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Acylation of defence-related natural products in cereals

ReferenceBBS/E/J/000CA293
Principal Investigator / Supervisor Professor Anne Osbourn
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Institution John Innes Centre
DepartmentJohn Innes Centre Department
Funding typeResearch
Value (£) 126,391
StatusCompleted
TypeInstitute Project
Start date 21/05/2007
End date 20/05/2010
Duration36 months

Abstract

Natural products have important ecological functions and protect plants against biotic and abiotic stresses. Acylation is a common feature of these compounds and has implications for physical, chemical and biological activity and also for subcellular trafficking/sequestration. Investigation of the mechanisms and biological significance of acylation of natural products therefore has clear strategic relevance not only for crop protection but also for food quality, production of plantderived drugs, medicines and other commercially valuable compounds. A new class of plant enzymes (serine carboxypeptidase-like (SCPL) proteins) that acylate natural products has recently been discovered. To date SCPL acyltransferases have been shown to be involved in the synthesis of compounds that confer insect resistance in tomato and UV stress tolerance in Arabidopsis and brassicas. Recruitment and diversification of SCPL proteins with acyltransferase functions is likely to be widespread and represents a largely unexplored area of plant metabolism. The Osbourn laboratory has recently shown by genetical analysis that an SCPL protein (Sad7) is required for acylation of triterpene glycosides that confer broad spectrum disease resistance in oats. These experiments will provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism and significance of this SCPL-mediated acylation process. They will also address the wider significance of SCPL acyltransferases for plant defence through functional analysis of Sad7 homologues in rice.

Summary

unavailable
Committee Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research TopicsCrop Science, Plant Science
Research PriorityX – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative X - not in an Initiative
Funding SchemeX – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
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