabeth A.. Science; Volume 377, Issue 6606, Pages 599 - 602.
Date published: August 5, 2022Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Pleiotropic and nonredundant effects of an auxin importer in Setaria and maize. Zhu, Chuanmei; Box, Matthew S., Thiruppathi, Dhineshkumar; Hu, Hao; Yu, Yunqing; Martin, Callista; Doust, Andrew N; McSteen, Paula; Kellogg, Elizabeth A.. Plant Physiology; Volume 189, Issue 2, Pages 715 - 734.
Date published: June 1, 2022Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Defects in meristem maintenance, cell division, and cytokinin signaling are early responses in the boron deficient maize mutant tassel-less1. Matthes, Michaela S., Darnell, Zoe, Best, Norman B., Guthrie, Katy, Robil, Janlo M., Amstutz, Jen, Durbak, Amanda, McSteen, Paula. Physiologia Plantarum; Volume 174, Issue 2.
Date published: April 1, 2022Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Carbon-11 Radiotracing Reveals Physiological and Metabolic Responses of Maize Grown under Different Regimes of Boron Treatment. Wilder S.L. , Scott S. , Waller S., Powell A., Benoit M., Guthrie J.M., Schueller M.J., Awale P., McSteen P., Matthes M.S., Ferrieri R.A.. Plants; Volume 11, Issue 3.
Date published: February 1, 2022Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2021
grasviq: an image analysis framework for automatically quantifying vein number and morphology in grass leaves. Robil JM, Gao K, Neighbors CM, Boeding M, Carland FM, Bunyak F, McSteen P. Plant Journal; 107(2):629-648.
Date published: July 1, 2021Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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The Molecular Basis of Kale Domestication: Transcriptional Profiling of Developing Leaves Provides New Insights Into the Evolution of a Brassica oleracea Vegetative Morphotype. Arias T, Niederhuth CE, McSteen P, Pires JC. Frontiers in Plant Science; 12:637115.
Date published: March 5, 2021Featured in this article: Paula McSteen, .
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2020
From element to development: The power of the essential micronutrient boron to shape morphological processes in plants. Matthes MS, Robil JM, McSteen P. Journal of Experimental Botany; 71(5):1681-1693.
Date published: March 12, 2020Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Assessment of a18f-phenylboronic acid radiotracer for imaging boron in maize. Housh AB, Matthes MS, Gerheart A, Wilder SL, Kil K-E, Schueller M, Guthrie JM, McSteen P, Ferrieri R. International Journal of Molecular Sciences; 21(3):976.
Date published: February 1, 2020Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2019
The barren stalk2 Gene Is Required for Axillary Meristem Development in Maize. Yao H, Skirpan A, Wardell B, Matthes MS, Best NB, McCubbin T, Durbak A, Smith T, Malcomber S, McSteen P. Molecular Plant; 12(3):374-389.
Date published: March 4, 2019Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Auxin EvoDevo: Conservation and Diversification of Genes Regulating Auxin Biosynthesis, Transport, and Signaling. Matthes MS, Best NB, Robil JM, Malcomber S, Gallavotti A, McSteen P. Molecular Plant; 12(3):298-320.
Date published: March 4, 2019Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Using Xenopus laevis Oocytes to Functionally Characterize Plant Transporters. Pike S, Matthes MS, McSteen P, Gassmann W. Current protocols in plant biology; 4(1):e20087.
Date published: March 1, 2019Featured in this article: Paula McSteen, Walter Gassmann.
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2018
Increased transpiration is correlated with reduced boron deficiency symptoms in the maize tassel-less1 mutant. Matthes MS, Robil JM, Tran T, Kimble A, McSteen P. Physiologia Plantarum; 163(3):344-355.
Date published: July 1, 2018Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2014
Transport of boron by the tassel-less1 aquaporin is critical for vegetative and reproductive development in maize. Durbak AR, Phillips KA, Pike S, O'Neill MA, Mares J, Gallavotti A, Malcomber ST, Gassmann W, McSteen P. Planet Cell; 26(7):2978-2995.
Date published: July 1, 2014Featured in this article: Walter Gassmann, Paula McSteen.
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2013
Preface. McSteen P, Scheres B, Zhao Y. Journal of Experimental Botany; 64(9):2539-2540.
Date published: June 1, 2013Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2012
Hormone signaling in plant development. Durbak A, Yao H, McSteen P. Current Opinion in Plant Biology; 15(1):92-96.
Date published: February 1, 2012Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2011
The main auxin biosynthesis pathway in Arabidopsis. Mashiguchi K, Tanaka K, Sakai T, Sugawara S, Kawaide H, Natsume M, Hanada A, Yaeno T, Shirasu K, Yao H, McSteen P, Zhao Y, Hayashi K-I, Kamiya Y, Kasahara H. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; 108(45):18512-18517.
Date published: November 8, 2011Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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vanishing tassel2 Encodes a Grass-Specific tryptophan aminotransferase required for vegetative and reproductive development in maize. Phillips KA, Skirpan AL, Liu X, Christensen A, Slewinski TL, Hudson C, Barazesh S, Cohen JD, Malcomber S, McSteen P. Plant Cell; 23(2):550-566.
