PCR amplification and sequences of cDNA clones for the small and large subunits of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from barley tissues

Understanding Wheat Starch Metabolism in Properties, Environmental Stress Condition, and Molecular Approaches for Value-Added Utilization

Wheat starch is one of the most important components in wheat grain and is extensively used as the main source in bread, noodles, and cookies. The wheat endosperm is composed of about 70% starch, so differences in the quality and quantity of starch affect the flour processing characteristics. Investigations on starch composition, structure, morphology, molecular markers, and transformations are providing new and efficient techniques that can improve the quality of bread wheat. Additionally, wheat starch composition and quality are varied due to genetics and environmental factors. Starch is more sensitive to heat and drought stress compared to storage proteins. These stresses also have a great influence on the grain filling period and anthesis, and, consequently, a negative effect on starch synthesis. Sucrose metabolizing and starch synthesis enzymes are suppressed under heat and drought stress during the grain filling period. Therefore, it is important to illustrate starch and sucrose mechanisms during plant responses in the grain filling period. In recent years, most of these quality traits have been investigated through genetic modification studies. This is an attractive approach to improve functional properties in wheat starch. The new information collected from hybrid and transgenic plants is expected to help develop novel starch for understanding wheat starch biosynthesis and commercial use. Wheat transformation research using plant genetic engineering technology is the main purpose of continuously controlling and analyzing the properties of wheat starch. The aim of this paper is to review the structure, biosynthesis mechanism, quality, and response to heat and drought stress of wheat starch. Additionally, molecular markers and transformation studies are reviewed to elucidate starch quality in wheat.

Promoter analysis of the sweet potato ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene IbAGP1 in Nicotiana tabacum

KEY MESSAGE

The IbAGP1 gene of sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas ) encodes the sucrose-inducible small subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase. Through expression analysis of 5'-truncations and synthetic forms of the IbAGP1 promoter in transgenic tobacco, we show that SURE-Like elements and W-box elements of the promoter contribute to the sucrose inducibility of this gene. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) contains two genes (IbAGP1 and IbAGP2) encoding the catalytically active small subunits of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, an enzyme with an important role in regulating starch synthesis in higher plants. Previous studies have shown that IbAGP1 is expressed in the storage roots, leaves, and stem tissues of sweet potato, and its transcript is strongly induced by applying sucrose exogenously to detached leaves. To investigate the tissue-specific expression of the IbAGP1 promoter, a series of 5'-truncated promoters extending from bases -1913, -1598, -1298, -1053, -716, and -286 to base +75 were used to drive the expression of the β-glucuronidase reporter gene (GUS) in tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum). Histochemical and fluorometric GUS assays showed that (1) GUS expression driven by the longest fragment (1989 bp) of the IbAGP1 promoter was detected in vegetative tissues (roots, stems, leaves), (2) fragments extending to -1053 or beyond retained strong GUS expression in roots, stems, and leaves, whereas further 5'-deletions resulted in considerable reduction in GUS activity, and (3) the series of 5'-truncated promoters responded differently to exogenously applied sucrose. The 1989-bp IbAGP1 promoter contains five sequences (two AATAAAA, one AATAAAAAA, and two AATAAATAAA) that are similar to sucrose-responsive elements (SURE). These SURE-Like sequences are found at nucleotide positions -1273, -1239, -681, -610, and -189. Moreover, putative W-box elements are found at positions -1985, -1434, -750, and -578. Synthetic promoters containing tandem repeats of the 4X SURE-Like or 4X W-box upstream from a minimal CaMV35S promoter-GUS fusion showed significant expression in transgenic tobacco in response to exogenous sucrose. These results show that SURE-Like elements and W-box elements of the IbAGP1 promoter contribute to the sucrose inducibility of this gene.

AGPase: its role in crop productivity with emphasis on heat tolerance in cereals

AGPase, a key enzyme of starch biosynthetic pathway, has a significant role in crop productivity. Thermotolerant variants of AGPase in cereals may be used for developing cultivars, which may enhance productivity under heat stress. Improvement of crop productivity has always been the major goal of plant breeders to meet the global demand for food. However, crop productivity itself is influenced in a large measure by a number of abiotic stresses including heat, which causes major losses in crop productivity. In cereals, crop productivity in terms of grain yield mainly depends upon the seed starch content so that starch biosynthesis and the enzymes involved in this process have been a major area of investigation for plant physiologists and plant breeders alike. Considerable work has been done on AGPase and its role in crop productivity, particularly under heat stress, because this enzyme is one of the major enzymes, which catalyses the rate-limiting first committed key enzymatic step of starch biosynthesis. Keeping the above in view, this review focuses on the basic features of AGPase including its structure, regulatory mechanisms involving allosteric regulators, its sub-cellular localization and its genetics. Major emphasis, however, has been laid on the genetics of AGPases and its manipulation for developing high yielding cultivars that will have comparable productivity under heat stress. Some important thermotolerant variants of AGPase, which mainly involve specific amino acid substitutions, have been highlighted, and the prospects of using these thermotolerant variants of AGPase in developing cultivars for heat prone areas have been discussed. The review also includes a brief account on transgenics for AGPase, which have been developed for basic studies and crop improvement.

