Plant cell wall biosynthesis and regulation - Naomi Geshi group

Bio-active biopolymers: Plant cell wall polysaccharides

 

Plant cell walls are composed of various. biopolymers  (polysaccharides). These biopolymers are not only important in plant growth and development, but as a renewable resource in industrial use, e.g., as bioethanol, food additives, etc. We are interested in understanding the biosynthesis of these biopolymers, its regulation, and the structure/function relationship of certain biopolymers.

 

We are currently focused on: 
Discovery of novel glycosyltranferases in plant cell wall biosynthesis

Gene discovery in polysaccharide modifying enzymes
Characterization of transporters

Protein-protein interaction in the polysaccharide biosynthesis
Production of functional polysaccharide: Gum arabic-variants

 

 

Recent publications

Liepman, A.H., Wightman, R., Geshi, N., Turner, S.R., Scheller, H.V. (2010) Arabidopsis – a powerful model system for plant cell wall research. Plant Journal 61: 1107-1121

 

Geshi, N., Petersen, B.L .,and Scheller, H.V. (2010) Towards tailored synthesis of functional polysaccharides in plants. In "Foods for Health in the 21st Centry: A Road Map for the Future". (Eds. ME Gershwin & MRC Greenwood). Book Series: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1190: 50-57.

 

Jensen, J.K., Sørensen, S.O., Harholt, J., Geshi, N., Sakuragi, Y., Møller, I., Zandleven, J., Bernal, A.J., Jensen, N.B., Sørensen, C., Pauly, M., Beldman, G., Willats, W.G.T. and Scheller H.V. (2008) Identification of a xylogalacturonan xylosyltransferase involved in pectin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell, 20(5):1289-1302.