Roland Douce Explained

Birth Date:	18 May 1939
Birth Place:	Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Val de Marne
Death Place:	La Tronche, Isère
Fields:	Plant biochemistry
Workplaces:	University of Paris;, Johnson Research Foundation, Philadelphia; University of California, San Diego; University of Grenoble
Education:	University of Paris
Thesis Title:	Structure, localization and metabolism of diphosphatidylglycerol, or cardiolipin, in plants
Thesis Year:	1961
Known For:	Characterization of cardiolipin
Awards:	Silver medal of the CNRS; Member of the National Academy of Sciences; Légion d’Honneur, France

Roland Douce (18 May 1939, in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Val de Marne – 4 November 2018, in La Tronche, Isère) was a plant biologist and professor who, along with his students, created a world-renowned plant biology centre in Grenoble, France, focusing on the biology of chloroplasts and mitochondria and their roles in plant metabolism under normal or stressed physiological conditions.

University degrees

Secondary education at the Marcelin Berthelot high school and the Arsonval college in Saint-Maur, baccalaureate in experimental sciences, 1958. Graduate studies at the University of Paris, natural sciences degree, 1961, PhD thesis, University of Paris, 1970 "Structure, localization and metabolism of diphosphatidylglycerol, or cardiolipin, in plants"(1)

Positions occupied

• Assistant, University of Paris, 1961,
• Master's assistant, University of Paris, 1965.
• Post Doctoral Fellow, 1970 to 1972, at the Johnson Research Foundation in Philadelphia (USA) in the group of Professor Walter D. Bonner Jr.
• Research Assistant, 1972 to 1973 at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego (USA) in the group of Professor Andrew A. Benson.
• Professor University of Grenoble, 1973–2004, Professor Emeritus after 2004.

Administrative responsibilities

• Creator and head of the Laboratory of Cell and Plant Physiology, University of Grenoble, associated with CNRS, CEA and INRA until 1991.
• Scientific adviser at the CEA, 1979.
• Scientific adviser at Rhône-Poulenc-Agrochimie, 1982.
• Creator and head of the CNRS-Rhône-Poulenc-Agrochimie joint research unit, 1985–1997.
• Head of the Plant Physiology Department at INRA, 1985–1990.
• Director of research at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 1995–1998.
• Director of the Jean-Pierre Ebel Institute of Structural Biology in Grenoble, 2002–2005.

In addition to these responsibilities, he participated in numerous scientific committees, including the national committee of the CNRS

Teaching activities

Roland Douce taught at all university levels. He was an outstanding, and passionate teacher. He had a profound impact on many of his students. He was a senior member of the Institut Universitaire de France, 1992–2002.

Publications

Author of nearly 250 scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals and numerous journal articles and book chapters. Main journals: Biochemical Journal (35), Journal of Biological Chemistry (27), European Journal of Biochemistry (20), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (12), Plant Physiology (50), Biochemistry (8), Biochimica Biophysica Acta (13), FEBS Letters (14), Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics (13).

Areas of expertise

Cell and whole plant physiology, specialising in chloroplasts and mitochondria, cell metabolism, especially energy metabolism, amino acid and vitamin biosynthesis. Biochemistry, molecular biology and structural biology. Botany and ornithology.

Main discoveries

The first contribution of Roland Douce was the characterization of cardiolipin, the major lipid of the mitochondrial membrane of plants and animals, as phosphatidyl ethanolamine.^[1]

He then considerably improved the methods of purification of chloroplasts and mitochondria, and obtained the first envelope preparations.^{[2] [3]} He was the first to show that the chloroplast shell is the site of biosynthesis of galactolipids and in particular MGDG, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol.^[4] With his team, he characterized the lipid^[5] and protein^[6] components of the envelope of the plastids. He succeeded in separating the inner and outer shells.^[7] This work paved the way for a detailed analysis of the chloroplast, its envelopes and functions.^{[8] [9] [10]} Several of the envelope protein genes were cloned, including the MGDG synthase gene.^[11]

Similar work was carried out on the mitochondria with the development of a purification method.^[12] It was thus be possible to carry out functional analysis, in particular of the proteins involved in photorespiration and the subunits of the glycine-decarboxylase complex.^{[13] [14] [15]} Chloroplasts and mitochondria are involved in the biosynthesis of several amino acids and vitamins. Roland Douce, in collaboration with industry, elucidated the biosynthesis pathways of several amino acids, and thus defined several potential targets for herbicide molecules.^{[16] [17] [18]} Similarly, he elucidated the biosynthesis pathways of biotin^[19] and tetrahydrofolic acid (vitamin B12).^[20]

