Biochemical Genomics: Quizzing the Chemical Factories of Oilseeds

首席研究员：John Browse（华盛顿州立大学）；首席研究员：Edgar Cahoon和Jan Jaworski （Donald Danforth植物科学中心，二等奖）；John Ohlrogge（密歇根州立大学，二等奖）；John Shanklin（纽约州立大学，石溪和布鲁克海文国家实验室，二等奖）；这个项目的目标是利用基因组学进入基因和蛋白质的网络，这些基因和蛋白质控制着化学工厂，在种子中合成和积累新的脂肪酸。新酶功能的进化，以及其他生化和细胞生物学特性的共同进化，已经为种子油提供了数百种潜在有用的化学物质，包括本项目将要研究的羟基化脂肪酸、共轭脂肪酸和环丙烷脂肪酸。提供最佳途径功能所需的基因和蛋白质的详细描述将需要四种策略的综合部署：a)利用生物信息学和蛋白质工程研究和优化不寻常脂肪酸合成酶的活性。b)在油脂合成期间对采样的种子进行广泛测序，并使用功能基因组筛选来鉴定将新型脂肪酸纳入油脂所需的共同进化酶（和其他蛋白质功能）。c)对鉴定的蛋白进行生化分析，量化其在转基因植物中的表达对异常脂肪酸积累的贡献。d)分析膜中的蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用，以了解这些途径是如何物理组织的。最后，通过实验对积累的知识进行检验，利用多基因表达和途径工程，重构转基因植物的原生途径。从这个项目中得到的发现将使我们对合成新型种子油的途径如何进化的基本原理有一个了解。有关信息和结果可从该项目的网站获取：www.genomics.msu.edu/Oilseeds该项目的基本知识将有助于设计新一代特种作物，这些作物将成为未来的绿色工厂，为工业润滑油、溶剂油和生物柴油的生产提供支持。该项目将通过与圣路易斯科学中心的合作，帮助教育年轻学生和公众。在一个新的K-12学习实验室里，将开发动手实验，在主画廊里，将开发“植物作为绿色工厂”的展览。通过该项目的REU计划，该计划将继续特别努力包括代表性不足的群体，本科生将参与多学科研究项目，将植物基因组学与生物化学结合起来，解决复杂但令人兴奋的挑战。

PI: John Browse (Washington State University)CoPIs: Edgar Cahoon and Jan Jaworski (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; subawardees), John Ohlrogge (Michigan State University; subawardee), John Shanklin (SUNY, Stony Brook and Brookhaven National Laboratory; subawardee)Key Collaborator: Chaofu Lu (Montana State University; subawardee)The goal of this project is to use genomics to access the network of genes and proteins that operate chemical factories to synthesize and accumulate novel fatty acids in seeds. Evolution of new enzyme functions, together with the co-evolution of additional biochemical and cell biological traits, has provided hundreds of potentially useful chemicals in seed oils, including the hydroxylated, conjugated and cyclopropane fatty acids to be studied in this project. Providing a detailed description of genes and proteins required for optimal pathway function will require the integrated deployment of four strategies: a) Investigate and optimize the activities of enzymes for unusual fatty acid synthesis using bioinformatics and protein engineering. b) Carry out extensive sequencing of seeds sampled through the period of oil synthesis, and use functional genomic screens to identify co-evolved enzymes (and other protein functions) required for incorporation of the novel fatty acid into the oil. c) Perform biochemical analysis of the identified proteins and quantify their contributions to the accumulation of unusual fatty acids through expression in transgenic plants. d) Analyze protein-protein interactions in membranes to gain insight how these pathways are physically organized. Finally, the accumulated knowledge will be tested through experiments to reconstruct the native pathways in transgenic plants using expression of multiple genes and pathway engineering. The discoveries that result from this project will yield an understanding of the underlying principles of how pathways evolved for the synthesis of novel seed oils. Information and results will be available from the project website: www.genomics.msu.edu/Oilseeds The basic knowledge from this project will enable the design of a new generation of specialty crops that will become the green factories of the future, providing for the production of industrial lubicants, solvent oils and biodiesel. The project will help to educate young students and the general public through collaboration with the St Louis Science Center. Hands-on experiments will be developed in a new K-12 Learning Lab, and in the main gallery, exhibits on "Plants as Green Factories" will be developed. Through the project's REU program, that will continue to make special efforts to include underrepresented groups, undergraduate students will participate in multi-disciplinary research projects that bring plant genomics together with biochemistry to solve complex but exciting challenges.