Dr. Grover is studying a key regulatory enzyme of plants adapted to a high temperature, low moisture environment. The CAM plants, commonly known as succulents, absorb carbon dioxide through stomata in their leaves only at night where temperatures are low and water loss through these leaf openings is minimized. Reactions of carbon fixation and metabolism are regulated on a diurnal basis and the enzyme PEP carboxylase plays a key role here. With the assistance of undergraduate students, Dr. Grover will determine how certain known "regulatory ligands" bind to and control the activity of this enzyme. He will probe the physical nature of the binding sites with chemical modification and labeling. This study will likely lead to knowledge of new regulatory mechanisms for enzymes of photosynthesis, an important payoff.
