In this project, molecular evolution will be studied using innovative biochemical experiments to complement traditional studies. The focus will be the evolution of "function" rather than merely the evolution of "structure". In traditional evolutionary studies, function is inferred from structure, but at the molecular level this is not always the case. The vast number of new genes found in the last few years creates the necessity to understand how function evolves in order to improve its prediction. The starch biosynthetic pathway will be used as an experimental system because its control point, the ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase enzyme, is encoded by genes, which seem to have evolved different functions (catalytic and regulatory) according to the requirements of the organism. To understand the functional evolution of this gene family, the project will: I) characterize the role of different but related ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase genes in plants, II) use statistical analyses to deduce their ancestors and recreate them by artificial synthesis, and III) convert catalytic subunits to regulatory subunits in vitro to try and understand how this process occurred in evolution.
Broader impact
This project will give undergraduate and graduate students, as well as students from underrepresented sectors in science, the opportunity to learn the ethics of science, while being trained to perform research and utilize the most modern techniques in biochemistry. Loyola University Chicago has a long tradition of giving opportunities and encouragement to all sectors of the society so that they may benefit from science and be a part of it. Since it is important to educate the public about findings in evolution, a web site will be designed in the laboratory to post the conclusions of this research. It will target, specifically, the general public and will use simple language with the intention that the public assimilate the concepts.
