Chalcone-isomerase
protein holds much promise of economic benefit
A curious twist in a family of plant
proteins called chalcone-isomerase recently was discovered by Salk Institute
for Biological Studies scientist Joseph Noel and colleagues at Iowa State
University led by Eve Wurtele.
Pursuing basic scientific discovery,
they found three similar proteins that could soon translate into positive
results for bio-renewable fuels, commodity chemicals like plastics, food
security and nutrition and biomedicine.
The findings, reported May 13 in the
advance online publication of the journal Nature, may lead to higher-yield
crops and quantities of oils, help to address growing world demands for food
and fuel, and mitigate environmental pressures on stressed ecosystems.
Researchers long wondered about the
origin and action of the chalcone-isomerase. They knew it played a key role in
producing flavonoids--compounds important to plants for many reasons, including
defense as natural sunscreens and antibiotics, as well as attraction of
pollinators and development.
Flavonoids are also seen as valuable in
disease prevention agents as "nutraceuticals" and in plant-rich diets
employed in fighting cancer and other age-related diseases.
Looking into the evolution of the plant
protein, the researchers discovered three chalcone-isomerase
"cousins" that bind fatty acids.
"This is a beautiful study
demonstrating that chalcone-isomerase arose from another important class of
proteins, which have no enzymatic activity but bind fatty acids," said
Greg Warr, acting deputy director of the National Science Foundation's Division
of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, which funded the study.
"The findings may have important
implications for agriculture and biofuel development."
Researchers found the chalcone-isomerase
cousins clustered in something called chloroplasts, specialized parts of a cell
that serve as the engines of photosynthesis, but are also the key place for
making essential fatty acids, including omega-3 fatty acids.
Fatty acids, such as omega-3s, are as
important to both plant and human well-being as the flavonoids. Noel and
colleagues' research shows that bringing about changes in the genes that
encoded for the chalcone-isomerase cousins produced reproductive changes in
plants.
Bringing about changes in the genes for
this protein family had an effect on seed oil content, something vital for the
energy stores of the plant embryo but also for human nutrition and new kinds of
renewable fuels.
As the benefits of over a decade of
basic research on chalcone-isomerase are reaped, biologists look forward to
opening the door for bio-engineers. Armed with the structures of the four
proteins, bio-engineers will be able to adjust the plant cellular factory for
fatty acid production to the advantage and benefit of agriculture as well as
the fields of renewable energy, biorenewable chemicals and biomedicine.
-NSF-
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