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KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE 2 (KAI2) is an α/β hydrolase involved in seed germination and seedling development. It is essential for plant responses to karrikins, a class of butenolide compounds derived from burnt plant material that are structurally similar to strigolactone plant hormones. The mechanistic basis for the function of KAI2 in plant development remains unclear. We have determined the crystal structure of Arabidopsis thaliana KAI2 in space groups P2₁ 2₁ 2₁ (a = 63.57 Å, b = 66.26 Å, c = 78.25 Å) and P2₁ (a = 50.20 Å, b = 56.04 Å, c = 52.43 Å, β = 116.12°) to 1.55 and 2.11 Å respectively. The catalytic residues are positioned within a large hydrophobic pocket similar to that of DAD2, a protein required for strigolactone response in Petunia hybrida. KAI2 possesses a second solvent-accessible pocket, adjacent to the active site cavity, which offers the possibility of allosteric regulation. The structure of KAI2 is consistent with its designation as a serine hydrolase, as well as previous data implicating the protein in karrikin and strigolactone signalling.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	arabidopsis thaliana, karrikin, seed germination, seedling development, butenolide
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Plant biology
Research Field:	Plant physiology
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
UTAS Author:	Smith, SM (Professor Steven Smith)
ID Code:	101437
Year Published:	2013
Web of Science® Times Cited:	42
Deposited By:	Plant Science
Deposited On:	2015-06-24
Last Modified:	2018-04-11
Downloads:	63 View Download Statistics