The Groups > Professor Geoffrey B. Fincher
 

Professor Geoffrey B. Fincher
Deputy CEO, ACPFG
Director, Waite Agricultural Research Institute
School of Agriculture and Wine,
University of Adelaide,
Waite Campus,
Glen Osmond, SA 5064  

Personal Website:
Email geoff.fincher@acpfg.com.au

Research Aims
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The Big Picture

Our current research interests are to define in precise three-dimensional and chemical terms how polysaccharide synthase enzymes catalyse the synthesis of cell wall polysaccharides in plants, and to similarly define the structures and functions of key proteins that contribute to tolerance to abiotic stresses.

The Short-Term Goals

Our immediate goals are to identify key polysaccharide synthase genes in barley, and to understand how proteins and enzymes linked with cold tolerance in plants actually execute their functions. In addition, we wish to develop robust heterologous protein expression systems for the generation, functional analysis and 3D structural determination of large, membrane-bound proteins and enzymes.

Group (Lab) Members and areas of research
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Name

Area of expertise

 

 

Burton, Rachel

Cell walls

Comis, Alfio

Proteomics

Farrokhi, Naser

Glycosyl transformation

Fincher, Geoff

Enzymology

Gatford, Keith

Transformation

Gibeaut, David

Cell walls

Gooding, Paul

Cold stress

Harvey, Andrew

Bioinformatics

Hrmova, Maria

Structural biology

Jacobs, Andrew

Callose synthases

Kuchel, Bianca

Gene functional analysis

Lahnstein, Jelle

Protein chemistry

Lunde, Christina

Reactive oxygen

Nield, Jan

Laboratory Manager

Pickering, Melissa

Arabidopsis

Rethus, Jacinda

Transformation

Richardson, Vanessa

Cold stress

Schober, Michael

Callose synthases

Shirley, Neil

Protein chemistry

Singh, Rohan

Transformation

Zhang, Qisen

Sugar nucleotides


 
Funding
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Current

  • G. Fincher, P. Langridge, A. Bacic, E. Newbigin, Functional genomics in the growth and end-use quality of cereals - UA523/526, GRDC , (2000-2004), $897,000.

  • G. Fincher, H. Driguez,, J. Varghese, Molecular mechanisms of catalysis and the basis of substrate specificity in polysaccharide hydrolases, ARC, (2002-2004), $77,000.

  • G. Fincher, H. Driguez, Synthesis of substrate analogues for probing catalytic mechanisms and specificity of enzymes involved in the metabolism of plant polysaccharides ARC , (2002-2004), $12,000.

  • G. Fincher, New systems for the functional analysis of cereal genes, GRDC , (2002-2004), $129,000.

  • G. Fincher, Transformation in functional genomics and cereal improvement programs, GRDC, (2003-2008), $360,000.

  • S. McColl, P. Hart, R. McKinnon, G. Fincher, R. Richards, Adelaide high-speed cell sorter and analyser facility, ARC, (2003), $478,000.

  • S. Tyerman, G. Jones, G. Fincher, M. Hrmova, M. Herderich, P. Hoj, G. Lawrence, M. Maeder, J. Patrick, N. Voelcker, Circular-dichroism stopped-flow spectrometer for rapid molecular interactions and membrane transport, ARC, (2003), $199,000.

  • G. Fincher, P. Langridge, A. Bacic, G. Spangenberg, Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, ARC/GRDC , (2003-2007), $4 million.

  • S. Khurana, S. Begg , G. Fincher et al, South Australian Virtual Reality Centre (SAVRC), ARC (LIEF), (for 2004), $696,005.

  • S. McColl, W.Tilley, P.Hynd, G. Fincher, R. McKinnon, W. Gai, A. Lopez, Adelaide Core Laser Capture Microscopy Facility, ARC (LIEF) , (for 2004), $386,892.

Techniques in the Laboratory
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Currently active

Functional genomics, crystallization of proteins and structure determination, enzymology, protein chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry, molecular biology, cereal transformation, dsRNAi gene silencing, molecular modelling.

