Kirsi Lehto - home page

Description: image002Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Turku
FIN-20014 Turku University, Finland

Phone: +358-2-3336266, Fax: +358-2-3335549
E-mail: klehto@utu.fi

 

Research Interests:

Plant Virology and Plant-Virus Interactions

Other Interests:

Astrobiology

  • Teaching of the basic lecture course and a follow-up seminar
  • Teaching of the international tele-conference course, astrobio-course net. See: http://www.sci.utu.fi/astrobiologia/
  • Research: early replication systems modelled by viral replication complexes

Plant Biotechnology

  • Teaching
  • Research: improved traits of crop plants

 

Selected Publications:

Pehu, T.M., Mäki-Valkama, T.K., Valkonen, J.P.T., Koivu, K.T., Lehto, K.M. and Pehu, E.P. 1995. Potato plants transformed with a potato virus Y P1 gene sequence are resistant to PVY0. Am. potato J. 72:523-532.

 

Lemmetty, A., Latvala, S., Jones, A.T., Susi, P., McGavin, W.J., and Lehto, K. 1997. Purification and properties of a new virus from Blackcurrant, its affinities with nepoviruses, and its close association with blackcurrant reversion disease. Phytopathology 87:404-413.

 

Latvala, S., Susi, P., Lemmetty, A., Jones, A.T., Cox, S., and Lehto, K. 1997. Ribes host range and erratic distribution within plants of blackcurrant reversion associated virus provide further evidence for its role as a causal agent of reversion disease. Ann. appl. Biol. 131:283-295.

 

Latvala, S. Susi, P., Kalkkinen, N., and Lehto, K. 1998. Characterization of the coat protein gene of mite transmitted blackcurrant reversion associated nepovirus. Virus Research 53:1-11. 

 

Arbatova, J.,  Lehto, K., Pehu, E., and Pehu, T. 1998. Localization of the P1 protein of potato Y potyvirus with cytoplasmic inclusion bodies and in the cytoplasm of infected cells. J. Gen. Virol. 79:2319-2323.

 

Lemmetty, A., and Lehto, K. 1999. Succesful back-inoculation confirms the role of black currant reversion associated virus as the causal agent of reversion disease. Eur. J. Plant Path. 105:297-301.

 

Latvala-Kilby, S., and Lehto, K. 1999. The complete nucleotide sequence of RNA2 of blackcurrant reversion nepovirus. Virus Research. 65:87-92.

 

Latvala-Kilby, S., Lemmetty, A., and Lehto, K. 2000. Molecular characterisation of a satellite RNA associated with blackcurrant reversion nepovirus. Arch. of Virol. 145:51-61.

 

Mäki-Valkama, T., Pehu, T., Santala, A., Valkonen, J.P., Koivu, K., Lehto, K., and Pehu, E. 2000. High level of resistance to potato virus Y by expressing P1 sequence in antisense orientation in transgenic potato. Molec. Breeding. 6:95-104. 

 

Pacot-Hiriart, C., Latvala-Kilby, S., and Lehto, K. 2001. Nucleotide sequence of Black currant reversion nepovirus RNA1. Virus Research 79:145-152.

 

Zamyatnin, A.A. Jr, Solovyev, A.G.,  Sablina, A.A., Agranovsky, A.A., Katul, L.,  Vetten, H.J.,  Schiemann, J., Hinkkanen, A.E., Lehto, K. and Morozov S.Yu. 2002. Dual-colour imaging of membrane protein targeting directed by poa semilatent virus movement protein TGBp3 in plant and mammalian cells. J. Gen.Virol. 83: 651-662.

 

Hiriart, J.B., Lehto, K. Tyystjärvi, E., Junttila, T. and Aro, E.-M. 2002. Suppression of a key gene involved in Chlorophyll biosynthesis by means of virus-inducing gene silencing. Plant Mol. Biol. 50:213-224.

 

Hiriart, J.-B., Aro, E.-M. and Lehto, K. 2003. Dynamics of the VIGS-mediated chimeric silencing of the N. benthamiana ChlH gene, and of the Tobacco mosaic virus vector. MPMI 16:99-106.