The last part of Roland Douce's work deals with plant metabolism, under normal physiological conditions, or under conditions of stress (nutrient deficiency, light or heat stress).^{[21] [22]} In this work, he greatly contributed to promoting the use of nuclear magnetic resonance in plant physiology.^[23]

Roland Douce was passionate about the mountains and he made a major contribution to renovating and developing the botanical garden of the Col du Lautaret, and to setting up a research laboratory there, associated with the University of Grenoble.^[24]

He was the author or coordinator of several books or reports on plant mitochondria,^[25] the plant world,^[26] transgenic plants,^[27] and hypotheses on the origin of life.^[28] He also coordinated two volumes of the Advances in Botanical Research series on vitamin biosynthesis.^{[29] [30]}

Awards

• 1982: Silver medal from the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
• 1990: Correspondent of the Academie des Sciences, Paris
• 1992-2002: Senior member of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF)
• 1996: Member of the Academie des Sciences, Paris, Integrative Biology Section
• 1995: Foreign Correspondent Award of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB)
• 1997: Member of the National Academy of Sciences (USA)
• 2001: Elected Senior Scientist at Oxford University, United Kingdom.
• 2003: Officier of the Ordre national du Mérite
• 2009: Officier of the Légion d’Honneur, France
• 2009: Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB)
• 2013: Lifetime Achievement Award for Photosynthesis of the Rebeiz Foundation, USA
• 2015: Commandeur of the Ordre national du Mérite, France

Personal life

He was married with one daughter, Emmanuelle.

