Molecular modeling of the effects of mutant alleles on chalcone synthase protein structure.

Chalcone synthase (CHS) catalyzes the first committed step in flavonoid biosynthesis, a major pathway of plant secondary metabolism. An allelic series for the Arabidopsis CHS locus, tt4, was previously characterized at the gene, protein, and end-product levels. In an effort to deduce the molecular basis for the observed phenotypes, homology models were generated for five of the tt4 proteins based on the crystal structure of CHS2 from Medicago.

Metabolic channeling in plants.

The organization of cooperating enzymes into macromolecular complexes is a central feature of cellular metabolism. A major advantage of such spatial organization is the transfer of biosynthetic intermediates between catalytic sites without diffusion into the bulk phase of the cell. This so-called "metabolic channeling" offers unique opportunities for enhancing and regulating cellular biochemistry.

A luciferase-based method for assessing chlorine-susceptibility of Mycobacterium avium.

A rapid and quantitative assay for the disinfection of the water-borne pathogen, Mycobacterium avium, was developed using firefly luciferase as a reporter gene. There was a correlation between the quantity of light produced and the number of colony-forming units. In chlorine-disinfection studies of a luciferase-carrying derivative of M.