ASGSB 1998 Annual Meeting Abstracts

[83]
DIRIGENT PROTEINS. TISSUE SPECIFIC EXPRESSION OF GENES AND SUBCELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF ENZYMES.   V. Burlat, M. Kwon, L.B. Davin and N.G. Lewis. Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6340.

The dirigent protein controlling outcome of stereoselective coupling of E-coniferyl alcohol gives pinoresinol (as its (+)- or (–)-antipode, according to the species).¹ Its genes for each of these proteins/enzymes have been cloned, and the recombinant proteins expressed in functional form. This provided the opportunity to clearly establish whether monolignol coupling and subsequent metabolic events involved in lignin and lignan formation differed biochemically, temporally and spatially. Accordingly, a combination of tissue printing, in situ hybridization and immunolabeling studies were carried out in order to define the tissue specific expression of these genes as well as the subcellular localization of the corresponding proteins/enzymes. Results were compared with those obtained with immunoprobes directed against different synthetic lignin polymers,² concerning the specific ultrastructural localization of different types of lignins.

REFERENCES

1. Davin, L.B.; Wang, H.-B.; Crowell, A.L; Bedgar, D.L.; Martin, D.M.; Sarkanen, S.; Lewis, N.G. Stereoselective Bimolecular Phenoxy Radical Coupling by an Auxiliary (Dirigent) Protein Without an Active Center, Science, 275 : 362-366, 1997.

2. Burlat, V., Ambert, K.; Ruel, K.; Joseleau, J.-P. Relationship between the Nature of Lignin and the Morphology of Degradation Performed by White-rot Fungi, Plant Physiol. Biochem., 35(8) : 645-654, 1997.

(Supported by NASA: NAG100164)

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