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，将使用创新的生物化学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，情况并不总是如此。过去几年发现的大量新基因使我们有必要了解功能是如何进化的，以改进其预测。淀粉生物合成途径将作为一个实验系统，因为它的控制点-ADP-葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶是由基因编码的，这些基因似乎根据生物体的需要进化出不同的功能(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)表征不同但相关的ADP-葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶基因在植物中的作用，ii)使用统计分析来推断它们的祖先并通过人工合成来重建它们，以及iii)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发生在进化中的。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较低部门的学生提供学习科学伦理的机会，同时接受在生物化学中进行研究和利用最现代技术的培训。芝加哥洛约拉大学有着向社会各阶层提供机会和鼓励的悠久传统，使他们能够从科学中受益并成为科学的一部分。由于教育公众了解进化论的发现很重要，实验室将设计一个网站来发布这项研究的结论。它将特别针对普通公众，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.