Award details

The integration and regulation of galactose metabolism in plants

Reference	BBS/E/J/0000A157
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Keith Roberts
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	126,683
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/08/2003
End date	31/07/2006
Duration	36 months

Abstract

We have map-based cloned the ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE 1 (RHD1) gene that encodes a key enzyme in the nucleotide sugar interconversion pathways. Our initial work on this enzyme, UDP-Galactose 4-epimerase (UGE), suggests that it may constitute a robust paradigm for metabolite channelling, and this grant is to test that hypothesis. There are, in principle, several ways to explain the non-redundancy of the 5 different UGE isoforms, but we will test the hypothesis that the UGE isoforms may be cytosolic, but recruited to different macromolecular complexes where they are in close spatial proximity to enzymes responsible for catalysing diverse downstream reactions. These efficiently and directly transfer UDP-Gal via a substrate channel without significant diffusional loss. This work has its origins in our recent cloning of the RHD1/UGE4 gene (also allelic to reb1) and we will focus, to start with, on this isoform. The advantages include the availability of several mutant alleles including the temperature sensitive rhd1-2 allele, the availability of the recombinant UGE4 enzyme and the sugar linkage-analysis of the mutants. We have, however, full length clones of the other 4 UGE genes and have recently isolated insertional mutants for 3 of these, and this will allow the work to extend to the UGE family as a whole. The aim is to test the hypothesis outlined above using 4 different approaches: Fine grained expression analysis of UGE gene family; Subcellular localization of UGE isoforms; Structural analysis of UGE isoforms; Search for RHD1 interaction partners; Preliminary functional analysis of RHD1 protein complexes.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
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

I accept the terms and conditions of use (opens in new window)

export PDF file

back to list new search