Skip to main content

Structural characterization of key plant cell wall biosynthetic enzymes and complexes


EMSL Project ID
60658

Abstract

Complex carbohydrates are essential molecules of life that are responsible for energy supply and diverse cellular functions in all species and make up most of the cell wall that surrounds each plant cell. Plant cell wall biosynthetic enzymes catalyze formation of linkages to produce complex carbohydrates. Elucidating the molecular function of these enzymes on a systems scale is complicated in plants because traditional approaches linking genotype to phenotype such as biomass yield and composition are difficult. This is because complex carbohydrate structures are not defined by sequence-based templates, but are synthesized through the concerted actions of enzymes, whose functions are dictated by interactions with ligands, interactions with other proteins, and organellar microenvironments. Therefore, we aim to develop a better understanding of these enzymes and the enzymatic complexes they form to synthesize complex carbohydrates. Understanding these enzymes and complexes at the structural level is key for informed engineering on these proteins to produce desired plant phenotypes. We propose to use CRYO-EM and Single Particle Analysis to solve the structure of several key enzymes and protein complexes involved in hemicellulose synthesis.

Project Details

Start Date
2022-12-06
End Date
N/A
Status
Active

Team

Principal Investigator

Yannick Bomble
Institution
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Team Members

Josephine Gruber
Institution
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Samantha Ziegler
Institution
National Renewable Energy Laboratory