Sucrose induces expression of the sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase gene in source leaves of loquat

Rosaceae fruit trees use sorbitol and sucrose as translocating sugars and the sorbitol-to-sucrose ratio in source leaves determines apple fruit quality. Here, we investigate the effects of sugars on the expression of genes encoding key photosynthetic enzymes, including sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (S6PDH, EC 1.1.1.200), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS, EC 2.4.1.14), and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADPGPPase, EC 2.7.7.27) to understand the sugar-signaling mechanism in Rosaceae fruit trees. Mature leaf-petiole cuttings of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. cv. Mogi) were supplied with a water, sorbitol or sucrose solution for 2 days at 20°C. The relative levels of the transcripts were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). S6PDH transcription was decreased by sorbitol but drastically increased by sucrose. SPS and ADPGPPase large subunit transcription were decreased by sucrose and sorbitol. The simultaneous application of sorbitol and sucrose revealed that S6PDH transcription increased in a dose-dependent manner with sucrose. These results show that both sorbitol and sucrose work as signaling molecules in source organs of Rosaceae fruit trees. These trees have mechanisms to positively keep sorbitol as the dominant translocating sugar, suggesting that sorbitol plays an important role in their survival strategy. Effects of various sugars on S6PDH expression were investigated. Palatinose, a sucrose analog, increased S6PDH transcription much more drastically than sucrose. Mannose and 3-O-methylglucose, glucose analogs, also increased S6PDH transcription; however, glucose did not. Models of sugar signaling in source organs of Rosaceae fruit trees are discussed.

Reference genes for gene expression studies in wheat flag leaves grown under different farming conditions

Background

Internal control genes with highly uniform expression throughout the experimental conditions are required for accurate gene expression analysis as no universal reference genes exists. In this study, the expression stability of 24 candidate genes from Triticum aestivum cv. Cubus flag leaves grown under organic and conventional farming systems was evaluated in two locations in order to select suitable genes that can be used for normalization of real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) reactions. The genes were selected among the most common used reference genes as well as genes encoding proteins involved in several metabolic pathways.

Findings

Individual genes displayed different expression rates across all samples assayed. Applying geNorm, a set of three potential reference genes were suitable for normalization of RT-qPCR reactions in winter wheat flag leaves cv. Cubus: TaFNRII (ferredoxin-NADP(H) oxidoreductase; AJ457980.1), ACT2 (actin 2; TC234027), and rrn26 (a putative homologue to RNA 26S gene; AL827977.1). In addition of these three genes that were also top-ranked by NormFinder, two extra genes: CYP18-2 (Cyclophilin A, AY456122.1) and TaWIN1 (14-3-3 like protein, AB042193) were most consistently stably expressed.

Furthermore, we showed that TaFNRII, ACT2, and CYP18-2 are suitable for gene expression normalization in other two winter wheat varieties (Tommi and Centenaire) grown under three treatments (organic, conventional and no nitrogen) and a different environment than the one tested with cv. Cubus.

Conclusions

This study provides a new set of reference genes which should improve the accuracy of gene expression analyses when using wheat flag leaves as those related to the improvement of nitrogen use efficiency for cereal production.

A sepal-expressed ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene (NtAGP) is required for petal expansion growth in 'Xanthi' tobacco

In this study, a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum 'Xanthi') ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase cDNA (NtAGP) was isolated from a flower bud cDNA library and the role of NtAGP in the growth of the floral organ was characterized. The expression of NtAGP was high in the sepal, moderate in the carpel and stamen, and low in the petal tissues. NtAGP-antisense plants produced flowers with abnormal petal limbs due to the early termination of the expansion growth of the petal limbs between the corolla lobes. Microscopic observation of the limb region revealed that cell expansion was limited in NtAGP-antisense plants but that cell numbers remained unchanged. mRNA levels of NtAGP, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase activity, and starch content in the sepal tissues of NtAGP-antisense plants were reduced, resulting in significantly lower levels of sugars (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) in the petal limbs. The feeding of these sugars to flower buds of the NtAGP-antisense plants restored the expansion growth in the limb area between the corolla lobes. Expansion growth of the petal limb between the corolla lobes was severely arrested in 'Xanthi' flowers from which sepals were removed, indicating that sepal carbohydrates are essential for petal limb expansion growth. These results demonstrate that NtAGP plays a crucial role in the morphogenesis of petal limbs in 'Xanthi' through the synthesis of starch, which is the main carbohydrate source for expansion growth of petal limbs, in sepal tissues.

