Organic/CBS Seminar

About the event

Speaker: Min Wang

Group: ChulHee Kang

Title: The structure and function of critical enzymes in the flavonoid pathway of Sorghum bicolor

Abstract:

Sorghum is a widely grown plant that is used for food, alcohol, livestock feed, and biofuels. The flavonoid pathway in sorghum is a metabolic pathway responsible for the biosynthesis of flavonoids, a group of secondary metabolites with various functions in plants, including pigmentation, UV protection, defense against pathogens, and antioxidant activity. Flavonoids are also important for the nutritional and health properties for human. The biosynthesis of flavonoids is linked to the phenylpropanoid pathway where phenylalanine is converted into p-coumaroyl CoA by a series of enzymes. The p-coumaroyl CoA is converted into flavanones by chalcone synthase (CHS) and chalcone isomerase (CHI). The flavanones are then converted into various classes of flavonoids by the sequential activities of flavonoid-3-hydroxylase(F3H), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), and anthocyanidin reductase (ANR). Understanding the structure and function of these enzymes and how the active site and substrate pocket act on the target compound in the flavonoid pathway has implications for potential applications of sorghum in improving its nutritional content, stress resistance, and other agronomic traits.