In development

Heterologous expression systems in tobacco.

Main areas of expertise
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Top three areas of knowledge

  1. Enzymology,
  2. cell wall metabolism,
  3. carbohydrate chemistry.

Top three technical skills

  1. Protein crystallization,
  2. molecular biology,
  3. barley transformation.
A statement on the most significant contributions to this research field
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Over many years, we have purified and characterized enzymes that are involved in the depolymerization of arabinoxylans and (1?3,1?4)-ß-glucans from cell walls of barley and wheat. Key genes encoding the polysaccharide hydrolases have been cloned and factors that control their expression have been defined. In addition, we have used 3D structural information to describe the substrate specificity and molecular mechanisms of action of several polysaccharide hydrolases that are involved in wall synthesis and degradation in germinated cereal grains and in elongating vegetative tissues. We have recently been invited by Dr. Keith Moffatt at the Chicago synchrotron to participate in a project to examine the dissociation of the product of a barley ß-glucan glucohydrolase by time resolved crystallography. The project is seen as important in developing this new technology, through which enzyme and substrate movement can be viewed by 'real time' structural analysis during catalysis. The detailed information on 3D structure and enzymic mechanisms has also enabled us to engineer increased thermostability into a commercially important (1?3,1?4)-ß-glucan endohydrolase and to generate a mutant (1?3)-ß-glucan endohydrolase that is capable of synthesising (1?3)-ß-glucans and complex ß-oligoglucosides in very high yield at room temperatures. These mutated enzymes have already proved useful for the synthesis of valuable oligosaccharides, some of which have immunomodulating activity. More recently, we took a functional genomics approach to the isolation and characterization of callose synthase genes and provided good evidence that silencing one of these genes increased the plant's resistance to fungal attack. During 2003, my colleagues and I have been setting up the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics at the Waite Campus of the University of Adelaide .

Other evidence of impact and contributions to the field
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Organization of Conferences

  • Symposium organiser at the annual meeting of the Australian Association of Plant Physiologists, Gold Coast, September, 1999.
  • Chair of the Organizing Committee, VIIIth International Barley Genetics Symposium, held in Adelaide in October 2000 (500 delegates).
  • Chair of the Organizing Committee, Plant Polysaccharide Workshop 2002, Palm Cove, Queensland , July 2002 (100 delegates)
  • Member, Organizing Committee of the International Society for Plant Molecular Biologists meeting, Adelaide , 2006.

International Society of Plant Molecular Biology

  • Board of Directors 2001-2004.

Editorial Boards

  • Plant Physiology, 1986-1988.
  • Plant Molecular Biology, 1989-1993.
  • Seed Science Research, 1990-present.
  • Planta, 1994-present.
  • Plant Physiology (monitoring editor), 1998-2001.
  • Journal of Cereal Science, 2001-present.
Awards
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  • SA Great Awards 2002: Special commendation for the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics.
  • F.B. Guthrie Award, 2001. The Guthrie Award is the highest award of the Royal Australian Chemistry Institute's Division of Cereal Chemistry and honours the contribution of pioneer cereal chemist, F.B Guthrie, to wheat research in Australia . The award is made in recognition of meritorious services to cereal chemistry in Australia in the broadest sense. It is presented at intervals of three years and may be made within a wide range of activities including research, technology, service to the Division, and service to the cereal industry generally.
Publications-past 5 years
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Book Chapters

  • Langridge, P. and Fincher, G.B . (2004) Functional Genomics. In : Encyclopedia of Grain Science, in the press.

  • Mares, D.J., Mrva, K. and Fincher, G.B . (2004) Enzyme Activities. In: Encyclopedia of Grain Science , in the press.

  • Fincher, G.B . and Stone, B.A. (2004) Chemistry of non-starch polysaccharides from cereal grains. In: Encyclopedia of Grain Science , in the press.

  • Hrmova, M. and Fincher, G.B. (2002) Enzymic hydrolysis of cereal (1?3,1?4)-ß-glucans. In: Handbook of Food Enzymology (Whitaker, A.J Voragen, Wong eds.), pp 943-960.

