Purdue University PURDUE AGRICULTURE
BOTANY AND PLANT PATHOLOGY
 
Nick Carpita Photo
 

Nicholas C Carpita

Professor

Department: Botany and Plant Pathology
Phone: 765.494-4653
Fax: 765.494.0363
Office: Lilly Hall, Room 1-464
E-mail: carpita@purdue.edu

Area of Expertise: Plant Cell Biology - Structure and biosynthesis of the plant cell wall; gene discovery in cell wall biology; improvement of grasses as lignocellulosic bioenergy crops

 

Our principal objectives are to characterize the structural and functional architecture of the plant cell wall, to understand the biochemical mechanisms of biosynthesis of its polysaccharides, and to identify the genes that encode the molecular machinery that synthesizes these components. Specific objectives include the identification and characterization of cell wall mutants in Arabidopsis and maize by Fourier transform infrared spectra. Potential mutants identified by this novel spectroscopic method are characterized genetically to determine heritability. A systematic protocol was devised to use biochemical, cytological, and spectroscopic methods to characterize the function of cell-wall biogenesis-related genes in Arabidopsis and maize identified through the mutant screen. We are classifying mutants by artificial neural networks as a database to classify genes of unknown function. We also develop methods to investigate the biosynthesis and topology of cellulose and the mixed-linkage (1→3),(1→4)-β-D-glucan in maize. We use proteomic and immunological approaches to identify the catalytic machinery and its associated polypeptides. We have also begun a program to characterize the regulation by microRNAs and naturally occurring small interfering RNAs of cellulose synthases and suites of similarly regulated genes in networks that form primary and secondary walls. Finally, we desire to apply our knowledge of cell wall biology to solve practical problems in agriculture. Understanding wall composition and architecture and the regulation of the synthesis of its components is an essential tools in enhancing biomass quality and quantity for biofuel production.

 

- Recent Publications

Carpita, N. C. (2011). Update on mechanisms of plant cell wall biosynthesis: How plants make cellulose and other (1→4)-ß-D-glycans. Plant Physiology, 155, 171-184. Retrieved from http://www.ag.purdue.edu/btny/Documents/PlantPhysiology155.pdf

Paterson, A. H., Bowers, J. E., Bruggmann, R., Dubchak, I., Grimwood, J., Gundlach, H., . . . Rokhsar, D. (2009). The Sorgum bicolor genome and the diversification of grasses. Nature, 457, 551-556. Retrieved from http://www.ag.purdue.edu/btny/Documents/Nature457.pdf

Schnable, P. S., Ware, D., Fulton, R. S., Stein, J. C., Wei, F., Pasternak, S., . . . Wilson, R. (2009). The B73 maize genome complexity, diversity and dynamics. Science, 326, 1112-1115. Retrieved from http://www.ag.purdue.edu/btny/Documents/Science326.pdf

Penning, B., Hunter, C. T., Tayengwa, R., Eveland, E., Dugard, C. K., Olek, A., . . . Carpita, N. C. (2009). Genetic resources for maize cell wall biology. Plant Physiology, 151, 1703-1728. Retrieved from http://www.ag.purdue.edu/btny/Documents/PlantPhysiology151.pdf

Held, M., Penning, B., Brandt, A. S., Kessans, S. A., Yong, W., Scofield, S. R., & Carpita, N. C. (2008). Naturally occurring antisense transcripts of a cellulose synthase gene in barley initiates negative control of cell wall biosynthesis involving small interfering RNAs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, 105, 20534-20539. Retrieved from http://www.ag.purdue.edu/btny/Documents/ProcNatlAcadSci105.pdf

Carpita, N. C., & McCann, M. C. (2008). Maize and sorghum: genetic resources for bioenergy grasses. Trends in Plant Science, 13, 415-420. Retrieved from http://www.ag.purdue.edu/btny/Documents/TrendsPlantScience13.pdf

McCann, M. C., Defernez, M., Urbanowicz, B. R., Tewari, J. C., Langewisch, T., Olek, A., . . . Carpita, N. C. (2007). Neural network analyses of infrared spectra for classifying cell wall architectures. Plant Physiology, 143, 1314-1326. Retrieved from http://www.ag.purdue.edu/btny/Documents/PlantPhysiology143.pdf

Urbanowicz, B. R., & Carpita, N. C. (2004). Topology of the maize mixed-linkage (1→3),(1→4)-beta-D-glucan synthase at the Golgi membrane. Plant Physiology, 134, 758-768. Retrieved from http://www.ag.purdue.edu/btny/Documents/PlantPhysiology134-2.pdf

Pena, M. J., Ryden, P., Madson, M., Smith, A. G., Reiter, W. D., & Carpita, N. C. (2004). The galactose residues of xyloglucan are essential to maintain mechanical strength of the primary cell walls in Arabidopsis thaliana during growth. Plant Physiology, 134, 443-451. Retrieved from http://www.ag.purdue.edu/btny/Documents/PlantPhysiology134-1.pdf

 

+ Patents

 

- Awards & Honors

Fellow of AAAS (2012). American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Immediate Past President (2012). American Society of Plant Biologists.

President of American Society of Plant Biologist (2010). American Society of Plant Biologist.

Seeds of Success Award, Millionaire's Club (2009). College of Agriculture.

Agricultural Research Award (1991). Purdue University.

Gamma Sigma Delta (1987). Purdue University.

Sigma Xi (1984). Purdue University.

 

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