Purification and characterization of soluble starch synthases from maize endosperm

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the Starch Synthase Gene Family in Sweet Potato and Two of Its Closely Related Species

The starch synthase (SS) plays important roles in regulating plant growth and development and responding to adversity stresses. Although the SS family has been studied in many crops, it has not been fully identified in sweet potato and its two related species. In the present study, eight SSs were identified from Ipomoea batatas (I. batata), Ipomoea trifida (I. trifida), and Ipomoea trlioba (I. trlioba), respectively. According to the phylogenetic relationships, they were divided into five subgroups. The protein properties, chromosomal location, phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, cis-elements in the promoter, and interaction network of these proteins were also analyzed; stress expression patterns were systematically analyzed; and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis was performed. Ipomoea batatas starch synthase (IbSSs) were highly expressed in tuber roots, especially Ipomoea batatas starch synthase 1 (IbSS1) and Ipomoea batatas starch synthase 6 (IbSS6), which may play an important role in root development and starch biosynthesis. At the same time, the SS genes respond to potassium deficiency, hormones, cold, heat, salt, and drought stress. This study offers fresh perspectives for enhancing knowledge about the roles of SSs and potential genes to enhance productivity, starch levels, and resistance to environmental stresses in sweet potatoes.

Effects of Post Anthesis High Temperature Stress on Carbon Partitioning and Starch Biosynthesis in a Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Adapted to Moderate Growth Temperatures

This study investigates carbon partitioning in the developing endosperm of a European variety of spring wheat subjected to moderately elevated daytime temperatures (27°C/16°C day/night) from anthesis to grain maturity. Elevated daytime temperatures caused significant reductions in both fresh and dry weights and reduced starch content of harvested grains compared to plants grown under a 20°C/16°C day/night regime. Accelerated grain development caused by elevated temperatures was accounted for by representing plant development as thermal time (°CDPA). We examined effects of high temperature stress (HTS) on uptake and partitioning of [U-14C]-sucrose supplied to isolated endosperms. HTS caused reduced sucrose uptake into developing endosperms from the second major grain filling stage (approximately 260°CDPA) up to maturity. Enzymes involved in sucrose metabolism were unaffected by HTS, whereas key enzyme activities involved in endosperm starch deposition such as ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and soluble isoforms of starch synthase were sensitive to HTS throughout grain development. HTS caused a decrease in other major carbon sinks such as evolved CO2, ethanol-soluble material, cell walls and protein. Despite reductions in labelling of carbon pools caused by HTS, the relative proportions of sucrose taken up by endosperm cells allocated to each cellular pool remain unchanged, except for evolved CO2, which increased under HTS and may reflect enhanced respiratory activity. The results of this study show that moderate temperature increases in some temperate wheat cultivars can cause significant yield reductions chiefly through three effects: reduced sucrose uptake by the endosperm, reduced starch synthesis, and increased partitioning of carbon into evolved CO2.

Pho1 cooperates with DPE1 to control short maltooligosaccharide mobilization during starch synthesis initiation in rice endosperm

Plastidial α-glucan phosphorylase is a key factor that cooperates with plastidial disproportionating enzyme to control short maltooligosaccharide mobilization during the initiation process of starch molecule synthesis in developing rice endosperm. Storage starch synthesis is essential for grain filling. However, little is known about how cereal endosperm controls starch synthesis initiation. One of core events for starch synthesis initiation is short maltooligosaccharide (MOS) mobilization consisting of long MOS primer production and excess MOS breakdown. By mutant analyses and biochemical investigations, we present here functional identifications of plastidial α-glucan phosphorylase (Pho1) and disproportionating enzyme (DPE1) during starch synthesis initiation in rice (Oryza sativa) endosperm. Pho1 deficiency impaired MOS mobilization, triggering short MOS accumulation and starch synthesis reduction during early seed development. The mutant seeds differed significantly in MOS level and starch content at 15 days after flowering and exhibited diverse endosperm phenotypes during mid-late seed development: ranging from pseudonormal to shrunken (Shr), severely or excessively Shr. The level of DPE1 was almost normal in the PN seeds but significantly reduced in the Shr seeds. Overexpression of DPE1 in pho1 resulted in plump seeds only. DPE1 deficiency had no obvious effects on MOS mobilization. Knockout of DPE1 in pho1 completely blocked MOS mobilization, resulting in severely and excessively Shr seeds only. These findings show that Pho1 cooperates with DPE1 to control short MOS mobilization during starch synthesis initiation in rice endosperm.

Functional Analysis of Starch Metabolism in Plants

In plants, starch is synthesized in leaves during the day-time from fixed carbon through photosynthesis and is mobilized at night to support continued respiration, sucrose export, and growth in the dark. The main crops where starch is biosynthesized and stored are corn, rice, wheat, and potatoes, and they are mainly used as food resources for humankind. There are many genes that are involved in starch biosynthesis from cytosol to storage organs in plants. ADP-glucose, UDP- glucose, and glucose-6-phosphate are synthesized catalyzed by UDP-invertase, AGPase, hexokinase, and P- hexose-isomerase in cytosol. Starch composed of amylopectin and amylose is synthesized by starch synthase, granule bound starch synthase, starch-branching enzyme, debranching enzyme, and pullulanase, which is primarily responsible for starch production in storage organs. Recently, it has been uncovered that structural genes are controlled by proteins derived from other genes such as transcription factors. To obtain more precise information on starch metabolism, the functions of genes and transcription factors need to be studied to understand their roles and functions in starch biosynthesis in plants. However, the roles of genes related to starch biosynthesis are not yet clearly understood. The papers of this special issue contain reviews and research articles on these topics and will be a useful resource for researchers involved in the quality improvement of starch storage crops.

