Gilles J. Basset

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Our research aims at understanding how plants synthesize and metabolize chemicals that are beneficial to human health, and at applying this knowledge to improve the nutritional value of plant-based foods. Our approach is integrative and combines genomics, genetics, enzymology, metabolic biochemistry, organic chemistry, cellular biology and metabolic engineering. We are especially interested in metabolic branches that involve multifunctional enzymes, metabolic channeling of biosynthetic intermediates, and enzymes that have evolved novel functions in plants.

MAJOR PROJECT ACTIVITIES:

• Biosynthesis and metabolism of plant vitamin K1 (phylloquinone)
• Role of plant naphthoquinones as antioxidants
• Biosynthesis and metabolism of plant folates
  

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

• Bozzo G.G., Basset G.J., Naponelli V., Noiriel A., Gregory J.F. 3rd, Hanson A.D. (2007) Characterization of the folate salvage enzyme p-aminobenzoylglutamate hydrolase in plants. Phytochemistry. (in press).
  
  
• Orsomando, G., Bozzo, G.G., Díaz de la Garza, R., Basset, G.J.C., Quinlivan E. P., Naponelli, V., Rébeillé, F., Ravanel, S., Gregory III, J. F., Hanson A. D. (2006) Evidence for folate salvage reactions in plants. The Plant Journal 46, 426-435
  
  
• Sahr, T., Ravanel, S., Basset, G., Nichols, B.P., Hanson, A. D., Rébeillé, F. (2006) Folate synthesis in plants: purification, kinetic properties, and inhibition of aminodeoxychorismate synthase. The Biochemical Journal 396, 157-162
  
  
• Klaus, M.J.S., Kunji, E.R.S., Bozzo, G.G., Noiriel, A., Díaz de la Garza, R., Basset, G.J.C., Ravanel, S., Rébeillé, F., Gregory III, J.F., Hanson, A.D. (2005). Higher plant plastids and cyanobacteria have folate carriers related to those of trypanosomatids. Journal of Biological Chemistry 280, 38457-38463
  
  
• Basset, G.J.C., Quinlivan, E.P., Gregory III, J.F., Hanson, A.D. (2005). Folate synthesis and metabolism in plants, and prospects for biofortification. (Review). Crop Science 45, 449-453
  
  
• Basset, G.J.C., Ravanel, S., Quinlivan, E.P., White, R., Giovannoni, J.J., Rébeillé, F., Nichols, B.P., Shinozaki, K., Seki, M., Gregory III, J.F., Hanson, A.D. (2004). Folate Synthesis in Plants: The Last Step of the p-Aminobenzoate Branch is Catalyzed by a Plastidial Aminodeoxychorismate Lyase. The Plant Journal 40, 453-461
  
  
• Díaz de la Garza, R., Quinlivan, E.P., Klaus, M.J.S., Basset, G.J.C., Gregory III, J.F., Hanson, A.D. (2004). Folate Biofortification in Tomatoes by Engineering the Pteridine Branch of Folates Synthesis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 101, 13720-13725
  
  
• Basset, G.J.C., Quinlivan, E.P., Ravanel, S., Rébeillé, F., Nichols, B.P., Shinozaki, K., Seki, M., Adams-Philips, L.C., Giovannoni, J.J., Gregory III, J.F., Hanson, A.D. (2004). Folate synthesis in plants: The p-aminobenzoate branch is initiated by a bifunctional PabA-PabB protein that is targeted to plastids. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 101, 1496-1501
  
  
• Quinlivan, E.P., Roje, S., Basset, G., Shachar-Hill, Y., Gregory III, J.F., Hanson, A.D. (2003) The folate precursor p-aminobenzoate is reversibly converted to its glucose ester in the plant cytosol. Journal of Biological Chemistry 278, 20731-20737
  
  
• Basset, G., Quinlivan, E.P., Ziemak, M. J., Díaz de la Garza, R., Fischer, M., Schiffmann, S., Bacher, A., Gregory III, J.F., Hanson, A.D. (2002) Folate synthesis in plants: The first step of the pterin branch is mediated by a unique bimodular GTP cyclohydrolase I. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 99, 12489-12494