A strong constitutive gene expression system derived from ibAGP1 promoter and its transit peptide

To develop a strong constitutive gene expression system, the activities of ibAGP1 promoter and its transit peptide were investigated using transgenic Arabidopsis and a GUS reporter gene. The ibAGP1 promoter directed GUS expression in almost entire tissues including rosette leaf, inflorescence stem, inflorescence, cauline leaf and root, suggesting that the ibAGP1 promoter is a constitutive promoter. GUS expression mediated by ibAGP1 promoter was weaker than that by CaMV35S promoter in all tissue types, but when GUS protein was targeted to plastids with the aid of the ibAGP1 transit peptide, GUS levels increased to higher levels in lamina, petiole and cauline leaf compared to those produced by CaMV35S promoter. The enhancing effect of ibAGP1 transit peptide on the accumulation of foreign protein was tissue-specific; accumulation was high in lamina and inflorescence, but low in root and primary inflorescence stem. The transit peptide effect in the leaves was maintained highly regardless of developmental stages of plants. The ibAGP1 promoter and its transit peptide also directed strong GUS gene expression in transiently expressed tobacco leaves. These results suggest that the ibAGP1 promoter and its transit peptide are a strong constitutive foreign gene expression system for transgenesis of dicot plants.

Understanding storage starch biosynthesis in plants: a means to quality improvement

The many varied uses of starch in food and industrial applications often requires an understanding of its physicochemical properties and the detailed variations in granule structure that underpin these properties. The ability to manipulate storage starch structures depends on understanding the biosynthetic pathway, and in particular, how the many components of the pathway are coordinated and regulated. This article presents a current overview of starch structure and the known enzymes involved in the synthesis of the granule, with an emphasis on how current knowledge on the regulation of the pathway in cereals and other crops may be applied to the production of different functional starches.

Two sweetpotato ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase isoforms are regulated antagonistically in response to sucrose content in storage roots

The transcriptional regulation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) genes in detached leaves in response to exogenous sucrose has been investigated earlier; however the effects of endogenous sucrose on AGPase gene transcription in leaves or starch-accumulating tissues have not yet been determined. We therefore have investigated the relationship between endogenous sucrose content in the storage tissues of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas cv. Yulmi) and the rate of transcription of the two sweetpotato AGPase isoforms, ibAGP1 and ibAGP2, by means of transient expression analysis of their promoters. Sequence analysis of the two promoters identified putative sucrose-responsive elements on the ibAGP1 promoter and, conversely, putative sucrose-starvation elements on the ibAGP2 promoter. Transient expression analyses on transverse storage root sections revealed that the ibAGP1 and ibAGP2 promoters directed strong expression in the sweetpotato storage roots (diameter: 1.5 cm). Sucrose contents of the sweetpotato storage roots were positively correlated with growth of the storage root. In the storage roots, ibAGP1 promoter activity became stronger with increasing endogenous sucrose levels, while ibAGP2 promoter activity became markedly weaker. Consequently, ibAGP2 was expressed primarily during the early stages of storage root development, whereas ibAGP1 was abundantly expressed in the later stages, during which a profound level of starch accumulation occurs. The antagonistic regulation of the two promoters in response to endogenous sucrose levels was also confirmed in carrot (Daucus carota L. cv. Hapa-ochon) taproots.

Genomic organizations of two small subunit ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase genes from sweetpotato

The genomic features of the small subunit ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) isoforms are different in barley and maize. The two isoforms found in barley originated from one single gene through alternative splicing, while two independent genes encode the two isoforms in maize. To ascertain the genomic organizations of two small subunit AGPase isoforms in sweetpotato (ibAGP1 and ibAGP2), we isolated genomic DNAs containing the entire coding regions of two genes. Complete genomic structures of ibAGP1 and ibAGP2 were ascertained by the sequencing of these genomic regions. The transcribed regions of ibAGP1 and ibAGP2, comprising nine exons and eight introns, were distributed over 3.9 and 4.0 kb, respectively. The eight introns differed in length, from 76 to 946 bp in ibAGP1, and from 76 to 811 bp in ibAGP2, while the locations of introns in ibAGP1 and ibAGP2 were identical. There was 46-58% sequence identity between the intron sequences of the two genes. Intron sequence analyses suggested that either duplication in each intron, or gene conversion between introns of two isoforms, might cause major intron size differences between the two genes. Altogether, these results indicate that two small subunit AGPase isoforms in sweetpotato are encoded by two independent genes, in a fashion similar to that of maize small subunit AGPase genes.