 

Lehto, K., Tikkanen, M., Paakkarinen, V., Hiriart, J-B. and Aro, E.-M. 2003. Depletion of the PSII core complex in mature tobacco leaves infected by the Flavum strain of Tobacco mosaic virus. MPMI 16:1135-1144.

 

Lehto, K., Lemmetty, A., and Keränen, M. 2004. The long 3' non-translated regions of Blackcurrant reversion virus RNAs are highly conserved between virus isolates representing different phenotypes and geographic origins. Archieves of Virology 149: 1867-1875.

 

Lehto, K. and Siddiqui, S.A. 2005. RNA-silencing in plant endogene regulation, and its disturbance caused by viral silencing inhibitors. Recent Res. Devel. Plant Sci. 3: 47-68.

 

Le Gall O, Iwanami T, Jones AT, Lehto K, Sanfacon H, Wellink J, Wetzel T, Yoshikawa N (2005)

Comoviridae, Sequiviridae, Sadwavirus, and Cheravirus descriptions In: Fauquet CM, Mayo MA, Maniloff J, Desselberger U and Ball LA (eds) Virus Taxonomy, VIIIth Report of the ICTV. Elsevier/Academic Press, London, pp 793-818

 

Lehtonen, P., Helander, M., Siddiqui, S.A., Lehto, K., and Saikkonen, K. 2006. Endophytic fungus decreases plant virus infections in medow ryegrass (Lolium pratense). 
Biol Lett. 2:620-623.
 
Karetnikov, A., Keränen, M., Lehto, K. 2006. Role of the RNA2 3´ non-translated region of Blackcurrant reversion nepovirus in translational regulation. Virology 354:191-204.
 

Karetnikov, A., and K. Lehto. 2007. The RNA2 5' leader of Blackcurrant reversion virus mediates efficient in vivo translation through an internal ribosomal entry site mechanism J Gen. Virol. 88: 286-297.

Le Gall, O., Sanfaçon, H., Ikegami, M., Iwanami, T., Jones, T., Karasev, A., Lehto, K., Wellink, J., Wetzel, T., and Yoshikawa, N. 2007. Cheravirus and Sadwavirus: two unassigned genera of plant positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses formerly considered as atypical members of the genus Nepovirus (family Comoviridae). Arch. Virol. 152:1767-1774.

 

Siddiqui. S. A., Sarmiento, C., Valkonen, S., Truve, E., and Lehto, K. 2007. Suppression of infectious TMV genomes expressed in young transgenic tobacco plants. Mol. Plant Microbe Interact. 20:1489-1494.

 

Karetnikov, A., and Lehto, K. 2008. Translation mechanisms involving long-distance base pairing interactions between the 5’ and 3’ non-coding regions and internal ribosomal entry are conserved for both genomic RNAs of Black currant reversion nepovirus. Virology 371:292-308.

 

Siddiqui. S. A., Sarmiento, C., Truve, E., Lehto, H., and Lehto, K. 2008. Phenotypes and functional effects caused by various viral RNA silencing suppressors in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana and N. tabacum" Mol. Plant Microbe Interact. 21:178-187.

 

Siddiqui. S. A., Sarmiento, C., Kiisma, M.-L., Koivumäki, S., Lemmetty, A., Truve, E., and Lehto, K. 2008. Effects of viral silencing suppressors on tobacco ringspot nepovirus (TRSV) infection in two Nicotiana species. J. Gen. Virol. 89, 1502-1508.

 

Soitamo, A.J., Jada, B. and Lehto K., 2011. HcPro silencing suppressor significantly alters the gene expression profile in tobacco leaves and flowers, BMC Plant Biology, 20;11:68.

 

Siddiqui, S., Valkonen, J.P.T., Rajamäki M.-L. and Lehto K. 2011. The 2b silencing suppressor of a mild strain of Cucumber mosaic virus alone is sufficient for synergistic interaction with Tobacco mosaic virus and induction of severe leaf malformation in 2b-transgenic tobacco plants. Mol. Plant Microbe Interact. 24:685-93.

