Molecular Visualization Laboratory (BIOL4450): Unveiling the Sweet Secret - UGT Proteins, the Unsung Heroes Behind Sweetening Your Coffee
Disciplines
Biochemistry | Food Chemistry | Molecular Biology | Plant Biology | Science and Mathematics Education | Structural Biology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
As the increasing sugar consumption threatens human health through cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, finding an natural alternative to artificially added sugars is of significant interest. Stevia is a staple in grocery stores because it is 50-400 times sweeter than sucrose and contains virtually no calories. Stevia rebaudiana is a plant native to Paraguay and Brazil that has become a prime interest for research due to its natural sweetening properties. These factors have made it a crucial aide in the fight against obesity and type II diabetes. Plants that are considered natural sweeteners undergo a biosynthetic pathway in order to become sweet. The biosynthesis of steviol glycosides, the natural sweeteners present in Stevia rebaudiana, involves key uridine diphosphate (UDP)-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs), with UGT76G1 being crucial in producing rebaudioside A (Reb A). Reb A, a glucoside comprising about 5% of stevia leaf extracts, lacks the bitter aftertaste and is synthesized from the alcohol steviol by four glycosylation steps, catalyzed by UGTs. In stevia, four key UGTs (i.e., UGT85C2, UGT74G1, UGT91D2, and UGT76G1) catalyze the glycosylation of Stevia’s metabolites, improving their solubility and bioactivity. In the Molecular Visualization Laboratory (BIOL4450), through the use of 3D modeling, 3D printing, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), the structure of UGT76G1 can be better understood, particularly in how this key enzyme interacts with its ligands, UDP and Reb A. Understanding the 3D structure and function of SrUGTs has broader implications for plant-based pharmaceuticals, potentially enabling the engineering of steviol biosynthesis pathways to produce tailored stevia sweetener variants and the identification of other branched chain-forming glycosyltransferases. This knowledge could lead to new Stevia products with enhanced bioavailability and activity, improving the production of high-intensity sweeteners for commercial use.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Molecular and Cellular Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dr. Soon Goo Lee
Molecular Visualization Laboratory (BIOL4450): Unveiling the Sweet Secret - UGT Proteins, the Unsung Heroes Behind Sweetening Your Coffee
As the increasing sugar consumption threatens human health through cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, finding an natural alternative to artificially added sugars is of significant interest. Stevia is a staple in grocery stores because it is 50-400 times sweeter than sucrose and contains virtually no calories. Stevia rebaudiana is a plant native to Paraguay and Brazil that has become a prime interest for research due to its natural sweetening properties. These factors have made it a crucial aide in the fight against obesity and type II diabetes. Plants that are considered natural sweeteners undergo a biosynthetic pathway in order to become sweet. The biosynthesis of steviol glycosides, the natural sweeteners present in Stevia rebaudiana, involves key uridine diphosphate (UDP)-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs), with UGT76G1 being crucial in producing rebaudioside A (Reb A). Reb A, a glucoside comprising about 5% of stevia leaf extracts, lacks the bitter aftertaste and is synthesized from the alcohol steviol by four glycosylation steps, catalyzed by UGTs. In stevia, four key UGTs (i.e., UGT85C2, UGT74G1, UGT91D2, and UGT76G1) catalyze the glycosylation of Stevia’s metabolites, improving their solubility and bioactivity. In the Molecular Visualization Laboratory (BIOL4450), through the use of 3D modeling, 3D printing, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), the structure of UGT76G1 can be better understood, particularly in how this key enzyme interacts with its ligands, UDP and Reb A. Understanding the 3D structure and function of SrUGTs has broader implications for plant-based pharmaceuticals, potentially enabling the engineering of steviol biosynthesis pathways to produce tailored stevia sweetener variants and the identification of other branched chain-forming glycosyltransferases. This knowledge could lead to new Stevia products with enhanced bioavailability and activity, improving the production of high-intensity sweeteners for commercial use.