Group Research: Engineering Plant One-Carbon Metabolism

初级代谢和次级代谢在一碳（1-c）区域交叉，初级代谢提供大部分1-c单位，并与次级代谢竞争使用。 这种竞争可能是严重的，因为植物次生代谢对1-c单元，特别是合成木质素、生物碱和植物保护剂化合物如甘氨酸甜菜碱和D-甘露糖醇的甲基的需求很大。 由于目前许多代谢工程项目旨在改变这些产品的水平，因此甲基基团的需求，了解1-c代谢是如何调节的，以便能够成功地设计1-c供应以匹配需求是至关重要的。 要做到这一点，需要在分子生物学，代谢和分析化学，在体内NMR和计算机建模的技能。 这些技能将来自五名具有互补和重叠专业知识的主要研究员。 所有的PI都习惯于进行跨学科的团队合作。

Primary and secondary metabolism intersect in the one-carbon (1-c) area with primary metabolism supplying most of the 1-c units and competing with secondary metabolism for their use. This competition is potentially severe because plant secondary metabolism imposes hugh demands for 1-c units, especially methyl groups for the synthesis of lignin, alkaloids and osmoprotectant compounds such as glycine betaine and D-onoitol. As many current metabolic engineering projects aim to change levels of these products, and hence methyl group demand, it is essential that one understands how 1-c metabolism is regulated so that one can successfully engineer the 1-c supply to match demand. To do this requires skills in molecular biology, metabolic and analytical chemistry, in vivo NMR, and computer modeling. These skills will come from five Principal Investigators (PIs) with complementary and overlapping expertise. All PIs are used to doing interdisciplinary teamwork.