Starch formation inside plastids of higher plants

Starch is a water-insoluble polyglucan synthesized inside the plastid stroma within plant cells, serving a crucial role in the carbon budget of the whole plant by acting as a short-term and long-term store of energy. The highly complex, hierarchical structure of the starch granule arises from the actions of a large suite of enzyme activities, in addition to physicochemical self-assembly mechanisms. This review outlines current knowledge of the starch biosynthetic pathway operating in plant cells in relation to the micro- and macro-structures of the starch granule. We highlight the gaps in our knowledge, in particular, the relationship between enzyme function and operation at the molecular level and the formation of the final, macroscopic architecture of the granule.

Evolutionary, structural and expression analysis of core genes involved in starch synthesis

Starch is the main storage carbohydrate in plants and an important natural resource for food, feed and industrial raw materials. However, the details regarding the pathway for starch biosynthesis and the diversity of biosynthetic enzymes involved in this process are poorly understood. This study uses a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of 74 sequenced plant genomes to revisit the evolutionary history of the genes encoding ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), starch synthase (SS), starch branching enzyme (SBE) and starch de-branching enzyme (DBE). Additionally, the protein structures and expression patterns of these four core genes in starch biosynthesis were studied to determine their functional differences. The results showed that AGPase, SS, SBE and DBE have undergone complicated evolutionary processes in plants and that gene/genome duplications are responsible for the observed differences in isoform numbers. A structure analysis of these proteins suggested that the deletion/mutation of amino acids in some active sites resulted in not only structural variation but also sub-functionalization or neo-functionalization. Expression profiling indicated that AGPase-, SS-, SBE- and DBE-encoding genes exhibit spatio-temporally divergent expression patterns related to the composition of functional complexes in starch biosynthesis. This study provides a comprehensive atlas of the starch biosynthetic pathway, and these data should support future studies aimed at increasing understanding of starch biosynthesis and the functional evolutionary divergence of AGPase, SS, SBE, and DBE in plants.

Initiation, Elongation, and Termination of Bacterial Cellulose Synthesis

Cellulose is the major component of the plant cell wall and composed of β-linked glucose units. Use of cellulose is greatly impacted by its physical properties, which are dominated by the number of individual cellulose strand within each fiber and the average length of each strand. Our work described herein provides a complete mechanism for cellulose synthase accounting for its processivity and mechanism of initiation. Using ionic liquids and gel permeation chromatography, we obtain kinetic constants for initiation, elongation, and termination (release of the cellulose strand from the enzyme) for two bacterial cellulose synthases (Gluconacetobacter hansenii and Rhodobacter sphaeroides). Our results show that initiation of synthesis is primer-independent. After initiation, the enzyme undergoes multiple cycles of elongation until the strand is released. The rate of elongation is much faster than that of steady-state turnover. Elongation requires cyclic addition of glucose (from uridine diphosphate-glucose) and then strand translocation by one glucose unit. Translocations greater than one glucose unit result in termination requiring reinitiation. The rate of the strand release, relative to the rate of elongation, determines the processivity of the enzyme. This mechanism and the measured rate constants were supported by kinetic simulation. With the experimentally determined rate constants, we are able to simulate steady-state kinetics and mimic the size distribution of the product. Thus, our results provide for the first time a mechanism for cellulose synthase that accounts for initiation, elongation, and termination.

Starch Biosynthesis in the Developing Endosperms of Grasses and Cereals

The starch-rich endosperms of the Poaceae, which includes wild grasses and their domesticated descendents the cereals, have provided humankind and their livestock with the bulk of their daily calories since the dawn of civilization up to the present day. There are currently unprecedented pressures on global food supplies, largely resulting from population growth, loss of agricultural land that is linked to increased urbanization, and climate change. Since cereal yields essentially underpin world food and feed supply, it is critical that we understand the biological factors contributing to crop yields. In particular, it is important to understand the biochemical pathway that is involved in starch biosynthesis, since this pathway is the major yield determinant in the seeds of six out of the top seven crops grown worldwide. This review outlines the critical stages of growth and development of the endosperm tissue in the Poaceae, including discussion of carbon provision to the growing sink tissue. The main body of the review presents a current view of our understanding of storage starch biosynthesis, which occurs inside the amyloplasts of developing endosperms.

