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Function & properties of plant cell wall-degrading esterases

Reference	BBS/E/F/02150775
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Gary Williamson
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	50,148
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/1998
Duration	12 months

Abstract

Cell walls in fruit and vegetables are strengthened by phenolic cross-links which link the polysaccharide chains. In this multidisciplinary project involving enzymology, chemistry, molecular biology and physical techniques, we propose to examine the function and properties of three distinct fungal esterases which hydrolyse phenolics from defined linkages and structures in the cell wall. The study will determine: (a) the substrate specificity (b) the effect of enzyme action on the properties of the cell wall (c) the interrelationships with other cell wall degrading enzymes (d) whether the rate of hydrolysis is primarily influenced by physical or chemical factors (e) the enzyme properties which give rise to the particular substrate specificity. We will also assess the possibility of using the enzymes as structural tools to probe cell wall structures. Technology transfer is already demonstrated in this area by concurrent EU projects including a project to increase the value of agricultural and food wastes. (215526E, 215703E, 215617E), by a project funded by a company in the Food Industry (215662C), and with an externally-funded PhD student and a postdoctoral fellow

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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