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Catalytic Landscapes of Isopreniod Metabolism

Reference	BBS/E/J/000C0644
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Paul O'Maille (JIC)
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	946,620
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	16/09/2009
End date	31/01/2016
Duration	76 months

Abstract

Plants produce a rich vocabulary of chemicals to communicate, thrive and survive in various ecologies - the language of specialized (secondary) metabolism. This language changes over evolutionary time-scales by mutation and recombination - steps in sequence that alter the catalytic properties of encoded enzymes. This sequence-chemical relationship defines a ‘catalytic landscape’ that encodes the chemical diversity of secondary metabolism in the natural world. Our group is interested in quantifying the catalytic landscape underlying secondary metabolism to examine the emergence of chemical diversity as plants adapt to varying ecological niches. We approach this at the level of protein structure and function using experimental techniques of protein engineering, enzymology, bio-analytical chemistry, structural biology, and mathematical modeling. We extend our reach through strategic collaborations to interrogate the implications of metabolic changes on relevant biological systems; considering the importance of plant secondary metabolites in mediating host-microbe interactions, we are actively exploring the impact of phytochemicals on human microbial communities and plant-pathogen interactions.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Plant Science
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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