Comparative in vitro analyses of recombinant maize starch synthases SSI, SSIIa, and SSIII reveal direct regulatory interactions and thermosensitivity

Starch synthases SSI, SSII, and SSIII function in assembling the amylopectin component of starch, but their specific roles and means of coordination are not fully understood. Genetic analyses indicate regulatory interactions among SS classes, and physical interactions among them are known. The N terminal extension of cereal SSIII, comprising up to 1200 residues beyond the catalytic domain, is responsible at least in part for these interactions. Recombinant maize SSI, SSIIa, and full-length or truncated SSIII, were tested for functional interactions regarding enzymatic activity. Amino-terminal truncated SSIII exhibited reduced activity compared to full-length enzyme, and addition of the N terminus to the truncated protein stimulated catalytic activity. SSIII and SSI displayed a negative interaction that reduced total activity in a reconstituted system. These data demonstrate that SSIII is both a catalytic and regulatory factor. SSIII activity was reduced by approximately 50% after brief incubation at 45 °C, suggesting a role in reduced starch accumulation during growth in high temperatures. Buffer effects were tested to address a current debate regarding the SS mechanism. Glucan stimulated the SSIIa and SSIII reaction rate regardless of the buffer system, supporting the accepted mechanism in which glucosyl units are added to exogenous primer substrates.

In vitro Biochemical Characterization of All Barley Endosperm Starch Synthases

Starch is the main storage polysaccharide in cereals and the major source of calories in the human diet. It is synthesized by a panel of enzymes including five classes of starch synthases (SSs). While the overall starch synthase (SS) reaction is known, the functional differences between the five SS classes are poorly understood. Much of our knowledge comes from analyzing mutant plants with altered SS activities, but the resulting data are often difficult to interpret as a result of pleitropic effects, competition between enzymes, overlaps in enzyme activity and disruption of multi-enzyme complexes. Here we provide a detailed biochemical study of the activity of all five classes of SSs in barley endosperm. Each enzyme was produced recombinantly in E. coli and the properties and modes of action in vitro were studied in isolation from other SSs and other substrate modifying activities. Our results define the mode of action of each SS class in unprecedented detail; we analyze their substrate selection, temperature dependence and stability, substrate affinity and temporal abundance during barley development. Our results are at variance with some generally accepted ideas about starch biosynthesis and might lead to the reinterpretation of results obtained in planta. In particular, they indicate that granule bound SS is capable of processive action even in the absence of a starch matrix, that SSI has no elongation limit, and that SSIV, believed to be critical for the initiation of starch granules, has maltoligosaccharides and not polysaccharides as its preferred substrates.

The different effects of starch synthase IIa mutations or variation on endosperm amylose content of barley, wheat and rice are determined by the distribution of starch synthase I and starch branching enzyme IIb between the starch granule and amyloplast stroma

The distribution of starch synthase I and starch branching enzyme IIb between the starch granule and amyloplast stroma plays an important role in determining endosperm amylose content of cereal grains. Starch synthase IIa (SSIIa) catalyses the polymerisation of intermediate length glucan chains of amylopectin in the endosperm of cereals. Mutations of SSIIa genes in barley and wheat and inactive SSIIa variant in rice induce similar effects on the starch structure and the amylose content, but the severity of the phenotypes is different. This study compared the levels of transcripts and partitioning of proteins of starch synthase I (SSI) and starch branching enzyme IIb (SBEIIb) inside and outside the starch granules in the developing endosperms of these ssIIa mutants and inactive SSIIa variant. Pleiotropic effects on starch granule-bound proteins suggested that the different effects of SSIIa mutations on endosperm amylose content of barley, wheat and rice are determined by the distribution of SSI and SBEIIb between the starch granule and amyloplast stroma in cereals. Regulation of starch synthesis in ssIIa mutants and inactive SSIIa variant may be at post-translational level or the altered amylopectin structure deprives the affinity of SSI and SBEIIb to amylopectin.

Transcriptomic identification and expression of starch and sucrose metabolism genes in the seeds of Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima)

The Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) seed provides a rich source of carbohydrates as food and feed. However, little is known about starch biosynthesis in the seeds. The objectives of this study were to determine seed composition profiles and identify genes involved in starch and sucrose metabolism. Metabolite analysis showed that starch was the major component and rapidly accumulated during seed endosperm development. Amylopectin was approximately 3-fold of amylose content in chestnut starch. Illumina platform-based transcriptome sequencing generated 56671 unigenes in two cDNA libraries from seed endosperms collected at 45 and 75 days after flowering (DAF). A total of 1537 unigenes showed expression differences ≥2-fold in the two stages of seeds including 570 up-regulated and 967 down-regulated unigenes. One hundred and fifty-two unigenes were identified as involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, including 1 for glycogenin glucosyltransferase, 4 for adenylate transporter (brittle1-type), 3 for ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP, not brittle2- or shrunken2-type), 3 for starch synthase (SS), 2 for starch branching enzyme, 5 for starch debranching enzyme, 11 for sucrose synthase, and 3 for sucrose-phosphate synthase. Among them, 58 unigenes showed a ≥2-fold expression difference between the 45 and 75 DAF seeds including 11 up- and 47 down-regulated unigenes. The expression of 21 unigenes putatively coding for major enzymes in starch and sucrose metabolism was validated by qPCR using RNA from five seed stages. Expression profiles and correlation analysis indicated that the mRNA levels of AGP (large and small subunits), granule-bound SS2, and soluble SS1 and SS4 were well-correlated with starch accumulation in the seeds. This study suggests that the starch biosynthesis pathway in Chinese chestnut is similar to that of potato tuber/Arabidopsis leaf and differs from that of maize endosperm. The information provides valuable metabolite and genetic resources for future research in starch and sucrose metabolism in Chinese chestnut tree.

