Current position
Research Fellow
Research interests
My research focuses on the genetic manipulation of Rubisco, the
central CO2-fixing enzyme of photosynthesis.
This research integrates aspects of plant molecular genetics,
protein engineering, biochemistry and physiology.
CHLOROPLAST TRANSFORMATION by biolistic bombardment
Photosynthesis and plant growth
We are transforming the tobacco chloroplast genome with altered
or foreign Rubiscos and assessing the biochemical and physiological
consequences of the engineered changes. This work has allowed
us to test the mathematical models of photosynthesis and gain
valuable insight into post-translational processing and assembly
of proteins in the chloroplast.
Protein expression in chloroplasts
Plant biotechnology is turning its focus to transforming the genome
of chloroplasts because of the apparent immunity to genetic outcrossing
(the chloroplast genome is not transferred in the pollen) and
the potential for expressing large amounts of recombinant proteins.
We are using chloroplast transformation to elucidate the genetic
framework necessary for enhancing stable translation and assembly
of recombinant proteins in chloroplasts.
Other research interests
- Studying the natural variation in structure and function of
Rubiscos from algae
- Expression of recombinant foreign proteins in Escherichia
coli, cyanobacteria and marine dinoflagellates
- Inorganic carbon fixation by Rubisco in dinoflagellate algae
that are symbiotic with corals and giant clams (collaborative
research with A/Prof David Yellowlees, JCUNQ and Prof Ove Hoegh-Guldberg,
UQ).
Selected Publications
Andrews, T.J. and Whitney, S.M. (2003) Manipulating rubisco in
the chloroplasts of higher plants. (Review) Archieves of Biochemistry
and Biophysics 414: 159-169.
Whitney, S.M. and Andrews, T.J (2001) Plastome-encoded bacterial
ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) supports
photosynthesis and growth in tobacco. Proceeding of the National
Academy of Sciences 98: 14738-14743.
Whitney, S. M. and T. J. Andrews (2001) The gene for the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate
carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) small subunit relocated to the
plastid genome of tobacco directs the synthesis of small subunits
that assemble into Rubisco. Plant Cell 13: 193-205.
Whitney, S. M., P. Baldet, et al. (2001). Form I Rubiscos from
non-green algae are expressed abundantly but not assembled in
tobacco chloroplasts. Plant Journal 26: 535-547.
Whitney,S.M., von Caemmerer,S., Hudson,G.S. and Andrews,T.J.
(1999) Directed mutation of the Rubisco large subunit of tobacco
influences photorespiration and growth. Plant Physiology 121;
579-588.
Return
to Molecular Plant Physiology Group
Back to top
|
