Evolutionary and structural analyses of plant cell wall synthesis-related glycosyltransferase family 43 and 2

Advisors: Yanbin Yin.Committee members: James R. Horn; Mitrick Johns; Thomas L. Sims.Plant cell wall polysaccharides have been a focus of research for many years mainly due to their potential as a lignocellulosic biofuel resource. An approach to realize this resource is genetically designing plants that are ideal for biofuel production. This requires manipulation of the enzymes that are involved in the synthesis of these polysaccharides. With an aim to improve the understanding of plant cell wall-related enzymes, this study documents a detailed evolutionary analysis and protein structural analyses focusing on two main families of glycosyltransferases as two separate chapters: GT43 involved in xylan backbone elongation and GT2 responsible for cellulose and many hemicelluloses biosynthesis. We have mined the genomic and transcriptomic data from various species ranging from early algae to flowering plants. A new algae specific clade of GT43 proteins has been reported. We also suggest a new naming method for GT43 clades. Protein structural modeling of two Arabidopsis GT43 proteins (AtIRX9 and AtIRX14) supports the possibility of protein-protein interaction between these two proteins. Predicted protein structure of a guar CslA protein presents the 3D spatial arrangement of the conserved motifs and other important residues.M.S. (Master of Science