Cell wall biology and bioengineering - Peter Ulvskov group

The group forms part of the Copenhagen Cell Wall Group, and its main interest is in the area of cell wall polysaccharide and proteoglycan biosynthesis and bioengineering. The interest in biosynthesis comprises genome-wide analysis of glycosyltransferase repertoires of both algae and vascular plans. Focused, biochemical approaches regard family GT77 enzymes involved in rhamnogalacturonan-II and extensin biosynthesis.

Applied aspects comprise industrial uses of rhamnogalacturonan-I, both biomedical and food related. An applied aspect of our work with O-glycosylation of extensins regards engineering human style O-glycosylation into plants and thus develop a plant based production system for therapeutic proteins. Our general interest in valuable traits that depend on cell wall architecture or metabolism presently focuses on engineering of biofuel crop plants for 2nd generation bioethanol technology.

 

Pattern of expression of KOR3, a membrane anchored glucanase involved in cellulose synthesis. From Mølhøj et al (2001) PMB 46: 263-275

 

Selected publications
Vogel JP and The International Brachypodium Initiative (2010) Genome sequencing and analysis of the model grass Brachypodium distachyon. Nature 463: 763-768

 

Morant M, Ekstrøm C, Ulvskov P, Kristensen C, Rudemo M, Olsen C, Hansen J, Jørgensen K, Jørgensen B, Møller B, Bak S. (2010) Metabolomic, transcriptional, hormonal, and signaling crosstalk in Superroot2. Mol Plant 3: 192 – 211

 

Østergaard, L., Borkhardt, B., Ulvskov, P. (2007) Dehiscence. In: "Pant Cell Separation and Adhesion" (Jeremy Roberts & Zinnia Gonzalez-Carranza eds.) Blackwell.

 

Ulvskov P. Wium, H, Bruce D, Jørgensen B, Bruun Qvist K, Skjøt M Hepworth DM, Borkhardt B, Sørensen S (2005) Biophysical consequences of remodeling the neutral side chains of rhamnogalacturonan I in tubers of transgenic potatoes. Planta 220 (4): 609-620.