 

 

Astrobiology related publications:

Lehto, K. 2004. Elämän alku. Luonnontutkija 1/2:21-29.

Munster, U. ja Lehto, K. 2004. Ekstremofiilit - mikrobielämää ääriolosuhteissa. Luonnontutkija 1/2 40-50.

 

Lehto, K. and Karetnikov, A. 2005. RNA world: features, relicts and models. Int. J. Astrobiol.4: 9-11.

 

                Kanervo, E., Lehto, K., Ståhle, K., Lehto, H. and Mäenpää, P. 2005. Characterization of growth and photosynthesis of  Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cultures under reduced atmospheric pressures and enhanced CO2 levels. Int. J. Astrobiol. 4:95-98.

 

                Lehto, K., Lehto, H. and Kanervo, E. 2006. Suitability of Different Photosynthetic Organisms for Extra-terrestrial Biological Life Support System. Res. Microbiol. 157:69-76.

 

Janhunen, P., Kaartokallio, H., Oksanen, I., Lehto, K. and Lehto, H. 2007. Biological Feedbacks as

Cause and Demise of Neoproterozoic Icehouse: Astrobiological Prospects for Faster Evolution and Importance of Cold Conditions. PloS ONE, 2007; 2(2): e214

 

Brandenburg, A., Lehto, K., and Lehto, H. 2007. Homochirality in an early peptide world. Astrobiology 7:725-732.

 

Lehto, K., Lehto, H., Janhunen, P., and Eklund, O. 2009. Astrobiology: study of factors related to the origin and survival of life on Earth and elsewhere. Planetary and Space Science (in print)

 

Lehto, K. 2009.  Miten elämä syntyi. Tiede 2:32-37.

 

Laiterä, T., and Lehto, K. 2009. Protein-mediated Selective Enclosure of Early Replicators

Inside of Membranous Vesicles: First Step Towards Cell Membranes. Orig Life Evol Biosph

39:545–558

 

Brozinski, A., Lehto, H., Rajala, K ja Lehto, K. 2011. Aikakirja. 103 pp.

 

Books and book chapters:

Lahdenperä, M-L., Lehto, K., Mäkinen, K., Nissinen, E., ja Vänninen, I. 2005. Englantilais-suomalais-ruotsalainen Biologisen ja bioteknisen kasvinsuojelun sanasto. Kasvinsuojeluseura.

 

Lehto, K., Kanervo, E., Ståhle, K., Lehto, H. Tammi, M. and Virtanen, J. 2007. Photosynthetic life support systems in the Martian conditions. In: 'Microorganisms and the Martian Environment - Report of the ROME Topical Team', (Ed. Charles Cockell). ESA SP-1298, ESA Publications Division, European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands. 

 

Lehto, K. 2007. From molecular evolution to cellular life. In: Complete course in astrobiology, Eds: Gerda Horneck and Petra Rettberg. Wiley-VCH. pp. 85-120.

 

Lehto, K. 2008. Elämän synnyn ongelma. Kirjassa: Evoluutio nyt (Ed. Timo Vuorisalo ja Petter Portin).  Kirja-Aurora, Turku. pp. 75-87.

Teerikorpi, P., Valtonen, M., Lehto, K., Lehto, H., Byrd, G., Chernin, A. 2009 The Evolving Universe and the Origin of Life. The Search for Our Cosmic Roots. ISBN: 978-0-387-09533-2, 508 p.

Lehto, K. Elämän synty. 2009. Kirjassa “Kaikki evoluutiosta”, toim. Ilkka Hanski, Ilkka Niiniluoto ja Ilari Hetemäki. Gaudeamus, Helsinki University Press, pp. 40 – 53. 

 

Public outreach projects:

Aikavaellus / Tidsresan / TimeTrek. 2011. A 13.7 km long nature trail from Tuorla observatory to the Turku University campus to portray the history of the Universe. The main events of the history of the Universe, Earth and the biosphere are described in information plates, carved in brass and posted on granite boulders. See: www.aikavaellus.fi