Characterization of a soluble phosphatidic acid phosphatase in bitter melon (Momordica charantia)

Momordica charantia is often called bitter melon, bitter gourd or bitter squash because its fruit has a bitter taste. The fruit has been widely used as vegetable and herbal medicine. Alpha-eleostearic acid is the major fatty acid in the seeds, but little is known about its biosynthesis. As an initial step towards understanding the biochemical mechanism of fatty acid accumulation in bitter melon seeds, this study focused on a soluble phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP, 3-sn-phosphatidate phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.4) that hydrolyzes the phosphomonoester bond in phosphatidate yielding diacylglycerol and P_i. PAPs are typically categorized into two subfamilies: Mg²⁺-dependent soluble PAP and Mg²⁺-independent membrane-associated PAP. We report here the partial purification and characterization of an Mg²⁺-independent PAP activity from developing cotyledons of bitter melon. PAP protein was partially purified by successive centrifugation and UNOsphere Q and S columns from the soluble extract. PAP activity was optimized at pH 6.5 and 53–60°C and unaffected by up to 0.3 mM MgCl₂. The K_m and V_max values for dioleoyl-phosphatidic acid were 595.4 µM and 104.9 ηkat/mg of protein, respectively. PAP activity was inhibited by NaF, Na₃VO₄, Triton X-100, FeSO₄ and CuSO₄, but stimulated by MnSO₄, ZnSO₄ and Co(NO₃)₂. In-gel activity assay and mass spectrometry showed that PAP activity was copurified with a number of other proteins. This study suggests that PAP protein is probably associated with other proteins in bitter melon seeds and that a new class of PAP exists as a soluble and Mg²⁺-independent enzyme in plants.

In vitro studies of enzymatic properties of starch synthases and interactions between starch synthase I and starch branching enzymes from rice

The present study was conducted to characterize the functions of the major starch synthase (SS) isozymes SSI, SSIIa, and SSIIIa in rice endosperm and their functional interaction with starch branching enzyme (BE), by using their purified recombinant proteins. All the SS isozymes had similarly significant activities toward branched glucans such as amylopecin and glycogen whereas they scarcely showed activities toward maltohexaose. In vitro studies indicate that SSI mainly attacked A and B chains with degree of polymerization (DP) of 6 and 7 in their external segments and elongated them to DP8. It is likely that SSIIa and SSIIIa produced wider ranges of intermediate chains and long chains, respectively. This study also revealed that without addition of exogenous primer, the glucan synthesis of SSI in the presence of ≧0.3 M citrate was accelerated by the addition of any of the rice BE isozymes- BEI, BEIIa, or BEIIb, whereas no such interaction occurred between SSIIa or SSIIIa with any of the BEs. The SSI-BE unprimed glucan synthesis absolutely required citrate. The interaction between SSI and BE was established by stimulation of SSI activity with BE and by activation of the BE activity by SSI.

Effects of drought on gene expression in maize reproductive and leaf meristem tissue revealed by RNA-Seq

Drought stress affects cereals especially during the reproductive stage. The maize (Zea mays) drought transcriptome was studied using RNA-Seq analysis to compare drought-treated and well-watered fertilized ovary and basal leaf meristem tissue. More drought-responsive genes responded in the ovary compared with the leaf meristem. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed a massive decrease in transcript abundance of cell division and cell cycle genes in the drought-stressed ovary only. Among Gene Ontology categories related to carbohydrate metabolism, changes in starch and Suc metabolism-related genes occurred in the ovary, consistent with a decrease in starch levels, and in Suc transporter function, with no comparable changes occurring in the leaf meristem. Abscisic acid (ABA)-related processes responded positively, but only in the ovaries. Related responses suggested the operation of low glucose sensing in drought-stressed ovaries. The data are discussed in the context of the susceptibility of maize kernel to drought stress leading to embryo abortion and the relative robustness of dividing vegetative tissue taken at the same time from the same plant subjected to the same conditions. Our working hypothesis involves signaling events associated with increased ABA levels, decreased glucose levels, disruption of ABA/sugar signaling, activation of programmed cell death/senescence through repression of a phospholipase C-mediated signaling pathway, and arrest of the cell cycle in the stressed ovary at 1 d after pollination. Increased invertase levels in the stressed leaf meristem, on the other hand, resulted in that tissue maintaining hexose levels at an "unstressed" level, and at lower ABA levels, which was correlated with successful resistance to drought stress.

