Student of the Month (December 2008)
Name: Peter Bowerman (bowermpa at vt.edu)
Research project: Structural analysis of flavonoid biosynthetic enzyme interactions in Arabidopsis thaliana as a model for cellular organization
Advisor: Brenda Winkel
Departmental affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences
Anticipated defense date: 2009
Project description:
Posters at international meetings:
Manuscripts in preparation:
A key aspect of cellular metabolism is the assembly of biosynthetic enzymes into macromolecular complexes. Our lab utilizes the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana as a model for understanding the structural and functional aspects of this organization. Flavonoids are involved in a variety of functions within the plant, including UV protection and auxin transport, and are also of considerable interest for their phytonutrient and pharmaceutical properties. A number of in vitro experiments have provided evidence for the interaction of several flavonoid enzymes, suggesting that these interacting enzymes form metabolic multi-enzyme complexes. These complexes offer a number of potential advantages to the cell, including channeling of toxic intermediates and rapid catalysis of sequential reactions. My research interests center around three primary goals: 1) To confirm and kinetically-characterize interactions identified by yeast-2-hybrid analysis, using Surface Plasmon Resonance and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry; 2) to structurally characterize these interactions using Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass-Spectroscopy; and 3) to identify novel interactors using an Tandem Affinity Purification tagging approach in transgenic plants. These goals will allow for a more thorough understanding of how metabolism is dynamically regulated within cells, and may also generate new insights into other aspects of cellular biology with which flavonoid enzymes are involved.