The small subunit ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase ( ApS) promoter mediates okadaic acid-sensitive uidA expression in starch-synthesizing tissues and cells in Arabidopsis

Transgenic plants of Arabidopsis thaliana Heynh., transformed with a bacterial beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene under the control of the promoter of the small subunit (ApS) of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), exhibited GUS staining in leaves (including stomata), stems, roots and flowers. Cross-sections of stems revealed GUS staining in protoxylem parenchyma, primary phloem and cortex. In young roots, the staining was found in the root tips, including the root cap, and in vascular tissue, while the older root-hypocotyl axis showed prominent staining in the secondary phloem and paratracheary parenchyma of secondary xylem. The GUS staining co-localized with ApS protein, as found by tissue printing using antibodies against ApS. Starch was found only in cell and tissue types exhibiting GUS staining and ApS labelling, but not in all of them. For example, starch was lacking in the xylem parenchyma and secondary phloem of the root-hypocotyl axis. Sucrose potently activated ApS gene expression in leaves of wild-type (wt) plants, and in transgenic seedlings grown on sucrose medium where GUS activity was quantified with 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-glucuronide as substrate. Okadaic acid, an inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, completely blocked expression of ApS in mature leaves of wt plants and prevented GUS staining in root tips and flowers of the transgenic plants, suggesting a similar signal transduction mechanism for ApS expression in various tissues. The data support the key role of AGPase in starch synthesis, but they also underlie the ubiquitous importance of the ApS gene for AGPase function in all organs/tissues of Arabidopsis.

Characterization of the genes encoding the cytosolic and plastidial forms of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in wheat endosperm

In most species, the synthesis of ADP-glucose (Glc) by the enzyme ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) occurs entirely within the plastids in all tissues so far examined. However, in the endosperm of many, if not all grasses, a second form of AGPase synthesizes ADP-Glc outside the plastid, presumably in the cytosol. In this paper, we show that in the endosperm of wheat (Triticum aestivum), the cytosolic form accounts for most of the AGPase activity. Using a combination of molecular and biochemical approaches to identify the cytosolic and plastidial protein components of wheat endosperm AGPase we show that the large and small subunits of the cytosolic enzyme are encoded by genes previously thought to encode plastidial subunits, and that a gene, Ta.AGP.S.1, which encodes the small subunit of the cytosolic form of AGPase, also gives rise to a second transcript by the use of an alternate first exon. This second transcript encodes an AGPase small subunit with a transit peptide. However, we could not find a plastidial small subunit protein corresponding to this transcript. The protein sequence of the purified plastidial small subunit does not match precisely to that encoded by Ta.AGP.S.1 or to the predicted sequences of any other known gene from wheat or barley (Hordeum vulgare). Instead, the protein sequence is most similar to those of the plastidial small subunits from chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa) seeds. These data suggest that the gene encoding the major plastidial small subunit of AGPase in wheat endosperm has yet to be identified.

Isolation and characterization of cDNA clones encoding ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) large and small subunits from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Four cDNA clones encoding two large subunits and two small subunits of the starch regulatory enzyme ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) were isolated from a chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) stem cDNA library. DNA sequence and Southern blot analyses of these clones, designated CagpL1, CagpL2 (large subunits) and CagpS1 and CagpS2 (small subunits), revealed that these isoforms represented different AGPase large and small subunits. RNA expression analysis indicated that CagpL1 was expressed strongly in leaves with reduced expression in the stem. No detectable expression was observed in seeds and roots. CagpL2 was expressed moderately in seeds followed by weak expression in leaves, stems and roots. Similar analysis showed that CagpS1 and CagpS2 displayed a spatial expression pattern similar to that observed for CagpL2 with the exception that CagpS1 showed a much higher expression in seeds than CagpS2. The spatial expression patterns of these different AGPase subunit sequences indicate that different AGPase isoforms are used to control starch biosynthesis in different organs during chickpea development.

