Author : Jillian E. Collins
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 224 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (662 download)
Book Synopsis The Role of Small Rubber Particle Proteins in Rubber Biosynthesis by : Jillian E. Collins
Download or read book The Role of Small Rubber Particle Proteins in Rubber Biosynthesis written by Jillian E. Collins and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The importance of natural rubber is evident by the fact that it is a natural commodity that is necessary in the manufacturing of thousands of products. Natural rubber (cis -1,4-polyisoprene) is produced in a side branch of the isoprenoid mevalonate pathway, and in all rubber producing plants, it is synthesized in cytosolic vesicles known as rubber particles. Because the proteins that are involved are membrane bound, classic biochemical methods have failed to identify the exact proteins needed for rubber biosynthesis. The rubber transferase is a membrane bound enzyme responsible for elongation of the polymer molecule. Several proteins thought to be the rubber transferase, or proteins associated with the rubber particle membrane and thought to be involved in the rubber transferase complex have been assessed over the past 20 years, including the small rubber particle protein (SRPP). However, there has been a lack of in vivo evidence corroborating in vitro results that have suggested a function in rubber biosynthesis for most of these candidates. The aim of this study is to develop a system to functionally identify and characterize genes/proteins responsible for rubber biosynthesis. Taraxacum kok-saghyz, or Russian dandelion, provides a strong system to study rubber biosynthesis because it produces rubber of similar quality to Hevea brasiliensis, and it is amenable to transformation and greenhouse work and study. Several Russian dandelion SRPPs have been identified in a dandelion root cDNA library. Three of the five SRPPs were also tightly associated with dandelion rubber particles. Transgenic Russian dandelion lines were generated by over-expressing and knocking down the most abundant dandelion SRPP, TKS SRPP1. Results presented here show that SRPP not only influences rubber content in dandelion root, but also has an effect on rubber molecular weight. Broader impacts include using this knowledge to genetically engineer an ideal domestic source of natural rubber.