U.S.-France Cooperative Research on Directed Mutagenesis of Sorghum PEP Carboxylase: Phosphorylation and Active-Site Domains

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This three-year award supports cooperative research in plant physiology between Raymond Chollet of the University of Nebraska and Jean Vidal of the Laboratory for Plant Molecular Physiology, University of Paris (South). The investigators will examine the photoregulatory mechanism that controls the functional properties and biosynthesis of C4-leaf PEPC. PEPC is a key enzyme in photosynthesis. Using mutagenesis techniques on maize and sorghum specimens, they will substitute specific amino acids on the phosphorylation sites and assess their effects on the enzyme's regulatory and catalytic properties. The French will add a molecular genetic dimension to the project. They are experienced in mapping and cloning of PEPC while the U.S. investigators have the instrumentation and extensive biochemical expertise for large-scale PEPC isolation and protein sequencing. The project will benefit from this interactive, molecular-genetic and biochemical approach. PEPC studies will extend our knowledge of light regulation C4 photosynthesis and enhance our understanding of protein phosphorylation.