From Genes to Lipid Polymers: Understanding Suberin Biosynthesis in Poplar

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Plants produce most of the biomass on earth, are our major source of food, and are increasingly becoming an important source of renewable fuels, chemicals and materials. However, the stability of our resource base is progressively at risk from stresses associated with climate change. In order to develop plants more resistant to stresses, we need to understand the adaptations that protect plants against stressors such as pathogens, salinity, and drought. Suberin, a polymerized lipid associated with waxes that modifies cell walls, is a ubiquitous adaptation that confers protection in higher plants. Suberin is a major component of the bark of trees and the main structure of cork from cork oaks, constituting a renewable raw material with unique properties that has been used for centuries. Although vitally important to the subsistence and performance of all agricultural and forestry species, there is a major gap in our understanding of suberin biosynthesis and structure. My NSERC Discovery research program will focus on identifying and characterizing novel genes and proteins involved in the synthesis and regulation of this protective surface barrier. We will study the effects of silencing and over-expressing these genes on the ability of plants to withstand environmental stressors. Ultimately, the transgenic plants/strategies we develop will help connect suberin biosynthesis and structure to biological function. This basic knowledge of suberin biosynthesis is crucial to devise innovative and environmentally safe strategies to improve plant resistance to biotic and climatic stresses. Furthermore, suberin and its associated waxes are composed of renewable hydrocarbons that are chemically suitable for replacement of petroleum products; thus, this fundamental knowledge of plant lipid polymers will allow the development of plants and microorganisms that produce large amounts of biopolymers or their precursors as sources of energy and chemical feedstocks. The proposed research will provide cutting-edge training of HQP in plant molecular biotechnology and analytical chemistry; this is a high demand career with numerous employment opportunities.