Functional interactions between starch synthase III and isoamylase-type starch-debranching enzyme in maize endosperm

This study characterized genetic interactions between the maize (Zea mays) genes dull1 (du1), encoding starch synthase III (SSIII), and isa2, encoding a noncatalytic subunit of heteromeric isoamylase-type starch-debranching enzyme (ISA1/ISA2 heteromer). Mutants lacking ISA2 still possess the ISA1 homomeric enzyme. Eight du1(-) mutations were characterized, and structural changes in amylopectin resulting from each were measured. In every instance, the same complex pattern of alterations in discontinuous spans of chain lengths was observed, which cannot be explained solely by a discrete range of substrates preferred by SSIII. Homozygous double mutants were constructed containing the null mutation isa2-339 and either du1-Ref, encoding a truncated SSIII protein lacking the catalytic domain, or the null allele du1-R4059. In contrast to the single mutant parents, double mutant endosperms affected in both SSIII and ISA2 were starch deficient and accumulated phytoglycogen. This phenotype was previously observed only in maize sugary1 mutants impaired for the catalytic subunit ISA1. ISA1 homomeric enzyme complexes assembled in both double mutants and were enzymatically active in vitro. Thus, SSIII is required for normal starch crystallization and the prevention of phytoglycogen accumulation when the only isoamylase-type debranching activity present is ISA1 homomer, but not in the wild-type condition, when both ISA1 homomer and ISA1/ISA2 heteromer are present. Previous genetic and biochemical analyses showed that SSIII also is required for normal glucan accumulation when the only isoamylase-type debranching enzyme activity present is ISA1/ISA heteromer. These data indicate that isoamylase-type debranching enzyme and SSIII work in a coordinated fashion to repress phytoglycogen accumulation.

Integrating genes and phenotype: a wheat-Arabidopsis-rice glycosyltransferase database for candidate gene analyses

Glycosyltransferases (GTs) constitute a very large multi-gene superfamily, containing several thousand members identified in sequenced organisms especially in plants. GTs are key enzymes involved in various biological processes such as cell wall formation, storage polysaccharides biosynthesis, and glycosylation of various metabolites. GTs have been identified in rice (Oryza sativa) and Arabidopsis thaliana, but their precise function has been demonstrated biochemically for only a few. In this work we have established a repertoire of virtually all the wheat (Triticum aestivum) GT sequences, using the large publicly available banks of expressed sequences. Based on sequence similarity with Arabidopsis and rice GTs compiled in the carbohydrate active enzyme database (CAZY), we have identified and classified these wheat sequences. The results were used to feed a searchable database available on the web ( http://wwwappli.nantes.inra.fr:8180/GTIDB ) that can be used for initiating an exhaustive candidate gene survey in wheat applied to a particular biological process. This is illustrated through the identification of GT families which are expressed during cell wall formation in wheat grain maturation.

Analysis of protein complexes in wheat amyloplasts reveals functional interactions among starch biosynthetic enzymes

Protein-protein interactions among enzymes of amylopectin biosynthesis were investigated in developing wheat (Triticum aestivum) endosperm. Physical interactions between starch branching enzymes (SBEs) and starch synthases (SSs) were identified from endosperm amyloplasts during the active phase of starch deposition in the developing grain using immunoprecipitation and cross-linking strategies. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments using peptide-specific antibodies indicate that at least two distinct complexes exist containing SSI, SSIIa, and either of SBEIIa or SBEIIb. Chemical cross linking was used to identify protein complexes containing SBEs and SSs from amyloplast extracts. Separation of extracts by gel filtration chromatography demonstrated the presence of SBE and SS forms in protein complexes of around 260 kD and that SBEII forms may also exist as homodimers. Analysis of cross-linked 260-kD aggregation products from amyloplast lysates by mass spectrometry confirmed SSI, SSIIa, and SBEII forms as components of one or more protein complexes in amyloplasts. In vitro phosphorylation experiments with gamma-(32)P-ATP indicated that SSII and both forms of SBEII are phosphorylated. Treatment of the partially purified 260-kD SS-SBE complexes with alkaline phosphatase caused dissociation of the assembly into the respective monomeric proteins, indicating that formation of SS-SBE complexes is phosphorylation dependent. The 260-kD SS-SBEII protein complexes are formed around 10 to 15 d after pollination and were shown to be catalytically active with respect to both SS and SBE activities. Prior to this developmental stage, SSI, SSII, and SBEII forms were detectable only in monomeric form. High molecular weight forms of SBEII demonstrated a higher affinity for in vitro glucan substrates than monomers. These results provide direct evidence for the existence of protein complexes involved in amylopectin biosynthesis.

Production and characterization of ZFP36L1 antiserum against recombinant protein from Escherichia coli

Tristetraprolin/zinc finger protein 36 (TTP/ZFP36) family proteins are anti-inflammatory. They bind and destabilize some AU-rich element-containing mRNAs such as tumor necrosis factor mRNA. In this study, recombinant ZFP36L1/TIS11B (a TTP homologue) was overexpressed in E. coli, purified, and used for polyclonal antibody production in rabbits. The antiserum recognized nanograms of the antigen on immunoblots. This antiserum and another antiserum developed against recombinant mouse TTP were used to detect ZFP36L1 and TTP in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW264.7 macrophages. Immunoblotting showed that ZFP36L1 was stably expressed with a size corresponding to the lower mass size of ZFP36L1 expressed in transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells, but TTP was induced by cinnamon extract and not by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in adipocytes. In contrast, ZFP36L1 was undetectable, but TTP was strongly induced in LPS-stimulated RAW cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed the higher levels of ZFP36L1 mRNA in adipocytes and TTP mRNA in RAW cells. Low levels of ZFP36L1 expression were also confirmed by Northern blotting in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These results demonstrate that ZFP36L1 antiserum is useful in the detection of this protein and that TTP and ZFP36L1 are differentially expressed and regulated at the mRNA and protein levels in mouse adipocytes and macrophages.

