RIG: Synthesis of Glycogen in Bacteria and Starch in Plants: A Case Study for the Molecular Evolution of Structure and Function

RIG：细菌中糖原和植物中淀粉的合成：结构和功能分子进化的案例研究

• 批准号: 0615982
• 负责人: Miguel Ballicora
• 金额: $ 17.5万
• 依托单位: Loyola University of Chicago
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-09-01 至 2010-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0615982&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RIG; Synthesis; Glycogen; Bacteria; Starch

In this project, molecular evolution will be studied using innovative biochemical experiments to complement traditional studies. The focus will be the evolution of "function" rather than merely the evolution of "structure". In traditional evolutionary studies, function is inferred from structure, but at the molecular level this is not always the case. The vast number of new genes found in the last few years creates the necessity to understand how function evolves in order to improve its prediction. The starch biosynthetic pathway will be used as an experimental system because its control point, the ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase enzyme, is encoded by genes, which seem to have evolved different functions (catalytic and regulatory) according to the requirements of the organism. To understand the functional evolution of this gene family, the project will: I) characterize the role of different but related ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase genes in plants, II) use statistical analyses to deduce their ancestors and recreate them by artificial synthesis, and III) convert catalytic subunits to regulatory subunits in vitro to try and understand how this process occurred in evolution. Broader impactThis project will give undergraduate and graduate students, as well as students from underrepresented sectors in science, the opportunity to learn the ethics of science, while being trained to perform research and utilize the most modern techniques in biochemistry. Loyola University Chicago has a long tradition of giving opportunities and encouragement to all sectors of the society so that they may benefit from science and be a part of it. Since it is important to educate the public about findings in evolution, a web site will be designed in the laboratory to post the conclusions of this research. It will target, specifically, the general public and will use simple language with the intention that the public assimilate the concepts.

在这个项目中，将使用创新的生化实验来研究分子进化，以补充传统的研究。重点将是“功能”的演变，而不仅仅是“结构”的演变。 在传统的进化研究中，功能是从结构中推断出来的，但在分子水平上，情况并非总是如此。在过去的几年中发现的大量新基因创造了了解功能如何进化以改善其预测的必要性。淀粉生物合成途径将被用作实验系统，因为它的控制点，ADP-葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶，是由基因编码的，这些基因似乎已经根据生物体的要求进化出不同的功能（催化和调节）。为了了解这个基因家族的功能进化，该项目将：I）描述植物中不同但相关的ADP-葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶基因的作用，II）使用统计分析来推断它们的祖先并通过人工合成重新创建它们，III）在体外将催化亚基转化为调节亚基，以尝试了解这一过程是如何在进化中发生的。 更广泛的影响这个项目将给本科生和研究生，以及来自科学领域代表性不足的学生，学习科学伦理的机会，同时接受培训，进行研究和利用最现代的生物化学技术。 洛约拉大学芝加哥有一个悠久的传统，给予机会和鼓励社会各界，使他们可以从科学中受益，并成为其中的一部分。因为它是重要的，教育公众有关的发现在进化，一个网站将设计在实验室张贴这项研究的结论。它将专门针对公众，并使用简单的语言，旨在让公众吸收这些概念。