Award details

Understanding the mechanism of action and biological significance of modular plant cell wall hydrolases

Reference	P09341
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Harry Gilbert
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr Geoffrey Hazlewood, Professor Michael Williamson
Institution	Newcastle University
Department	Agriculture Food and Rural Development
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	418,710
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/10/1998
End date	01/10/2001
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Microorganisms have evolved complex enzyme systems to degrade the plant cell wall. The major enzymes, which are produced from extensive multigene families, generally have a modular structure consisting of a catalytic domain and non-catalytic domains. Enzymes from Pseudomonas often contain multiple non-catalytic cellulose binding domains (CBDs), while the corresponding enzymes from the anaerobic fungus Piromyces contain a highly conserved non-catalytic domain that functions as a protein docking sequence. The functional importance of both the non-catalytic domains in plant cell wall hydrolases, and the rationale for the evolution of large multigene families encoding these enzymes are important questions that this application seeks to resolve. Specific issues that this project will address are as follows: (i) What is the structural basis by which polysaccharide binding domains and protein docking domains recognise their respective ligands? (ii) What is the functional significance of multiple CBDs in single enzymes? (iii) What is the mechanisms by which the multienzyme complexes of anaerobic fungi assemble? (iv) What is the mechanism by which modular plant cell wall hydrolases have evolved? (v) What is the evolutionary rationale for the existence of multigene families encoding cellulases and hemicellulases?

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

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