| Abstract Detail
Metabolic Engineering Kong, Que [1], Pattanaik, Sitakanta [2], Xie, Claire H. [2], Naik, Soumendra K. [1], Yuan, Ling [3]. Understanding of the Functional Domains of Plant bHLH Transcription Factors. Key steps of biosynthetic pathways of plant secondary metabolites are regulated by multiple transcription factors (TFs). The ability to create single “master” TFs capable of regulating the expression of all genes in a particular pathway would be a powerful tool for metabolic pathway engineering. We have demonstrated that the transcriptional activity and promoter specificity of the bHLH TFs can be improved through directed protein evolution. TF variants with increased transactivational activity and broadened promoter specificity have been generated. Analysis of the genetic diversity of the evolved variants reveals the potential cooperation between functional domains of the bHLH TFs. Biochemical characterizations of the individual domains of maize bHLH TF Lc and its homologues have provided insights to the structure/function relationship of this family of TFs. Our study substantiates the potential of utilizing master TFs for regulation of important traits of plants.
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1 - University of Kentucky, Plant and Soil Sciences
2 - University of Kentucky, Plant and Soil Sciences / Kentucky Tobacco Research & Development Center
3 - University of Kentucky, , Plant and Soil Sciences / Kentucky Tobacco Research & Development Center, Cooper & University Drives, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
Keywords:
Plant transcription factors
bHLH transcription factor
Directed evolution.
Presentation Type: Plant Biology Abstract
Session: P
Location: Exhibit Hall (Northeast, Southwest & Southeast)/Hilton
Date: Sunday, July 8th, 2007
Time: 8:00 AM
Number: P43010
Abstract ID:2241 |
