Plant Serpins

Serpins in cereals, their inhibitory activities and physiological functions: The main purpose is to elucidate the physiological role(s) of regulatory serine proteinase inhibitors of the serpin type in higher plants. The study includes characterization of serpins in barley, wheat and other European cereals, their time- and tissue-specific expression and identification their target proteinases. Kinetic characterization of the serpin/proteinase interactions based on isolated native as well as recombinant serpins is also of fundamental interest for our understanding of the physiology of mammalian serpins.