CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF LIGNIN BIOSYNTHETIC ENZYMES

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 木质素是沉积在植物次生细胞壁中的酚类聚合物，为植物提供结构支撑、抗生物降解和水分运输等基本性质。这些聚合物衍生自三种化学上不同的单体前体的一组不同的键。 对单纤维素生物合成酶肉桂酰辅酶A还原酶（CCR）、松柏醛醇脱氢酶（CAD）和芥子醛醇脱氢酶（SAD）的深入结构研究将揭示对木质素形成至关重要的酶特异性的关键细节。 此外，从这些关键酶的结构解析中获得的知识将证明对于合理的方法来工程化木质素生物合成途径以合成新型单木质素是至关重要的。由于这一途径的底物和产物的微妙化学变化，同步加速器X射线源将被证明是必不可少的，以确定必要的高分辨率结构，以揭示monoleanol生物合成的机理细节。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Lignins are phenolic polymers that are deposited in the secondary cell wall of plants, providing plants with such essential properties as structural support, resistance to biodegradation, and water transport. These polymers are derived from a diverse set of linkages of three chemically distinct monolignol precursors. An intensive structural investigation of monolignol biosynthetic enzymes, cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR), coniferaldehyde alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), and sinapaldehyde alcohol dehydrogenase (SAD), will reveal key details of enzymatic specificity crucial to lignin formation. In addition, knowledge gained from structural elucidation of these key enzymes will prove critical for a rational approach to engineering of the lignin biosynthetic pathway to synthesize novel monolignols. Due to the subtle chemical variations in substrates and products of this pathway, a synchrotron X-ray source will prove essential for determining high resolution structures necessary to reveal mechanistic details of monolignol biosynthesis.