Journal articles

  • Zhang, D., Hrmova, M., Wan, C-H., Wu, C., Balzen, J., Cai, W., Wang, J., Densmore, L.D., Fincher, G.B ., Zhang, H. and Haigler, C.H. (2004) Members of a new group of chitinase-like genes are expressed preferentially in cotton cells with secondary walls. Plant Molec. Biol. , in the press (accepted Feb 2004).

  • Macdonald, J.M., Hrmova, M., Fincher, G.B . and Stick, R.V. (2004) The Synthesis of 3- O -( b -D-Glucopyranosyl)- and 3- O -( b -Laminaribiosyl)-isofagomines, Potent Inhibitors of 1,3- b -D-Glucan endo -Hydrolases. Aust. J. Chem. 57, 187-191.

  • Hrmova, M., De Gori, R., Smith, B.J., Vasella, A., Varghese, J.N. and Fincher, G.B. (2004) Three-Dimensional Structure of the Barley ß- d -Glucan Glucohydrolase in Complex with a Transition State Mimic. J. Biol. Chem. , 279, 4970-4980.

  • Burton , R.A., Shirley , N.J. , King, B.J., Harvey , A.J. and Fincher, G.B . (2003) The CesA Gene Family of Barley ( Hordeum vulgare ): Quantitative Analysis of Transcripts Reveals Two Groups of Co-Expressed Genes. Plant Physiol. 134: 224-236.

  • Jacobs, A.K., Lipka, V., Burton , R.A., Panstruga, R., Strizhov, N., Schulze-Lefert, P. and Fincher, G.B . (2003) An Arabidopsis thaliana callose synthase, GSL5, is required for wound and papillary callose formation. Plant Cell 15, 2503-2513.

  • Li, J., Burton , R.A., Harvey , A.J., Hrmova, M., Wardak, A.Z., Stone, B.A. and Fincher, G.B. (2003) Biochemical evidence linking a putative callose synthase gene with (1?3)-ß- d- glucan biosynthesis in barley. Plant Molec. Biol. 53, 213-225.

  • Lee, R.C., Hrmova, M., Burton , R.A., Lahnstein, J. and Fincher, G.B. (2003) Bifunctional Family 3 Glycoside Hydrolases from Barley with a- l -Arabinofuranosidase and ß- d -Xylosidase Activity: Characterization, Primary Structures and COOH-terminal processing. J. Biol. Chem. 278, 5377-5387

  • Fairweather, J.K., Rutten, S.J., Hrmova, M., Fincher, G.B. and Driguez, H. (2003) Synthesis of complex oligosaccharides using a mutated (1,3)-ß- d -glucan endohydrolase from barley. Chem. Europ. J. 9, 2603-2610.

  • Simpson, D.J., Fincher, G.B . Huang, A.H.C. and Cameron-Mills, V. (2003) Structure and function of cereal and related higher plant (1?4)- b -xylan endohydrolases. J. Cereal Sci. 37, 111-127.

  • Burton, R.A., Johnson, P.E., Beckles, D.M., Fincher, G.B ., Jenner, H.L., Naldrett, M.J. and Denyer, K. (2002) Characterisation of the genes encoding the cytosolic and plastidial forms of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in wheat endosperm. Plant Physiol. 130, 1464-1475.

  • Burton, R.A., Jenner, H., Carrangis, L, Fahy, B., Fincher, G.B ., Hylton, C., Laurie, D.A., Parker, M., Waite, D., van Wegen, S., Verhoeven, T. and Denyer, K. (2002) Starch granule initiation and growth are altered in barley mutants that lack isoamylase activity. The Plant Journal , 31, 97-112.

  • Langridge, P. and Fincher, G. B. (2002) Cereal crops as targets for genomics research. Today's Life Sciences 14, 28-32.

  • Hrmova, M., Imai, T., Rutten, S.J., Fairweather, J.K., Pelosi, L., Bulone, V., Driguez, H. and Fincher, G.B. (2002) Barley (1,3)-ß-glucan endohydrolase mutants synthesise crystalline (1,3)-ß-glucans. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 30102-30111.