Notes and References

1. Thèse de doctorat d’état, Paris, 1970, Structure, localisation et métabolisme du diphosphatidylglycérol, ou cardiolipine, dans les plantes
2. Douce R, Christensen EL, Bonner WD Jr . 1972 . Preparation of intact plant mitochondria . Biochim Biophys Acta . 275 . 2 . 148–160. 10.1016/0005-2728(72)90035-7 . 4342337 .
3. Douce R, Holz RB, Benson AA . 1973 . solation and properties of the envelope of spinach chloroplasts . J Biol Chem . 248 . 20 . 7215–7222. 10.1016/S0021-9258(19)43381-4 . 4147558 . free .
4. Douce R. 1974. Site of biosynthesis of galactolipids in spinach chloroplast. Science. 183. 4127. 852–853. 10.1126/science.183.4127.852. 17780772. 1974Sci...183..852D. 40258381.
5. Siebertz HP, Heinz E, Joyard J, Douce R. 1979. Characterization of Lipids from Chloroplast Envelopes. European Journal of Biochemistry. 101. 2. 429–438. 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1979.tb19736.x. 520307. free.
6. Joyard J, Grossman A, Bartlett SG, Douce R, Chua NH. Characterization of envelope membrane polypeptides from spinach chloroplasts. J. Biol. Chem.. 1982 . 257. 2. 1095–101. 10.1016/S0021-9258(19)68312-2. 6798029. free.
7. Block MA, Dorne AJ, Joyard J, Douce R. Preparation and characterization of membrane fractions enriched in outer and inner envelope membrane from spinach chloroplasts.. J Biol Chem. 1983 . 258. 21. 13273–13286. 10.1016/S0021-9258(17)44112-3. free.
8. Douce R, Joyard J. Biochemistry and function of the plastid envelope. Annu Rev Cell Biol . 1990 . 6. 173–216. 10.1146/annurev.cb.06.110190.001133. 2275813.
9. Joyard J, Teyssier E, Miège C, Berny -Seigneurin D, Maréchal E, Block MA, Dorne AJ, Rolland N, Ajlani G, Douce R. The biochemical machinery of plastid envelope membranes. Plant Physiol . 1998 . 118. 3. 715–723. 10.1104/pp.118.3.715. 9808715. 1539194.
10. Rolland N, Ferro M, Seigneurin-berny D, Garin J, Douce R, Joyard J. Proteomics of chloroplast envelope membranes. Photosynthesis Res. 2003 . 78. 3. 205–230. 10.1023/B:PRES.0000006891.12416.6c. 16245052. 24989550.
11. Miège C, Maréchal E, Shimojima M, Awai K, Block MA, Ohta H, Takamiya K, Douce R, Joyard J. Biochemical and topological properties of type A MGDG synthase, a spinach chloroplast envelope enzyme catalyzing the synthesis of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic MGDG.. Eur J Biochem. 1999 . 265. 3. 990–1001. 10.1046/j.1432-1327.1999.00801.x. 10518794. free.
12. Neuburger M, Journet EP, Bligny R, Carde JP, Douce R. Purification of plant mitochondria by isopycnic centrifugation in density gradients of Percoll. Arch Biochem Biophys . 1982 . 217. 1. 312–323. 10.1016/0003-9861(82)90507-0. 6289753.
13. Cohen-Addad C, Pares S, Sieker L, Neuburger M, Douce R. The lipoamide arm in the glycine decarboxylase complex is not freely swinging. Nat Struct Mol Biol . 1995 . 2. 1. 63–68. 10.1038/nsb0195-63. 7719855. 20456319.
14. Douce R, Neuburger M. Biochemical dissection of photorespiration. Curr Opin Plant Biol . 1999 . 2. 3. 214–222. 10.1016/S1369-5266(99)80038-7. 10375564.
15. Douce R, Bourguignon J, Neuburger M, Rébeillé F. The glycine decarboxylase system: a fascinating complex. Trends Plant Sci. 2001. (2001) i 6. 4. 167–176. 10.1016/s1360-1385(01)01892-1. 11286922.
16. Matringe M, Camadro JM, Block MA, Joyard J, Scalla R, labbéP, Douce R. Localization within chloroplasts of protoporphyrinogen oxidase, the target enzyme for diphénylether-like herbicides. J Biol Chem. 1992 . 267. 7. 4646–4651. 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)42882-7. 1537847. free.
17. Biou V, Dumas R, Cohen-Addad C, Douce R, Job D, Pebay-Peyroula E. The crystal structure of plant acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase complexed with NADPH, two magnesium ions and a herbicidal transition state analog determined at 1.65 A resolution. EMBO J . 1997 . 16. 12. 405–3415. 10.1093/emboj/16.12.3405. 9218783. 1169966.
18. Ravanel S, Block MA, Rippert P, Jabrin S, Curien G, Rébeillé F, Douce R. Methionine metabolism in plants: chloroplasts are autonomous for de novo methionine synthesis and can import S-adenosyl methionine from the cytosol. J Biol Chem. 2004 . 279. 21. 22548–22557. 10.1074/jbc.M313250200. 15024005. 25396725. free.
19. Alban C, Job D, Douce R. Biotin metabolism in plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol. 2000. (2000), 5. 17–47. 10.1146/annurev.arplant.51.1.17. 15012185.
20. Ravanel S, Douce R, Rébeillé F . Metabolism of folates in plants. Adv Bot Res. Advances in Botanical Research. 2011 . 59. 67–106. 10.1016/B978-0-12-385853-5.00004-0. 9780123858535.
21. Roby C, Martin JB, Bligny R, Douce R. Biochemical changes during sucrose deprivation in higher plant cells. Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance studies.. J Biol Chem. 1987 . 262. 11. 5000–5007. 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)61145-7. 3031035. free.
22. Lenne C, Douce R. A low molecular weight heat shock protein is localized to higher plant mitochondria. Plant Physiol. 1994 . 105. 4. 1255–1261. 10.1104/pp.105.4.1255. 12232281. 159456. 25854688.
23. Bligny R, Douce R. NMR and plant metabolism. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2001 . 4. 3. 191–196. 10.1016/S1369-5266(00)00160-6. 11312128.
24. Book: Aubert S. Jardin botanique alpin du Lautaret. Edition université J Fourier. 2013. 201.
25. Book: Douce R. Mitochondria in higher plants: Structure, function and biogenesis. Academic Press. 1985. 327.
26. Book: Douce R. Le monde végétal. Du génome à la plante entière. Académie des sciences. Rapport sur la science et la technologie n°10. Tec & Doc. 2000. Paris.
27. Book: Douce R. Les plantes génétiquement modifiées. Académie des sciences. Rapport sur la science et la technologie n°13. Tec & Doc. 2002. Paris.
28. Book: Douce R, Postaire E. Les origines du vivant. Une équation à plusieurs inconnues. Folio Essais, Gallimard. 2016.
29. Rebeille F, Douce R. Biosynthesis of vitamins in plants, part A: Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5. Adv Bot Res. 2011 . 58. 1–289.
30. Rebeille F, Douce R. Biosynthesis of vitamins in plants, part B: Vitamins B6, B8, B9, C, E, K.. Adv Bot Res. 2011 . 59. 1–2896303.