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

在这个项目中，分子进化将使用创新的生化实验来补充传统的研究。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，功能是从结构推断出来的，但在分子水平上并非总是如此。在过去几年中发现的大量新基因使我们有必要了解功能是如何进化的，以便改进其预测。淀粉生物合成途径将被用作实验系统，因为其控制点adp -葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶是由基因编码的，这些基因似乎根据生物体的需要进化出了不同的功能（催化和调节）。为了了解该基因家族的功能进化，该项目将：1)描述不同但相关的adp -葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶基因在植物中的作用，2)使用统计分析来推断它们的祖先并通过人工合成重建它们，3)在体外将催化亚基转化为调节亚基，试图了解这一过程是如何在进化中发生的。更广泛的影响该项目将为本科生和研究生以及来自科学领域代表性不足的学生提供学习科学伦理的机会，同时训练他们进行研究并利用最现代的生物化学技术。芝加哥洛约拉大学有着悠久的传统，为社会各界提供机会和鼓励，使他们能够从科学中受益，并成为科学的一部分。由于向公众宣传进化论的发现是很重要的，因此将在实验室设计一个网站来发布这项研究的结论。它将专门针对普通公众，并将使用简单的语言，目的是让公众吸收这些概念。

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.