Characterization of SSIIIa-deficient mutants of rice: the function of SSIIIa and pleiotropic effects by SSIIIa deficiency in the rice endosperm

Starch synthase IIIa (SSIIIa)-deficient rice (Oryza sativa) mutants were generated using retrotransposon insertion and chemical mutagenesis. The lowest migrating SS activity bands on glycogen-containing native polyacrylamide gel, which were identified to be those for SSIIIa, were completely absent in these mutants, indicating that they are SSIIIa null mutants. The amylopectin B(2) to B(4) chains with degree of polymerization (DP) >/= 30 and the M(r) of amylopectin in the mutant were reduced to about 60% and 70% of the wild-type values, respectively, suggesting that SSIIIa plays an important part in the elongation of amylopectin B(2) to B(4) chains. Chains with DP 6 to 9 and DP 16 to 19 decreased while chains with DP 10 to 15 and DP 20 to 25 increased in the mutants amylopectin. These changes in the SSIIIa mutants are almost opposite images of those of SSI-deficient rice mutant and were caused by 1.3- to 1.7-fold increase of the amount of SSI in the mutants endosperm. Furthermore, the amylose content and the extralong chains (DP >/= 500) of amylopectin were increased by 1.3- and 12-fold, respectively. These changes in the composition in the mutants starch were caused by 1.4- to 1.7-fold increase in amounts of granules-bound starch synthase (GBSSI). The starch granules of the mutants were smaller with round shape, and were less crystalline. Thus, deficiency in SSIIIa, the second major SS isozyme in developing rice endosperm affected the structure of amylopectin, amylase content, and physicochemical properties of starch granules in two ways: directly by the SSIIIa deficiency itself and indirectly by the enhancement of both SSI and GBSSI gene transcripts.

Function and characterization of starch synthase I using mutants in rice

Four starch synthase I (SSI)-deficient rice (Oryza sativa) mutant lines were generated using retrotransposon Tos17 insertion. The mutants exhibited different levels of SSI activities and produced significantly lower amounts of SSI protein ranging from 0% to 20% of the wild type. The mutant endosperm amylopectin showed a decrease in chains with degree of polymerization (DP) 8 to 12 and an increase in chains with DP 6 to 7 and DP 16 to 19. The degree of change in amylopectin chain-length distribution was positively correlated with the extent of decrease in SSI activity in the mutants. The structural changes in the amylopectin increased the gelatinization temperature of endosperm starch. Chain-length analysis of amylopectin in the SSI band excised from native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/SS activity staining gel showed that SSI preferentially synthesized DP 7 to 11 chains by elongating DP 4 to 7 short chains of glycogen or amylopectin. These results show that SSI distinctly generates DP 8 to 12 chains from short DP 6 to 7 chains emerging from the branch point in the A or B(1) chain of amylopectin. SSI seemingly functions from the very early through the late stage of endosperm development. Yet, the complete absence of SSI, despite being a major SS isozyme in the developing endosperm, had no effect on the size and shape of seeds and starch granules and the crystallinity of endosperm starch, suggesting that other SS enzymes are probably capable of partly compensating SSI function. In summary, this study strongly suggested that amylopectin chains are synthesized by the coordinated actions of SSI, SSIIa, and SSIIIa isoforms.

Soluble starch synthase I: a major determinant for the synthesis of amylopectin in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves

A minimum of four soluble starch synthase families have been documented in all starch-storing green plants. These activities are involved in amylopectin synthesis and are extremely well conserved throughout the plant kingdom. Mutants or transgenic plants defective for SSII and SSIII isoforms have been previously shown to have a large and specific impact on the synthesis of amylopectin while the function of the SSI type of enzymes has remained elusive. We report here that Arabidopsis mutants, lacking a plastidial starch synthase isoform belonging to the SSI family, display a major and novel type of structural alteration within their amylopectin. Comparative analysis of beta-limit dextrins for both wild type and mutant amylopectins suggests a specific and crucial function of SSI during the synthesis of transient starch in Arabidopsis leaves. Considering our own characterization of SSI activity and the previously described kinetic properties of maize SSI, our results suggest that the function of SSI is mainly involved in the synthesis of small outer chains during amylopectin cluster synthesis.