Maize genes encoding the small subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase

Plant ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) is a heterotetrameric enzyme composed of two large and two small subunits. Here, we report the structures of the maize (Zea mays) genes encoding AGP small subunits of leaf and endosperm. Excluding exon 1, protein-encoding sequences of the two genes are nearly identical. Exon 1 coding sequences, however, possess no similarity. Introns are placed in identical positions and exhibit obvious sequence similarity. Size differences are primarily due to insertions and duplications, hallmarks of transposable element visitation. Comparison of the maize genes with other plant AGP small subunit genes leads to a number of noteworthy inferences concerning the evolution of these genes. The small subunit gene can be divided into two modules. One module, encompassing all coding information except that derived from exon 1, displays striking similarity among all genes. It is surprising that members from eudicots form one group, whereas those from cereals form a second group. This implies that the duplications giving rise to family members occurred at least twice and after the separation of eudicots and monocot cereals. One intron within this module may have had a transposon origin. A different evolutionary history is suggested for exon 1. These sequences define three distinct groups, two of which come from cereal seeds. This distinction likely has functional significance because cereal endosperm AGPs are cytosolic, whereas all other forms appear to be plastid localized. Finally, whereas barley (Hordeum vulgare) reportedly employs only one gene to encode the small subunit of the seed and leaf, maize utilizes the two genes described here.

Presence of multiple cDNAs encoding an isoform of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase large subunit from sweet potato and characterization of expression levels

Three cDNAs (iAGPLI-1, iAGPLI-2, and iAGPLI-3) encoding an isoform of AGPase large subunit were isolated from a sweet potato cDNA library constructed from tuberous root tissue. iAGPLI-1 was 2,161 bp in length and contained an open reading frame of 517 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 57,689 Da. iAGPLI-2 and iAGPLI-3 were 1,804 and 1,524 bp in length, respectively, and contained partial open reading frames of 490 and 385 amino acids. Deduced amino acid sequence comparison analysis showed that iAGPLI-1 has sequence identity with iAGPLI-2 (97.9) and iAGPLI-3 (98.7%) while iAGPLI-2 and iAGPLI-3 have 96.8% sequence identity. iAGPLI-1 had the highest sequence identity of 77.8% with potato AGPase (sAGPL1). Steady-state levels of iAGPLI-1 transcripts were expressed predominantly in the stem, and moderately in the tuberous root, but not in either the roots or leaves. However, AGPase activity was present in all tissues. The expression level in the stem declined dramatically after a 12 h incubation in the dark to nearly 3% of the value under light, although the activity under a dark condition remained at half the levels in light. The activity levels were not correlated with the transcript levels. iAGPL transcripts in leaves were induced by sucrose feeding but not by glucose or fructose. Therefore, the expression of iAGPLI-1 is regulated in stem tissue preferentially and by sucrose. Southern blot analysis showed that the sweet potato genome contained several copies of iAGPLI gene probably due to polyploidy.

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic cDNAs partially encoding ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) large subunit from sweet potato

cDNA clones encoding sweet potato AGPase large subunit (iAGPLI) from the cDNA library constructed from the tuberous root were isolated. Two clones were characterized and named iAGPLI-a and iAGPLI-b. They were 1,661 bp and 1,277 bp in length and contained partial open reading frames of 450 and 306 amino acids, respectively. Both nucleic acid and amino acid sequence identities between iAGPLI-a and iAGPLI-b were 83.8% and 97.3%, respectively. Based on the amino acid sequence analysis, iAGPLI-a and iAGPLI-b share the highest sequence identity (81%) with potato AGPase large subunit. The iAGPLI-a and iAGPLI-b genes were expressed predominantly in the stem and weakly in the tuberous root, and no transcript was expressed in other tissues. The sweet potato genome contains several copies of the iAGPLI gene.

Is leaf ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase an allosteric enzyme?

Barley leaf ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a key enzyme of starch synthesis in the chloroplast stroma, was analysed, in both directions of the reaction, with respect to details of its regulation by 3-phosphoglycerate (PGA) and inorganic phosphate (Pi) which serve as activator and inhibitor, respectively. AGPase was found to catalyse a close-to-equilibrium reaction, with the K(eq) value of approximately 0.5, i.e. slightly favouring the pyrophosphorolytic direction. When the enzyme was analysed by substrate kinetics, PGA acted either as a linear (hyperbolic response) 'non-competitive' activator (forward reaction) or a linear near-'competitive' activator (reverse reaction). When the activation and inhibition patterns with PGA and Pi, respectively, were studied in detail by Dixon plots, the response curves to effectors also followed hyperbolic kinetics, with the experimentally determined K(a) and K(i) values on the order of micromolar. The results suggest that the regulation of AGPase proceeds via a non-cooperative mechanism, where neither of the effectors, when considered separately, induces any allosteric response. The evidence, discussed in terms of an overall kinetic mechanism/regulation of leaf AGPase, prompts caution in classifying the protein as an 'allosteric enzyme'.

