New Publication – Boyd et al (2009)

Sesquiterpene-like inhibitors of a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase regulating abscisic acid biosynthesis in higher plants. Boyd, J., Gai, Y., Melson, K.M., Lukiwski, E., Talbot, J., Loewen, M.K., Owen, S., Zaharia, L.I., Cutler, A.J., Abrams, S.R., Loewen, M.C., (2009) Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry  17:2902-2912

This paper represents a collaborative effort between three laboratories (Loewen, Cutler and Abrams) at the Plant Biotechnology Institute.  Essentially we describe the rational design, synthesis and in vitro and in vivo testing of a series of small molecules that serve as inhibitors of the carotenoid cleavage enzyme NCED3. Chemical synthesis, protein expression and purification, enzyme kinetic analyses, hormone profiling and qPCR technologies were used to complete this project. Please visit our Publications page to view a PDF version of this paper.