Research Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Molecular Plant Physiology, 1990 University of California, Berkeley

Research Interests
Plant Molecular Physiology
Plant Proteomics and Bioinformatics

Email: sparac@clemson.edu
Office: 163 Jordan Hall
Phone: (864) 656-3593

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

The overall major objective of my work is to understand how crosstalk between major pathways regulates the overall synthesis of individual compounds (and in turn cell function and cell viability) in order to understand the limits of pathway modification genetically and biochemically. My research takes a comprehensive approach towards understanding the concerted metabolic interactions of carbon and lipid pathways along with the metabolism of sulfate and nitrogen assimilation in non-photosynthetic tissues.

The long-term objectives are:
(1) to understand the interaction and regulation of glycerolipid biosynthesis in pea root plastids, particularly in relation to metabolic interactions with other processes or functions of these plastids (sulfate, nitrogen, carbon metabolisms).
(2) to contribute towards altering metabolic resource allocation in non-photosynthetic plastids or within cells.

This research utilizes the various tools of molecular biology, proteomics, traditional biochemical analysis of chromatography, autoradiography, fluorometry among others. Modeling of pathway interaction is ongoing. Current projects address metabolic pathway regulation and interaction, by emphasizing the effect of nitrogen and sulfate metabolic pathways on carbon flow into lipids through various signalling compounds. These signaling compounds include lipid compounds and related enzymes as well as phosphorylated or sulfur-containing compounds.

Tripathy, S., Kleppinger-Sparace, K. Dixon, R.A., Chapman, K.D. (2003) N-Acylethanolamine Signaling in Tobacco Is Mediated by a Membrane-Associated, High-Affinity Binding Protein. Plant Physiol. 131 (4):1781-1791 First published on line March 6, 2003; 10.1104/pp.102.014936.

Attieh, J., K.F. Kleppinger-Sparace, C. Nunes, S.A. Sparace, H.S. Saini.(2000) Evidence implicating a novel thiol methyltransferase in the detoxification of glucosinolate hydrolysis products in Brassica oleracea L. Plant Cell and Environ. 23:165-174.

Xue L, McCune LM, Kleppinger-Sparace KF, Brown MJ, Pomeroy MK, Sparace SA (1997) Characterization of the glycerolipid composition and biosynthetic capacity of pea root plastids. Plant Physiol.

Qi,Q., B.A. Trimming, K.F. Kleppinger-Sparace, M.J. Emes, S.A. Sparace (1996) Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in pea root plastids: their characterization and role in modulating glycolytic carbon flow to fatty acid biosynthesis. J. Experimental Botany 47: 1889-1896.

Qi, Q., K.F. Kleppinger-Sparace & S.A. Sparace (1995) The utilization of glycolytic intermediates as precursors for fatty acid and glycerolipid biosynthesis in pea root plastids. Plant Physiol. 107:413-419.