Kenneth Keegstra

Research Interests

Plant cells contain two structures not found in animal cells: plastids and cell walls. Each plays an important role in the proper functioning of plants, and our laboratory is studying the biogenesis of both. For information on our studies on plant cell walls, performed jointly with Jonathan Walton's group, see Cell Wall Biosynthesis.

Plastid biogenesis requires the post-translational import of nuclear-encoded precursor proteins. Although the basic outline of this import process is now available, many important details are missing. Our laboratory is employing reverse genetic strategies to investigate the function of selected components of the protein import apparatus and biochemical strategies to investigate how they interact with precursor proteins. MORE

Recent Publications

Zabotina OA, van de Ven WT, Freshour G, Drakakaki G, Cavalier D, Mouille G, Hahn MG, Keegstra K, Raikhel NV. (2008) Arabidopsis XXT5 gene encodes a putative alpha-1,6-xylosyltransferase that is involved in xyloglucan biosynthesis. Plant J. 56(1):101-15.

Zeng W, Keegstra K. (2008) AtCSLD2 is an integral Golgi membrane protein with its N-terminus facing the cytosol. Planta. 228(5):823-38.

Pauly M, Keegstra K. (2008) Cell-wall carbohydrates and their modification as a resource for biofuels. Plant J. 54(4):559-68.

Cavalier DM, Lerouxel O, Neumetzler L, Yamauchi K, Reinecke A, Freshour G, Zabotina OA, Hahn MG, Burgert I, Pauly M, Raikhel NV, Keegstra K. (2008) Disrupting two Arabidopsis thaliana xylosyltransferase genes results in plants deficient in xyloglucan, a major primary cell wall component. Plant Cell. 20(6):1519-37.

Tripp J, Inoue K, Keegstra K, Froehlich JE. (2007) A novel serine/proline-rich domain in combination with a transmembrane domain is required for the insertion of AtTic40 into the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts. Plant J. 52(5):824-38.

Cocuron JC, Lerouxel O, Drakakaki G, Alonso AP, Liepman AH, Keegstra K, Raikhel N, Wilkerson CG. (2007) A gene from the cellulose synthase-like C family encodes a beta-1,4 glucan synthase.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 104(20):8550-5.

Drakakaki G, Zabotina O, Delgado I, Robert S, Keegstra K, Raikhel N. (2006) Arabidopsis reversibly glycosylated polypeptides 1 and 2 are essential for pollen development. Plant Physiol. 142(4):1480-92.

Lerouxel O, Cavalier DM, Liepman AH, Keegstra K. (2006) Biosynthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides - a complex process. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 9(6):621-30.

Cavalier DM, Keegstra K. (2006) Two xyloglucan xylosyltransferases catalyze the addition of multiple xylosyl residues to cellohexaose. J Biol Chem. 281(45):34197-207.

Keegstra K, Walton J. (2006) Plant science. Beta-glucans--brewer's bane, dietician's delight. Science. 311(5769):1872-3. No abstract available. MORE