The Allosterically Unregulated Isoform of ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase from Barley Endosperm Is the Most Likely Source of ADP-Glucose Incorporated into Endosperm Starch

We present the results of studies of an unmodified version of the recombinant major barley (Hordeum vulgare) endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophoshorylase (AGPase) expressed in insect cells, which corroborate previous data that this isoform of the enzyme acts independently of the allosteric regulators 3-phosphoglycerate and inorganic phosphate. We also present a characterization of the individual subunits expressed separately in insect cells, showing that the SS AGPase is active in the presence of 3-phosphoglycerate and is inhibited by inorganic phosphate. As a step toward the elucidation of the role of the two AGPase isoforms in barley, the temporal and spatial expression profile of the four barley AGPase transcripts encoding these isoforms were studied. The results show that the steady-state level of beps and bepl, the transcripts encoding the major endosperm isoform, correlated positively with the rate of endosperm starch accumulation. In contrast, blps and blpl, the transcripts encoding the major leaf isoform, were constitutively expressed at a very low steady-state level throughout the barley plant. The implications of these findings for the evolution of plant AGPases are discussed.

Expression of barley ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in Escherichia coli: processing and regulatory considerations

Full length cDNAs for barley ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) coding for the large subunits of the endosperm and leaf homologues of the enzyme (AGPase-S1 and -S2, respectively) and for the small subunit protein from endosperm (AGPase-B1), have been expressed in Escherichia coli. The cDNAs for AGPase-S1 and -S2 required different induction conditions for their maximal expression and they encoded immunologically distinct proteins. The AGPase-S1 that was produced by E. coli had the same M(r) (58 kDa) as the corresponding protein in barley crude endosperm extracts, whereas the bacteria-produced AGPase-S2 (55 kDa) was larger than its counterpart from barley leaf preparations (53 kDa). An enzymatically active AGPase expressed in E. coli from a double construct containing cDNAs for AGPase-S1 and -B1 subunits was insensitive to the activation by 3-phosphoglycerate and to inhibition by inorganic phosphate, similarly to the enzyme in barley endosperm. Neither AGPase-S1 nor -B1 were active when expressed alone in the bacteria. The data are discussed with respect to possible mechanisms of intracellular targeting of immature AGPase-S proteins in barley tissues and regarding previous data on effector regulation of the barley enzyme.

Sugars and light/dark exposure trigger differential regulation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase genes in Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress)

Expression of four Arabidopsis (thale cress) genes corresponding to the small (ApS) and large subunits (ApL1, ApL2, ApL3) of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a key enzyme of starch biosynthesis, was found to be profoundly and differentially regulated by sugar and light/dark exposures. Transcript levels of both ApL2 and ApL3, and to a lesser extent ApS, increased severalfold upon feeding sucrose or glucose to the detached leaves in the dark, whereas the mRNA content for ApL1 decreased under the same conditions. Glucose was, in general, less effective than sucrose in inducing regulation of AGPase genes, possibly due to observed limitations in its uptake when compared with sucrose uptake by detached leaves. Osmotic agents [sorbitol, poly(ethylene glycol)] had no effect on ApS, ApL2 and ApL3 transcript level, but they did mimic the effect of sucrose on ApL1 gene, suggesting that the latter is regulated by osmotic pressure rather than any particular sugar. For all the genes the sugar effect was closely mimicked by an exposure of the dark-pre-adapted leaves to the light. Under both dark and light conditions, sucrose fed to the detached leaves was found to be rapidly metabolized to hexoses and, to some extent, starch. Starch production reflected most probably an increase in substrate availability for AGPase reaction rather than being due to changes in AGPase protein content, since both the sugar feeding and light exposure had little or no effect on the activity of AGPase or on the levels of its small and large subunit proteins in leaf extracts. The data suggest tight translational or post-translational control, but they may also reflect spatial control of AGPase gene expression within a leaf. The sugar/light-dependent regulation of AGPase gene expression may represent a part of a general cellular response to the availability/allocation of carbohydrates during photosynthesis.

