Phytohormone Transport

Hussam Hassan Nour-Eldin

We study members of the NPF family, which has emerged as a long sought family of transporters for plant specialized metabolites. In vitro, we express transporters in the Xenopus oocyte model system and combine electrophysiology with highly sensitive LCMS based transport assays to determine substrate specificities, kinetics, mechanism and stoichiometry. The knowledge gained guides phenotypical analyses and localization studies in vivo to determine physiological roles of new NPF transporters. Through our research, we aim to increase our understanding of transport processes involved in phytohormone signaling pathways, which enable plants to perceive, integrate and respond to external stimuli, such as changes in water availability or herbivore attacks. Moreover, we want to understand how plants dynamically control allocation of defense compounds to defend tissues with highest fitness value.

 

  • Unravelling Phytohormone transport in plants - the black box of phytohormone transport - who are the players and what is the physiological role of phytohormone transport? We believe that increased knowledge on phytohormone transport contains a key to developing novel approaches to improve plant performance.

  • Transport engineering in AgBiotech - the dynamic allocation of anti-nutritional defense compounds- Which transporter families are involved? What is the physiological role of the transporters involved? We believe that the knowledge gained can be used improving palatability and nutritional value of edible parts without compromising plant fitness.

  • Trophic conversion of microalgae – the subcellular partitioning of carbohydrate metabolism - Why are many microalgae unable to grow on extracellular sugar? We believe that the answer to this question can help establish high biomass-yielding microalgae cultivation for food production.

  • Transport engineering in Synthetic biology – realizing the emerging potential of transport engineering – how do we find transporters of plant specialized metabolism for synthetic biology? Which properties are desirable? We believe that establishing a transport engineering platform is a prerequisite for unleashing the potential of synthetic biology approaches aimed at mass-producing high value plant specialized metabolites.
  • Structure-function elucidation of NPF– A family with an enigmatically diverse substrate spectrum provides ideal model system to unravel molecular determinants of transport properties- how can a common overall structure accommodate transport of such a diverse array of substrate with different chemical structures? We believe that unlocking the structure function secrets of the NPF family will provide tools to engineer the properties of individual transport proteins to better serve our biotechnological needs.

 

 

NOVOCrops – Identification of transporters of antinutritional plant natural compounds in 3 crops to allow tissue specific removal without compromising plant fitness

Transport engineering technology for Biotech (TET4BIOTECH) – Identification and optimization of transport processes to enable uptake of precursors and export of final products to alleviate toxicity and feedback inhibition in yeast strains engineered to produce valuable plant natural products

Breaking the yield barrier in microalgae cultivation -  Using C.reihardtii as a case study, we seek to establish heterotrophic growth on external sources of glucose and understand why many microalgae are not able to grow on external sugar.

Phytohormone transport in plants – Using a combination of functional and phenotypic screens we seek to unravel the phytohormone transportome in plants and characterize physiological roles. M

Identifying ABCC6 transporter substrate preventing vascular calcification  - Establishing method for deorphanizing the ABCC6 transporter, which is the only causative gene associated with PXE - a rare genetic disease leading to calcification of elastic fibers.

Understanding molecular determinants of substrate specificity in the NPF – using the three glucosinolate transporters (GTR1-3) as model system we use bioinformatics and mutational analyses to understand the molecular basis for distinct substrate preferences.

 

 

Novo Nordisk Foundation - Breaking the yield barrier to enable cost-efficient cultivation of microalgae  2019 - May 2023 (3 mill. DKK)

Human Frontier Science Program , 2020 - June 2024 (10 mill. DKK)

Novocrops: Accelerated domestication of resilient climate-change friendly plant species - 2020 - 2025 (5,6 mill DKK)

Ascending Investigator, Novo Nordisk Foundation,  1 Sept. 2023 - 31 Aug. 2028  (10 mill. DKK)

Exploratory interdisciplinary synergy grant, Novo Nordisk Foundation,  June 2023 - May 2026 (4 mill. DKK)

Carlsberg foundation infrastructure,  2023 (300.000 DKK)

 

 

Christa Kanstrup, postdoc
Zeinu Mussa Belew, postdoc
Harsh Yadav, PhD student
Victor de Prado Parralejo, PhD student
Antonina Karakostova, PhD student
Marius Secher Pedersen, Research Assistant
Melanie Funch, MSc student
Andrey Belinskiy, MSc student
Louise Svenningsen, Laboratory Technician
Eva Højgaard Jensen, Lab assistant