U.S.-France Cooperative Research: Changing a Plant Beta-Oxygen-Glucosidase to a Beta-Sulfur-Glucosidase or Vice Versa

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

9910088 Esen This three-year award for U.S.-France cooperative research in plant biochemistry involves Asim Esen and David R. Bevan of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Bernard Henrissat and Mirjam Czjzek of the Macromolecular Biology Laboratory in Marseilles, France. They will collaborate on the crystal structure and the structure-function relationships of beta-glucosidases a widespread plant enzyme. The investigators have chosen maize beta glucosidase and white mustard myrosinase as model systems because these enzymes exhibit subtle substrate and bond specificity. Using domain-swapping, site-directed mutagenesis and x-ray crystallography in combination with 3-D structure determination and modeling, the investigators propose to understand the mechanism of the enzymes' substrate and bond specificity. The project takes advantage of French expertise in crystallography and will advance fundamental understanding of the biochemical and physiological processes in which beta glucosidases are involved. Because these enzymes are found in many plants, basic knowledge about their structure and function may have practical importance to enzyme engineering in general and to applied research on biomass conversion, plant productivity and defense. This award will support the incremental costs of this international collaboration; that is, the travel to Marseilles, France and subsistence expenses of the U.S. investigators, postdoctoral researcher and graduate students.