PCR cloning and characterization of multiple ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase cDNAs from tomato

Four ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) cDNAs were cloned from tomato fruit and leaves by the PCR techniques. Three of them (agp S1, agp S2, and agp S3) encode the large subunit of AGP, the fourth one (agp B) encodes the small subunit. The deduced amino acid sequences of the cDNAs show very high identities (96-98%) to the corresponding potato AGP isoforms, although there are major differences in tissue expression profiles. All four tomato AGP transcripts were detected in fruit and leaves; the predominant ones in fruit are agp B and agp S1, whereas in leaves they are agp B and agp S3. Genomic southern analysis suggests that the four AGP transcripts are encoded by distinct genes.

Characterization of cDNAs encoding small and large subunits of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases from watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris S.)

Three cDNA clones encoding ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases were isolated from a full red fruit cDNA library of watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris S.). Sequence analyses indicated that one clone, wms1, corresponds to the small subunit, and two clones, wml1 and wml2 (a partial gene), are the large subunits of AGPase. The presumed AGPase proteins encoded by wms1, wml1, and wml2 have 526, 526, and 481 amino acids, respectively. The protein sequences have the conserved amino acids important for the substrate or regulator binding site, with some variation. Developmental changes in the amounts of wms1, wml1, and wml2 transcripts in fruits were measured by northern blot analysis. Their expression levels decreased from the small green to medium green stages, then increased in accordance with fruit ripening, which was different from those of tomato and oriental melon.

Molecular cloning and organ-specific expression of three isoforms of tomato ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene

We isolated three cDNAs encoding different isoforms of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) large submits from tomato plants. Three clones, designated AgpL1, AgpL2, and AgpL3 were 2019, 2105, and 1850bp, respectively. The clones had a long, uninterrupted open reading frame with a start codon at the 5' region and different copies of polyadenylation signal (AATAAA) at the 3' region, deriving 57-58kDa polypeptides. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the three isoforms represented different types of AGP large subunits, AgpL1 was strongly expressed in stems and weakly in roots. Accumulation of AgpL1 transcripts was found even in unpollinated ovaries and sustained at the early stages of fruit development. ApgL2 was expressed in roots and fruits. AgpL3 was exclusively expressed in leaves. The present study suggests that the three isoforms of tomato AGP large subunits are organ-specific in their expressions.

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase is localized to both the cytoplasm and plastids in developing pericarp of tomato fruit

The intracellular location of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) in developing pericarp of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) has been investigated by immunolocalization. With the use of a highly specific anti-tomato fruit AGP antibody, the enzyme was localized in cytoplasm as well as plastids at both the light and electron microscope levels. The immunogold particles in plastids were localized in the stroma and at the surface of the starch granule, whereas those in the cytoplasm occurred in cluster-like patterns. Contrary to the fruit, the labeling in tomato leaf cells occurred exclusively in the chloroplasts. These data demonstrate that AGP is localized to both the cytoplasm and plastids in developing pericarp cells of tomato.

THE SYNTHESIS OF THE STARCH GRANULE

This review describes and discusses the implications of recent discoveries about how starch polymers are synthesized and organized to form a starch granule. Three issues are highlighted. 1. The role and importance of ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase in the generation of ADPglucose as the substrate for polymer synthesis. 2. The contributions of isoforms of starch-branching enzyme, starch synthase, and debranching enzyme to the synthesis and ordered packing of amylopectin molecules. 3. The requirements for and regulation of the synthesis of amylose.

Molecular cloning and expression of the large subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves

A cDNA clone, blpl14, corresponding to the large subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), has been isolated from a cDNA library prepared from leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). An open reading frame encodes a protein of 503 aa, with a calculated molecular weight of 54815. The derived aa sequence contains a putative transit peptide sequence, required for targeting to plastids, and has a highly conserved positioning of critical Lys residues that are believed to be involved in effector binding. The derived aa sequence shows 97% identity with the corresponding protein from wheat, but only 36% identity with AGPase from E. coli. The blpl14 gene is expressed predominantly in leaves and to a lesser degree in seed endosperm, but not roots, of barley.

