Award details

Trehalose signalling: understanding and exploiting an emerging small molecule carbonhydrate paradigm

Reference	BB/D524240/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Ten Feizi
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Imperial College London
Department	Dept of Medicine
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	320,840
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/04/2006
End date	31/03/2011
Duration	60 months

Abstract

This proposal is driven by (1) the pressing biological question of the site of interaction of the disaccharide trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) following its discovery as part of an indispensable signaling mechanism with significant effects on photosynthesis, sugar metabolism, disease and stress resistance in Arabidopsis; (2) the recent availability of methods in the field of glycomics, carbohydrate and protein chemistry that enable probing for the site of interaction of T6P and related compounds and the chemical intervention of its physiological function in planta. The chemical intervention approach is focused on synthesis of non-reducing glycan libraries based on the trehalose and sucrose cores. From these, small molecule glycan arrays will be made to enable the isolation of protein and nucleic acid partners. State-of-the-art protein separation and gene cloning will be used to characterise the binding partners. Construction of in planta active non-reducing mimetics and probes will enable chemical intervention in vivo.

Summary

Sucrose and trehalose are the most widespread non-reducing disaccharides in nature. Sucrose functions as an energy reserve, building block and protective molecule in plants, and trehalose has these functions in fungi, bacteria and insects. Until recently, with very few exceptions, this division of sucrose and trehalose between the kingdoms was thought to be clear cut. However, the trehalose pathway and trehalose 6-phosphate, in particular, have been shown to play an indispensbale signalling role in plants influencing processes like photosynthesis, sugar metabolism, disease and stress resistance. The proposal will determine signalling partners of trehalose 6-phosphate and closely related non-reducing disaccharides in plants to enable chemical intervention of these important plant processes in Arabidopsis with a longer term view to crop improvement.

Committee	Closed Committee - Biomolecular Sciences (BMS)
Research Topics	Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Selective Chemical Intervention In Biological Systems (SCIBS) [2005]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

Associated awards:

BB/D006112/1 Trehalose signalling: understanding and exploiting an emerging small molecule carbohydrate paradigm

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