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Structural and biochemical characterization of glycosyltransferase 47 family proteins from Spirodela to enable predictive biology


EMSL Project ID
60868

Abstract

Complex carbohydrates comprise the majority of plant biomass and are assembled by large families of glycosyltransferases (GTs) that transfer sugars from activated donors to a wide range of acceptor molecules. The GT47 family of proteins, specifically, are involved in almost every aspect of cell wall synthesis, recognizing a variety of saccharide donors and polysaccharide acceptors. This proposal seeks to comprehensively study the GT47 proteins found in the duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza to create a database that can be used to predict GT47 functionality in other organisms. We will use a combination of plant engineering, mass spectrometry, ssNMR, and structural biology to analyze the protein interaction networks of all GT family members in and the plant cell wall structure of S. polyrhiza. Ultimately, the data generated from this proposal will be used to create designer plants, with specified cell wall structures for bioproduction.

Project Details

Project type
FICUS Research
Start Date
2023-10-01
End Date
N/A
Status
Active

Team

Principal Investigator

Samantha Ziegler
Institution
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Co-Investigator(s)

Yannick Bomble
Institution
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Breeanna Urbanowicz
Institution
University of Georgia

Team Members

Maria Pena
Institution
University of Georgia

Josephine Gruber
Institution
National Renewable Energy Laboratory