Location: Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research
Project Number: 3042-21220-034-003-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2023
End Date: May 31, 2026
Objective:
1. The proposed research will develop increased production of anthocyanins in panicoid grasses as biobased products through a holistic approach. Determine substrate specificity and kinetic parameters of sorghum anthocyanin enzymes (Objective 1). Determine the structures of anthocyanin biosynthetic enzymes through X-ray crystallography to identify functionally critical amino acid residues (Objective 2). Validate the function of critical amino acid residues using activity assays with recombinant proteins (Objective 3). Determine the expression of paralogous genes encoding the enzymes involved in anthocyanins and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins biosynthetic through sorghum tissue culture (Objective 4).
Approach:
ARS will develop and evaluate sorghums altered in anthocynanin biosynthesis from existing mutants and transgenic overexpression lines. ARS will participate in the characterization crosses enzyme in this pathway, and the analyses of expression and function in sorghum and maize tissues. This research will identify ways to elevate anthocyanin biosynthesis as a biobased product for a range of applications.
