We are interested in the biochemistry and physiology of certain metabolites which are essential in the human diet. In particular, two pathways are the focus of our research, the shikimate pathway (the pathway through which all of the aromatic compounds are made e.g. aromatic amino acids, flavonoids, quinones) and the vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) biosynthesis pathway. Both pathways are exclusively found in microorganisms (archaea, eubacteria, fungi) and plants. The absence of these pathways’ in animals means that specific key proteins may provide novel drug targets for the development of antimicrobials, antifungicides and herbicides. Development of a species specific reagent requires “local” knowledge of the target pathway in a particular organism. As more and more full genome sequences become available and as we decipher more information on individual organisms, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the “one size fits all” hypothesis is far from universal and is more complex than originally thought. One example is that of vitamin B6 biosynthesis which has classically been studied in the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. Recently, it has become apparent that the pathway in E.coli is in fact an exception and most other organisms (including all archaea, fungi and plants) possess a different pathway for the biosynthesis of this vitamin (Ehrenshaft et al (1999) PNAS 96, 9374-8) which is currently being deciphered. Given the importance of this vitamin in the human diet, it being involved in more bodily functions than any other single nutrient, it is imperative to understand how it is made, especially in the source organisms from which we derive it. In addition, it has been shown very recently that this vitamin is a potent antioxidant, a role previously thought to apply only to the vitamins, C and E (Ehrenshaft et al (1999) PNAS 96, 9374-8).In this context, various model organisms are employed in our laboratory to answer a fundamental question, “how conserved are metabolic pathways between organisms?” The models employed are the Gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the apicomplexan Plasmodium falciparum (collaboration with our colleagues in Heidelberg) and predominantly the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Due to the nature of our research a vast array of techniques are employed in the laboratory, ranging from techniques in molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, protein biochemistry to certain biophysical techniques
