Dirigent Proteins: Unraveling their Unique Biochemical Mechanism

我们对世界各地奇妙的植物多样性的依赖表现在许多方面，无论是作为食物、建筑结构材料和纤维的来源，还是作为日常使用的中间体、特种化学品和药用化学品。特别重要的是了解植物是如何产生这些有价值的植物天然产物和材料的，这些产物和材料是通过所谓的自由基化学，在它们的生化转化中通过高活性中间体产生的。随着Dirigent protein（拉丁语，dirigere，引导或排列）的发现，这些非凡的生物化学进化的一个关键途径最近得到了确认。通过这种方式，植物不仅产生一些自然界最重要的化合物，如用于植物防御的木脂素，而且还产生其他被人类高度重视和广泛使用的化合物。在该项目中，将研究这些显著的蛋白质如何行使和支配对高活性自由基化学物质的控制。这需要使用世界上最先进的仪器来探测直接蛋白质结构和作用机制，包括最先进的核磁共振技术。通过这种方式，确定它们的结构和阐明这些蛋白质如何进行这些显著的转化将成为可能。人们普遍认为，促肽具有独特的生化机制，目前迫切需要全面揭示其潜在的关键细节。另一个重点将是利用获得的信息提供一种新的蛋白质来源，从棉籽，能够满足850万人每天的食物需求，通过更好地了解这些显著的自由基化学在直接蛋白质介导的转换。广泛的影响项目活动也致力于帮助解决社会挑战，为感兴趣的学生在他们发展的各个阶段（高中，本科生和研究生，博士后）提供必要的曝光，以激励下一代（包括各种少数群体）追求科学事业。因此，该方法包括通过实习提供全面和多样化的研究经验，并使他们接触到生命科学领域的不同机会。课程将特别强调让学生了解科学领域的快速技术发展，这些技术发展将从植物科学到计算机科学/生物信息学等各个学科无缝地联系在一起。这将包括他们参与鼓舞人心的研究项目和一对一的指导。将以向高中、各种公共集会、工业、科学中心、联邦和州代表团以及许多不同类型的国际集会的形式，支持进一步发挥科学在世界范围内的重要作用。

Intellectual MeritOur reliance upon the wonderful diversity of plant life worldwide is manifested in many ways, whether as sources of foodstuffs, structural building materials and fibers, or intermediate, specialty, and medicinal chemicals for everyday use. Of particular importance is to understand how plants produce many of these valuable plant natural products and materials generated via intermediacy of highly reactive intermediates in their biochemical conversions, through so-called free radical chemistries. A key way in which these remarkable biochemistries evolved was recently identified, with the discovery of Dirigent Proteins (Latin, dirigere, to guide or align). In this way, plants produce not only some of nature's most important compounds, such as lignans for plant defense, but also others highly valued and widely used by humanity. In the project, how these remarkable proteins exercise and dictate control over the highly reactive free radical chemistries will be investigated. This requires technologies using the most advanced instrumentation worldwide to probe dirigent protein structures and mechanisms of action, including state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. In this way, both their structure determinations and elucidation of how these proteins carry out these remarkable conversions will be enabled. It is generally accepted that the dirigent proteins have an unique biochemical mechanism, and it is now urgent to comprehensively unravel the underlying key details. Another emphasis will be to use the information gained to provide a new protein source, from cottonseed, able to satisfy food requirements for 8.5 million people daily through better understanding of these remarkable free radical chemistries in dirigent protein mediated conversions.Broad impactProject activities are also deeply committed to helping solve societal challenges by providing the needed exposure of interested students at all stages of their development (high school, undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctorals), in order to inspire this upcoming generation (including various minority groups) to pursue a science career. The approach thus includes providing comprehensive and varied research experiences through internships and exposing them to different opportunities in the Life Sciences. In particular, emphasis will be given to exposure of students to the rapid technological developments that have occurred in science, which seamlessly link various disciplines ranging from plant sciences to computer science/bioinformatics. This will include their participation in inspirational research projects and one-on-one mentoring. Support to further the important role of science worldwide will be made in the form of presentations/workshops/lectures to high schools, various public gatherings, industry, science centers, federal and state delegations, as well as through international gatherings of many different types.