Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre SAS
Topic
Unraveling the enigma of intracellular mannan by using new glycobiology research tools
PhD. program
Plant Physiology
Year of admission
2025
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Jozef Mravec, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Prírodovedecká fakulta UK
Annotation
Plant polysaccharides are traditionally divided into two categories, those serving as storage (starch) and those with structural functions in the cell wall (cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectins). However, recent observations suggest that a cell wall hemicellulose mannan — polymer of β-1-4-linked mannose—forms peculiar intracellular compartments, suggesting a role in energy storage or perhaps a completely new function. The available data indicate that these structures are typical for commelinid monocots such as grasses. The aim of the PhD study will be to elucidate the phenomenon of intracellular mannan using a multipronged experimental approach and to compare monocots vs. dicots. One of the main goals will be to 3 analyze and describe the underlying subcellular compartments, their subcellular identity and polysaccharide content utilizing established as well as newly developed probes such as DNA aptamers. Finally, an ambitious task will be to isolate a mutant of Brachypodium distachyon, a model species for grasses, in mannan synthase (CSLA) and to phenotype such a line in detail. The results obtained are expected to bring novel insight into the biological function of mannan and can facilitate its better utilization as a dietary fiber in nutrition.