Biochemical, proteomic and bioinformatic insights into Arabidopsis thaliana protein phosphatases

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Plants, like all other organisms, use proteins to do the majority of specific jobs inside cells. These jobs or roles can be structural, transport, storage and enzymatic, among others. Once made, protein function or activity is often controlled by specific modifications such as the covalent addition of other functional moieties, like phosphoryl groups. The addition and removal of phosphoryl groups on proteins is a regulatory mechanism called protein phosphorylation. The enzymes that add and remove these phosphoryl groups are known as protein kinases and protein phosphatases. The focus of my research program is to elucidate the specific roles and regulation of the protein phosphatases. Protein phosphatases are enzymes or catalytic engines, that by association with other proteins gain specificity in their jobs. This proposal will use biochemical, molecular biology and proteomic methods, including mass spectrometry, to identify these protein phosphatase interacting proteins. We will also employ bioinformatic methods to identify the protein phosphatases in other organisms so that we can resolve the evolutionary history of these complex enzymes. These goals will be accomplished by using a model plant species called Arabidopsis thaliana.