Biochemistry

Douglas D. Randall

Thomas Jefferson Fellow
Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry

Educational background

Degree	School	Location	Major
BS	South Dakota State University	Brookings, S.D.	Chemistry
PhD	Michigan State University	East Lansing, Mich.	Biochemistry

Research description

Our group is studying regulation of metabolism in plants, in particular, the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex as a primary site at which photosynthetic carbon metabolism interacts with mitochondrial respiration and photorespiration. The regulation of this multienzyme complex has several layers including covalent modification by reversible phosphorylation (inactivation/deactivation). The regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex provides a site to manage the flow of carbon to the mitochondria during photosynthesis. Another form of this multienzyme complex is located in plastids where it functions in fatty acid and oil biosynthesis by providing the precursor acetyl-CoA for fatty acid, oil synthesis and a number of plant growth regulatory compounds.

Related projects include the molecular characterization of the component subunits of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and how these subunits are imported into the organelle and assembled into the complex. We are also charcterizing plant protein kinases and identifying their endogenous substrates. Protein kinases are essential components of many signal transduction pathways. Our group is part of a multi-institutional genomics project involving plant protein phosphorylation. We have projects involving three types of proteins kinase in three different subcellular components. Involvement in the plant protein phosphorylation genomics project is opening new ways of discovering regulatory mechanisms.

Selected publications

Tovar-Mendez, A, JA Miernyk, DD Randall. (2002). Histidine mutagenesis of Arabidopsis thaliana pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. Eur. J. Biochem. 269: 2601-2606.

Szurmak, B, BP Mooney, JA Miernyk, DD Randall. (2003). Expression and assembly of Arabidopsis thaliana pyruvate dehydrogenase in insect cell cytoplasm. Prot. Purif. & Express. 28:357-361

Tovar-Mendez, A, JA Miernyk, DD Randall. (2003). Regulalation of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity in plant cells. Eur. J. Biochem. 270: 1043-1049. Invited review. Journal Cover

Tovar-Mendez, A., Hirani, T.A., Miernyk, J.A., Randall, D.D. (2005). Analysis of the catalytic mechanism of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 434: 159-168.

Notable honors and service

• American Society of Plant Biologists, Fellow, 2007
  • Chair, Board of Trustees 1996-99
  • Secretary 1991-93
• Thomas Jefferson Professor and Fellow, University of Missouri System
• Founder and Director, Interdisciplinary Plant Group
• Member, National Science Board (2002-2008 presidential appointment)
• Editorial Boards
  • Protein Expression and Purification (previous)
  • Ann. Rev. Plant Physiology & Plant Molecular Biology (previous)
  • Plant Physiology (previous)
  • Biomedical Archives (previous)
• Current Topics in Plant Biochemistry & Physiology Symposium Series, Editor-in-Chief (previous)