Devon Birdseye, Ph.D.
Computational Biologist
With specialization in molecular biology, genetics, and multi-omics analyses, I am passionate about empowering research through compelling visuals and bridging the gap between data and discovery.
Curriculum Vitae
Project 3: Characterization of a predicted glycosyltransferase enzyme
High-performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) analysis of mutants
I found that overexpression of GSL in Arabidopsis resulted in plants with a 30% increase in accumulated galactose, while the loss-of-function mutant had a 20% reduction in galactose accumulation. Cell wall galactose content of the quadruple loss-of-function mutant in GALS1-3 and GSL was not significantly different from that of the GALS triple mutant, indicating GSL may act in the same pathway of GALS. Co-overexpression of GSL and GALS1 resulted in plants with 75% higher total cell wall galactose compared to plants overexpressing GALS1 alone, suggesting a non-redundant molecular function. The plants had no obvious growth phenotype. Stacking GALS1 and GSL overexpression could allow for engineering of feedstocks with a greater proportion of the easily-fermentable C6 sugars.
Figure 1. HPAEC analysis of cell wall material from Arabidopsis leaves, showing the molar percentage of sugar content in each genotype.
Figure 2. HPAEC analysis of cell wall material from Arabidopsis leaves, showing the molar percentage of sugar content. Data represent averages of seven biological replicates. Error bars represent standard deviations.