  • Hrmova, M., Varghese, J.N., De Gori, R., Smith, B.J., Driguez, H. and Fincher, G.B . (2001) Catalytic Mechanisms and Reaction Intermediates along the Hydrolytic Pathway of a Plant ß -d- Glucan Glucohydrolase: Crystallographic, Chemical and Quantum Mechanical Analyses. Structure 9, 1005-1016.

  • Hrmova, M., De Gori, R., Smith, B.J., Fairweather, J.K., Driguez, H., Varghese, J.N. and Fincher, G.B . (2002) Structural basis for broad substrate specificity in higher plant ß- d- glucan glucohydrolases. Plant Cell 14, 1033-1052. [Cover article]

  • Roulin, S., Buchala, A.J., and Fincher, G.B . (2002) Induction of (1?3,1?4)-ß-glucan hydrolases in leaves of dark-incubated barley seedlings. Planta 215, 51-59.

  • Osmond, R.I.W., Hrmova, M., Fontaine, F., Imberty, A. and Fincher, G.B . (2001) Binding interactions between barley thaumatin-like proteins and (1,3)-ß-D-glucans. Kinetics, specificity, structural analysis and biological implications. Eur. J. Biochem. 268, 4190-4199.

  • Lee, R.C., Burton , R.A., Hrmova, M. and Fincher, G.B . (2001) Barley arabinoxylan arabinofuranohydrolases: Purification, characterization and determination of primary structures from cDNA clones. Biochem. J. 356, 181-189.

  • Stewart, R.J., Varghese, J.N., Garrett, T.P.J., Hoj, P.B. and Fincher, G.B . (2001) Mutant barley (1?3,1?4)-ß-glucan endohydrolases with enhanced thermostability. Protein Engineering 14, 245-253.

  • Harvey , A.J., Hrmova, M. and Fincher, G.B . (2001) Regulation of genes encoding ß- d -glucan exohydrolases in barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.). Physiol. Plant. 113, 108-120.

  • Hrmova, M. and Fincher, G.B . (2001) Structure-function relationships of ß-D-glucan endo- and exohydrolases from higher plants. Plant Molec. Biol. 47, 73-91.

  • Nunan, K.J., Davies, C., Robinson, S.P. and Fincher, G.B . (2001) Expression patterns of cell wall-modifying enzymes during grape berry development. Planta 214, 257-264.

  • Hrmova, M. and Fincher, G.B . (2001) Plant enzyme structure: Explaining substrate specificity and the evolution of function. Plant Physiol. 125, 54-57.

  • Harvey , A.J., Hrmova, M., De Gori, R., Varghese, J.N. and Fincher, G.B . (2000) Comparative modeling of the three-dimensional structures of family 3 glycoside hydrolases. Proteins: Struct. Funct. Genet . 41:257-269.

  • Afshar-Sterle, S., Kollmorgen, J.F. and Fincher, G.B . (2000) Production of fertile regenerants from protoplasts of Triticum tauschii (Coss.) Schmal. Aust. J. Bot. 48, 501-506.

  • Sidhu, P.K. and Fincher, G.B . (1999) Isolation and characterization of a gene encoding a (1?4)-ß-xylan endohydrolase from wheat ( Triticum aestivum ). Plant Physiol. Plant Gene Register 99-146.

  • Burton , R.A., Gibeaut, D.M., Bacic, A., Findlay , K., Roberts, K., Hamilton , A., Baulcombe , D.C. and Fincher, G.B . (2000) Virus-induced silencing of a plant cellulose synthase gene. Plant Cell 12, 691-705.

  • Afshar-Sterle, S., Fincher, G.B . and Kollmorgen, J.F. (1999) Establishment of fine suspension cultures of Triticum tauschii ([Coss.] Schmal.) which remain embryogenic for several years. Aust. J. Bot. 47, 611-622.