Expression, purification, and biochemical characterization of the antiinflammatory tristetraprolin: a zinc-dependent mRNA binding protein affected by posttranslational modifications

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a hyperphosphorylated protein that destabilizes mRNA by binding to an AU-rich element (ARE). Mice deficient in TTP develop a severe inflammatory syndrome. The biochemical properties of TTP have not been adequately characterized, due to the difficulties in protein purification and lack of a high-titer antiserum. Full-length human TTP was expressed in human HEK293 cells and purified to at least 70% homogeneity. The purified protein was free of endogenous ARE binding activity, and was used for investigating its size, zinc dependency, and binding kinetics for tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA ARE. A high-titer rabbit antiserum was raised against the MBP-hTTP fusion protein expressed in Escherichia coli. Cellular localization studies of the transfected cells indicated that approximately 80% of the expressed TTP was in the cytosol, with 20% in the nuclei. TTP from both locations bound to the ARE and formed similar complexes. The purified TTP was shown to be intact by N-terminal His-tag purification, C-terminal peptide sequencing, and mass spectrometry analysis. Results from size exclusion chromatography are consistent with the predominant form of active TTP being a tetramer. TTP's ARE binding activity was increased by 10 microM Zn(2+). The half-maximal binding of TTP from HEK293 cells was approximately 30 nM in assays containing 10 nM ARE. This value was about twice that of TTP from E. coli. TTP from HEK293 cells was highly phosphorylated, and its electrophoretic mobility was increased by alkaline phosphatase treatment and somewhat by T271A mutation, but not by PNGase F or S186A mutation. The gel mobility of TTP from E. coli was decreased by in vitro phosphorylation with p42/ERK2 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases. These results suggest that TTP's zinc-dependent ARE binding affinity is reduced by half by posttranslational modifications, mainly by phosphorylation but not by glycosylation, in mammalian cells. The results support a model in which each subunit of the TTP tetramer binds to one of the five overlapping UUAUUUAUU sequences of the ARE, resulting in a stable TTP-ARE complex.

Molecular characterization demonstrates that the Zea mays gene sugary2 codes for the starch synthase isoform SSIIa

Mutations in the maize gene sugary2 ( su2 ) affect starch structure and its resultant physiochemical properties in useful ways, although the gene has not been characterized previously at the molecular level. This study tested the hypothesis that su2 codes for starch synthase IIa (SSIIa). Two independent mutations of the su2 locus, su2-2279 and su2-5178 , were identified in a Mutator -active maize population. The nucleotide sequence of the genomic locus that codes for SSIIa was compared between wild type plants and those homozygous for either novel mutation. Plants bearing su2-2279 invariably contained a Mutator transposon in exon 3 of the SSIIa gene, and su2-5178 mutants always contained a small retrotransposon-like insertion in exon 10. Six allelic su2 (-) mutations conditioned loss or reduction in abundance of the SSIIa protein detected by immunoblot. These data indicate that su2 codes for SSIIa and that deficiency in this isoform is ultimately responsible for the altered physiochemical properties of su2 (-) mutant starches. A specific starch synthase isoform among several identified in soluble endosperm extracts was absent in su2-2279 or su2-5178 mutants, indicating that SSIIa is active in the soluble phase during kernel development. The immediate structural effect of the su2 (-) mutations was shown to be increased abundance of short glucan chains in amylopectin and a proportional decrease in intermediate length chains, similar to the effects of SSII deficiency in other species.

Immunological characterization of tristetraprolin as a low abundance, inducible, stable cytosolic protein

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a zinc finger protein that can bind to AU-rich elements within certain mRNAs, resulting in deadenylation and destabilization of those mRNAs. Its physiological targets include the mRNAs encoding the cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. TTP was originally identified on the basis of its massive but transient increase in mRNA levels following mitogen stimulation of fibroblasts. It has been difficult to reconcile this transient mRNA profile with the presumed continuing "need" for TTP protein, for example, to reverse the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated TNF secretion. To investigate this and other questions concerning endogenous TTP protein in cells and tissues, we raised a high titer rabbit antiserum against full-length mouse TTP. TTP could be detected on immunoblots of mouse cytosolic tissue extracts; it was most highly expressed in spleen, but its concentration in that tissue was only about 1.5 nm. TTP could be detected readily in splenic macrophages and stromal cells from LPS-injected rats. In both LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages and fetal calf serum-treated mouse embryonic fibroblasts, TTP protein was stable after induction, with minimal degradation occurring for several hours after treatment of the cells with cycloheximide. The biosynthesis of TTP was accompanied by large changes in electrophoretic mobility consistent with progressive phosphorylation. Confocal microscopy revealed that TTP accumulated in a vesicular pattern in the cytosol of the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, and was occasionally seen in the cytosol of unstimulated dividing cells. Gel filtration of the endogenous protein suggested that its predominant structure was monomeric. TTP appears to be a low abundance, cytosolic protein in unstimulated cells and tissues, but once induced is relatively stable, in contrast to its very labile mRNA.

Starch synthesis in the cereal endosperm

The pathway of starch synthesis in the cereal endosperm is unique, and requires enzyme isoforms that are not present in other cereal tissues or non-cereal plants. Recent information on the functions of individual enzyme isoforms has provided insight into how the linear chains and branch linkages in cereal starch are synthesized and distributed. Genetic analyses have led to the formulation of models for the roles of de-branching enzymes in cereal starch production, and reveal pleiotropic effects that suggest that certain enzymes may be physically associated. For the first time, tools for global analyses of starch biosynthesis are available for cereal crops, and are heralded by the draft sequence of the rice genome.