A single gene encodes two different transcripts for the ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase small subunit from barley (Hordeum vulgare)

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a heterotetrameric enzyme composed of two small and two large subunits, catalyses the first committed step of starch synthesis in plant tissues. In an attempt to learn more about the organization and expression of the small-subunit gene of AGPase, we have studied the small-subunit transcripts as well as the structure of the gene encoding these transcripts in barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Bomi). Two different transcripts (bepsF1 and blps14) were identified: bepF1 was abundantly expressed in the starchy endosperm but not in leaves, whereas blps14 was isolated from leaves but was also found to be present at a moderate level in the starchy endosperm. The sequences for the two transcripts are identical over approx. 90% of the length, with differences being confined solely to their 5' ends. In blps14, the unique 5' end is 259 nt long and encodes a putative plastid transit peptide sequence. For the 178-nt 5' end of bepsF1, on the other hand, no transit peptide sequence could be recognized. A lambda clone that hybridized to the AGPase transcripts was isolated from a barley genomic library and characterized. The restriction map has suggested a complex organization of the gene, with alternative exons encoding the different 5' ends of the two transcripts followed by nine exons coding for the common part of the transcripts. The sequence of a portion of the genomic clone, covering the alternative 5'-end exons as well as upstream regions, has verified that both transcripts are encoded by the gene. The results suggest that the small-subunit gene of barley AGPase transcribes two different mRNAs by a mechanism classified as alternative splicing.

Molecular cloning and characterization of novel isoforms of potato ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) is one of the major enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis in higher plants. We report here the molecular cloning of two cDNAs encoding so far uncharacterized isoforms (AGP S2 and AGP S3) of the potato enzyme. Sequence analysis shows that the two polypeptides are more homologous to previously identified large subunit polypeptides from potato and other plant species than to small subunit isoforms. This observation suggest that AGP S2 and AGP S3 represent novel large subunit polypeptides. agpS2 is expressed in several tissues of the potato plant, including leaves and tubers. Expression was stronger in sink leaves than in source leaves, indicating developmental regulation. In leaves, agpS2 expression was induced 2- to 3-fold by exogenous sucrose; therefore, agpS2 represents a new sucrose-responsive gene of starch metabolism. Expression of agpS3 was restricted to tubers: no agpS3 expression could be seen in leaves of different developmental stages, or when leaves were incubated in sucrose. Therefore, agpS3 represents the only AGPase gene so far characterized from potato, which is not expressed in leaves. Conversely, all four AGPase isoforms known from potato are expressed in tubers.

Isolation and expression analysis of cDNA clones encoding a small and a large subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from sugar beet

The cDNA cloning of a small and a large subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) from sugar beet is reported. The deduced amino acid sequences are highly homologous to previously identified AGPase polypeptides from other plant species. Both subunits are encoded by low copy genes. When RNA gel blot experiments were performed, strongest expression was detected in sink and source leaves of greenhouse-grown sugar beet plants. A lower expression was found in other tissues tested, i.e. in the hypocotyl, the tap root and roots. In these tissues, slightly higher transcript levels were found for the small subunit gene than for the large subunit gene.

Mapping of the ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase genes in barley

cDNA probes encoding the barley endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) small subunit (bepsF2), large subunit (bepl10), and leaf AGP large subunit (blpl) were hybridized with barley genomic DNA blots to determine copy number and polymorphism. Probes showing polymorphism were mapped on a barley RFLP map. Probes that were not polymorphic were assigned to chromosome arms using wheat-barley telosomic addition lines. The data suggested the presence of a single-copy gene corresponding to each of the cDNA probes. In addition to the major bands, several weaker cross-hybridizing bands indicated the presence of other, related sequences. The weaker bands were specific to each probe and were not due to cross-hybridization with the other probes examined here. The endosperm AGP small subunit (bepsF2) majorband locus was associated with chromosome 1P and designated Aga1. The endosperm AGP large subunit (bepl10) major-band locus was mapped to chromosome 5M and designated Aga7. The endosperm AGP large-subunit minor bands were not mapped. The leaf AGP large-subunit major band was associated with chromosome 7M and designated Aga5. One of the leaf AGP large-subunit minor bands was mapped to chromosome 5P and designated Aga6. A clone for the wheat endosperm AGP large-subunit (pAga7) hybridized to the same barley genomic DNA bands as the corresponding barley probe indicating a high degree of identity between the two probes.

Molecular characterization of multiple cDNA clones for ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from Arabidopsis thaliana

PCR amplification of cDNA prepared from poly(A)+ RNA from aerial parts of Arabidopsis thaliana, using degenerate nucleotide primers based on conserved regions between the large and small subunits of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP), yielded four different cDNAs of ca. 550 nucleotides each. Based on derived amino acid sequences, the identities between the clones varied from 49 to 69%. Sequence comparison to previously published cDNAs for AGP from various species and tissues has revealed that three of the amplified cDNAs (ApL1, ApL2 and ApL3) correspond to the large subunit of AGP, and one cDNA (ApS) encodes the small subunit of AGP. Both ApL1 and ApS were subsequently found to be present in a cDNA library made from Arabidopsis leaves. All four PCR products are encoded by single genes, as found by genomic Southern analysis.