  • Burton , R.A., Zhang, X-Q., Hrmova, M. and Fincher, G.B . (1999) A single barley limit dextrinase gene is expressed in both the developing endosperm and in germinated grain. Plant Physiol. 119, 859-872.

  • Varghese, J.N., Hrmova, M. and Fincher, G.B . (1999) Three-dimensional structure of a barley ß-D-glucan exohydrolase; a family 3 hydrolase. Structure 7,179-190.
Ten career-best publications
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  • Fincher, G.B ., Sawyer, W.H. and Stone, B.A. (1974) Chemical and physical properties of an arabinogalactan-peptide from wheat endosperm. Biochem J. 139, 535-545.
    First report of the AGP group of proteoglycans, which are widespread in plants.

  • Woodward, J.R., Fincher, G.B . and Stone, B.A. (1983) Water-soluble (1?3),(1?4)-ß-D-glucans from barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) endosperm. II. Fine structure. Carbohydr. Polym. 3, 207-225.
    Described the detailed fine structure of this class of plant cell wall polysaccharide.

  • McFadden, G.I., Ahluwalia, B., Clarke, A.E. and Fincher, G.B . (1988) Expression sites and developmental regulation of genes encoding (1 ® 3,1 ® 4)-ß-glucanases in germinated barley. Planta 173, 500-508.
    Showed a key role for the scutellum in hydrolase secretion during grain germination.

  • Varghese, J.N., Garrett, T.P.J., Colman, P.M., Chen, L., Høj, P.B. and Fincher, G.B . (1994) The three-dimensional structures of two plant ß-glucan endohydrolases with distinct substrate specificities. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. ( USA ) , 91, 2785-2789.
    First crystal structure of a plant PR2 protein and evidence for evolutionary relationship between (1,3)- and (1,3;1,4)-ß-glucan endohydrolases.

  • Varghese, J.N., Hrmova, M. and Fincher, G. B. (1999) Three-dimensional structure of a barley ß-D-glucan exohydrolase; a family 3 hydrolase. Structure 7,179-190.
    Reported the first 3D structure for a family GH3 glycoside hydrolase.

  • Burton , R.A., Gibeaut, D.M., Bacic, A., Findlay , K., Roberts, K., Hamilton , A., Baulcombe , D.C. and Fincher, G.B . (2000) Virus-induced silencing of a plant cellulose synthase gene. Plant Cell 12, 691-705.
    Showed that silencing a putative cellulose synthase gene resulted in lower wall cellulose levels.

  • Hrmova, M., Varghese, J.N., De Gori, R., Smith, B.J., Driguez, H. and Fincher, G.B . (2001) Catalytic Mechanisms and Reaction Intermediates along the Hydrolytic Pathway of a Plant ß -d- Glucan Glucohydrolase: Crystallographic, Chemical and Quantum Mechanical Analyses. Structure 9, 1005-1016.
    Detailed description of the catalytic mechanism of this group of plant enzymes.

  • Hrmova, M., De Gori, R., Smith, B.J., Fairweather, J.K., Driguez, H., Varghese, J.N. and Fincher, G.B . (2002) Structural basis for broad substrate specificity in higher plant ß- d- glucan glucohydrolases. Plant Cell 14, 1033-1052. [Cover article]
    Provided a structural rationale for the very broad specificity of this type of plant enzyme.

  • Hrmova, M., Imai, T., Rutten, S.J., Fairweather, J.K., Pelosi, L., Bulone, V., Driguez, H. and Fincher, G.B. (2002) Barley (1,3)-ß-glucan endohydrolase mutants synthesise crystalline (1,3)-ß-glucans. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 30102-30111.
    First glycosynthase with the ability to synthesise this pharmacologically important polysaccharide.

  • Jacobs, A.K., Lipka, V., Burton , R.A., Panstruga, R., Strizhov, N., Schulze-Lefert, P. and Fincher, G.B. (2003) An Arabidopsis thaliana callose synthase, GSL5, is required for wound and papillary callose formation. Plant Cell 15, 2503-2513.
    Showed that silencing a specific callose synthase gene increased resistance to fungal attack, contrary to expectations.

     

     

     

 

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