Effect of high temperature on fine structure of amylopectin in rice endosperm by reducing the activity of the starch branching enzyme

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain quality is affected by the environmental temperature it experiences. To investigate the physiological molecular mechanisms of the effect of high temperatures on rice grain, a non-waxy indica rice was grown under two temperature conditions, (29/35 degrees C) and (22/28 degrees C), during the ripening stage in two phytotrons. The activities and gene expression of key enzymes for the biosynthesis of amylose and amylopectin were examined. The activity and expression levels of soluble endosperm starch synthase I were higher at 29/35 degrees C than that at 22/28 degrees C. In contrast, the activities and expression levels of the rice branching enzyme1, the branching enzyme3 and the granule bound starch synthase of the endosperm were lower at 29/35 degrees C than those at 22/28 degrees C. These results suggest that the decreased activity of starch branching enzyme reduces the branching frequency of the branches of amylopectin, which results in the increased amount of long chains of amylopectin of endosperm in rice grain at high temperature.

Barley sex6 mutants lack starch synthase IIa activity and contain a starch with novel properties

Analysis of barley shrunken grain mutants has identified lines with a novel high amylose starch phenotype. The causal mutation is located at the sex6 locus on chromosome 7H, suggesting the starch synthase IIa (ssIIa) gene as a candidate gene altered by the mutation. Consistent with this hypothesis, no evidence of SSIIa protein expression in either the starch granule or soluble fractions of the endosperm was found. Sequences of the starch synthase IIa gene, ssIIa, from three independent sex6 lines showed the presence of a stop codon preventing translation of the ssIIa transcript in each line. Perfect segregation of the starch phenotype with the presence of stop codons in the ssIIa gene was obtained, providing strong evidence for the lesion in the ssIIa gene being the causal mutation for the sex6 phenotype. The loss of SSIIa activity in barley leads to novel and informative phenotypes. First, a decrease in amylopectin synthesis to less than 20% of the wild-type levels indicates that SSIIa accounts for the majority of the amylopectin polymer elongation activity in barley. Secondly, in contrast to high amylose starches resulting from branching enzyme downregulation, the sex6 starches have a shortened amylopectin chain length distribution and a reduced gelatinisation temperature. Thirdly, the mutation leads to pleiotropic effects on other enzymes of the starch biosynthesis pathway, abolishing the binding of SSI, branching enzyme IIa and branching enzyme IIb to the starch granules of sex6 mutants, while not significantly altering their expression levels in the soluble fraction.

Expression and purification of recombinant tristetraprolin that can bind to tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA and serve as a substrate for mitogen-activated protein kinases

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is an mRNA-binding protein, but studies of this interaction have been difficult due to problems with the purification of recombinant TTP. In the present study, we expressed human and mouse TTP as glutathione S-transferase and maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion proteins in Escherichia coli, and purified them by affinity resins and Mono Q chromatography. TTP cleaved from the fusion protein was identified by immunoblotting, MALDI-MS, and protein sequencing, and was further purified to homogeneity by continuous-elution SDS-gel electrophoresis. Purified recombinant TTP bound to the AU-rich element of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) mRNA and this binding was dependent on Zn(2+). Results from sizing columns suggested that the active species might be in the form of an oligomer of MBP-TTP. Recombinant TTP was phosphorylated by three members of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family, p42, p38, and JNK, with half-maximal phosphorylation occurring at approximately 0.5, 0.25, and 0.25 microM protein, respectively. Phosphorylation by these kinases did not appear to affect the ability of TTP to bind to TNFalpha mRNA under the assay conditions. This study describes a procedure for purifying nonfusion protein TTP to homogeneity, demonstrates that TTP's RNA-binding activity is zinc dependent, and that TTP can be phosphorylated by JNK as well as by the other members of the greater MAP kinase family.

Role of granule-bound starch synthase in determination of amylopectin structure and starch granule morphology in potato

Reductions in activity of SSIII, the major isoform of starch synthase responsible for amylopectin synthesis in the potato tuber, result in fissuring of the starch granules. To discover the causes of the fissuring, and thus to shed light on factors that influence starch granule morphology in general, SSIII antisense lines were compared with lines with reductions in the major granule-bound isoform of starch synthase (GBSS) and lines with reductions in activity of both SSIII and GBSS (SSIII/GBSS antisense lines). This revealed that fissuring resulted from the activity of GBSS in the SSIII antisense background. Control (untransformed) lines and GBSS and SSIII/GBSS antisense lines had unfissured granules. Starch analyses showed that granules from SSIII antisense tubers had a greater number of long glucan chains than did granules from the other lines, in the form of larger amylose molecules and a unique fraction of very long amylopectin chains. These are likely to result from increased flux through GBSS in SSIII antisense tubers, in response to the elevated content of ADP-glucose in these tubers. It is proposed that the long glucan chains disrupt organization of the semi-crystalline parts of the matrix, setting up stresses in the matrix that lead to fissuring.