Date published: February 1, 2011Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2010
A maize thiamine auxotroph is defective in shoot meristem maintenance. Woodward JB, Abeydeera ND, Paul D, Phillips K, Rapala-Kozik M, Freeling M, Begley TP, Ealick SE, McSteen P, Scanlona MJ. Plant Cell; 22(10):3305-3317.
Date published: October 1, 2010Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Auxin and monocot development. McSteen P. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology; 2(3):a001479.
Date published: March 1, 2010Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2009
sparse inflorescence1, barren inflorescence1 and barren stalk1 promote cell elongation in maize inflorescence development. Barazesh S, Nowbakht C, McSteen P. Genetics; 182(1):403-406.
Date published: May 1, 2009Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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BARREN INFLORESCENCE2 interaction with zmPIN1a suggests a role in auxin transport during maize inflorescence development. Skirpan A, Culler AH, Gallavotti A, Jackson D, Cohen JD, McSteen P. Plant and Cell Physiology; 50(3):652-657.
Date published: April 1, 2009Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Developmental disaster1: A novel mutation causing defects during vegetative and inflorescence development in maize (Zea mays, Poaceae). Phillips KA, Skirpan AL, Kaplinsky NJ, McSteen P. American Journal of Botany; 96(2):420-430.
Date published: February 1, 2009Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Suppressor of sessile spikelets1 functions in the ramosa pathway controlling meristem determinacy in maize. Wu X, Skirpan A, McSteen P. Plant Physiology; 149(1):205-219.
Date published: January 1, 2009Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Hormonal regulation of branching in grasses. McSteen P. Plant Physiology; 149(1):46-55.
Date published: January 1, 2009Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2008
Hormonal control of grass inflorescence development. Barazesh S, McSteen P. Trends in Plant Science; 13(12):656-662.
Date published: December 1, 2008Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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sparse inflorescence1 encodes a monocot-specific YUCCA-like gene required for vegetative and reproductive development in maize. Gallavotti A, Barazesh S, Malcomber S, Hall D, Jackson D, Schmidt RJ, McSteen P. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; 105(39):15196-15201.
Date published: September 30, 2008Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Genetic and physical interaction suggest that BARREN STALK1 is a target of BARREN INFLORESCENCE2 in maize inflorescence development. Skirpan A, Wu X, McSteen P. Plant Journal; 55(5):787-797.
Date published: September 1, 2008Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Barren inflorescence1 functions in organogenesis during vegetative and inflorescence development in maize. Barazesh S, McSteen P. Genetics; 179(1):389-401.
Date published: May 1, 2008Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Plant Hormones and Signaling: Common Themes and New Developments. McSteen P, Zhao Y. Developmental Cell; 14(4):467-473.
Date published: April 15, 2008Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2007
The role of auxin transport during inflorescence development in maize (Zea mays, Poaceae). Wu X, McSteen P. American Journal of Botany; 94(11):1745-1755.
Date published: November 1, 2007Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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barren inflorescence2 Encodes a co-ortholog of the Pinoid serine/threonine kinase and is required for organogenesis during inflorescence and vegetative development in maize. McSteen P, Malcomber S, Skirpan A, Lunde C, Wu X, Kellogg E, Hake S. Plant Physiology; 144(2):1000-1011.
Date published: June 1, 2007Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2006
Branching out: The ramosa pathway and the evolution of grass inflorescence morphology. McSteen P. Plant Cell; 18(3):518-522.
Date published: March 1, 2006Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2005
Shoot branching. McSteen P, Leyser O. Annual Review of Plant Biology; 56:353-374.
Date published: January 17, 2005Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2003
Separation of genetic functions controlling organ identity in flowers. Keck E, McSteen P, Carpenter R, Coen E. EMBO Journal; 22(5):1058-1066.
Date published: March 3, 2003Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2002
Expression patterns and mutant phenotype of teosinte branched1 correlate with growth suppression in maize and teosinte. Hubbard L, McSteen P, Doebley J, Hake S. Genetics; 162(4):1927-1935.
Date published: December 1, 2002Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2001
Barren inflorescence2 regulates axillary meristem development in the maize inflorescence. McSteen P, Hake S. Development; 128(15):2881-2891.
Date published: August 1, 2001Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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2000
A floret by any other name: Control of meristem identity in maize. McSteen P, Laudencia-Chingcuanco D, Colasanti J. Trends in Plant Science; 5(2):61-66.
Date published: February 1, 2000Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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1998
Control of floral homeotic gene expression and organ morphogenesis in Antirrhinum. McSteen PCM, Vincent CA, Doyle S, Carpenter R, Coen ES. Development; 125(13):2359-2369.
Date published: July 1, 1998Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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Genetic control of plant development. McSteen P, Hake S. Current Opinion in Biotechnology; 9(2):189-195.
Date published: April 1, 1998Featured in this article: Paula McSteen.
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