Overriding the co-limiting import of carbon and energy into tuber amyloplasts increases the starch content and yield of transgenic potato plants

Transgenic potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants simultaneously over-expressing a pea (Pisum sativum) glucose-6-phosphate/phosphate translocator (GPT) and an Arabidopsis thaliana adenylate translocator (NTT1) in tubers were generated. Double transformants exhibited an enhanced tuber yield of up to 19%, concomitant with an additional increased starch content of up to 28%, compared with control plants. The total starch content produced in tubers per plant was calculated to be increased by up to 44% in double transformants relative to the wild-type. Single over-expression of either gene had no effect on tuber starch content or tuber yield, suggesting that starch formation within amyloplasts is co-limited by the import of energy and the supply of carbon skeletons. As total adenosine diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylase and starch synthase activities remained unchanged in double transformants relative to the wild-type, they cannot account for the increased starch content found in tubers of double transformants. Rather, an optimized supply of amyloplasts with adenosine triphosphate and glucose-6-phosphate seems to favour increased starch synthesis, resulting in plants with increased starch content and yield of tubers.     

The effect of wounding on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase of Solanum tuberosum tuber tissue

Two forms of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were separated by disc electrophoresis of potato tuber extracts. The slower moving enzyme has a MW of 260 000 the faster one of 130 000. Wounding of potato tubers enhances the relative activity of the slower moving enzyme. Addition of NADP⁺ to the cathode buffer during electrophoresis has the same effect as wounding, whereas addition of glucose-6-phosphate has an opposite effect. The role of the wound induced increase of the pyridine nucleotide level in the interconversion of the two forms of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is discussed.     

Aurinetricarboxylic acid: a potent inhibitor of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.

Inhibition by aurinetricarboxylic acid (ATA) of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) dehydrogenase was "competitive" with respect to G6P and "mixed type" with respect to NADP+. Inhibited enzyme bound two molecules of ATA. Kinetic constants, Km, Ki at varying pH suggested possible binding of the inhibitor by the sulfhydryl of the enzyme; of the several enzymes tested only milk xanthine oxidase and G6P dehydrogenase from bovine adrenal was inhibited by ATA.     

Isoenzymes of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from tobacco cells

Two anodic isoenzymes of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) were isolated from tobacco suspension culture WR-132, utilizing fractional ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The pH optimum was 9.0 for isoenzyme G6PDH I and 8.0–8.3 for G6PDH IV. Isoenzyme G6PDH I exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics for both substrates, G6P and NADP⁺, with K_m's of 0.22 mM and 0.06 mM, respectively. G6PDH IV exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics for G6P with a K_m of 0.31 mM. The NADP⁺ double reciprocal plot showed an abrupt transition between two linear sections. This transition corresponds to an abrupt increase in the apparent K_m and V_max values with increasing NADP⁺, denoting negative cooperativity. The two K_m's for high and low NADP⁺ concentrations were 0.06 mM and 0.015 mM, respectively. MWs of the isoenzymes as determined by SDS disc gel electrophoresis were 85 000–91 000 for G6PDH I and 54 000–59 000 for G6PDH IV. Gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-150 showed MW's of 91 000 for G6PDH I and 115 000 for G6PDH IV. A probable dimeric structure for IV is suggested, with two NADP⁺ binding sites.     

Molecular characterization of a novel glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

We describe a novel G6PD cDNA from potato. The deduced amino acid sequence shares 77% identity with the known chloroplast enzyme, but only 47% with the corresponding cytosolic G6PDH. The sequence comprises the two cysteine residues conserved in other redox-regulated chloroplast G6PDH and a transit peptide capable of directing a GFP fusion protein to chloroplasts, demonstrating that the cDNA codes for a second plastidic G6PD isoform. The mature part was expressed in E. coli. When synthesized with a C-terminal Strep tag, the enzyme retained G6PDH activity upon affinity purification. In the presence of reductively activated spinach thioredoxin, G6PDH activity decreased by about 50%. This protein-mediated activity loss was completely reversed by addition of oxidant. In contrast to the chloroplast enzyme (P1), the presence of reduced dithiothreitol alone destroyed the activity of the new G6PDH (P2), and incubation with GSH had no effect. The Km values determined for both substrates were significantly lower compared to those of P1. The high Vmax and Ki [NADPH] values indicate that the P2 enzyme is more active than P1 and less susceptible to feedback inhibition by its product NADPH. At the level of mRNA accumulation, differences between the two plastid-localized isoforms are most prominent in roots and growing tissues. Immunoblot analyses of isolated plastid preparations revealed that the two plastidic enzymes are present in both root and leaf tissue. The data obtained indicate that we have characterized a second plastidic G6PDH with distinct biochemical features.     

Genome-wide analysis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases in Arabidopsis

In green tissues of plants under illumination, photosynthesis is the primary source of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), which is utilized in reductive reactions such as carbon fixation and nitrogen assimilation. In non-photosynthetic tissues or under non-photosynthetic conditions, the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway contributes to basic metabolism as one of the major sources of NADPH. The first and committed reaction is catalyzed by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH). We characterized the six members of the G6PDH gene family in Arabidopsis. Transit peptide analysis predicted two cytosolic and four plastidic isoforms. Five of the six genes encode active G6PDHs. The recombinant isoforms showed differences in substrate requirements and sensitivities to feedback inhibition. Plastidic isoforms were redox sensitive. One cytosolic isoform was insensitive to redox changes, while the other was inactivated by oxidation. The respective genes had distinct expression patterns that did not correlate with the activity of the proteins, implying a regulatory mechanism beyond the control of mRNA abundance. Two cytosolic and one plastidic isoform were detected in vivo using zymograms, and the respective genes were identified using T-DNA insertion lines. The activity of a plastidic isoform was detected in all tissues including photosynthetic tissues despite its sensitivity to reduction observed in vitro. Genomic data, gene expression, and in vivo enzyme activity data were integrated with in vitro biochemical data to propose in vivo roles for individual G6PDH isoforms in Arabidopsis.     

X-linked mutations that give rise to overproduction of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster

Two X-linked mutations that give rise to overproduction of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) were found among the progenies of isogenic strains which had been subjected to selection for high G6PD activity. Mapping of the high-activity factor in these mutants was carried out using car Zw ^B sw males of low G6PD activity. As a result, the factor mapped 0.02–0.04 unit to the left of the Zw locus. The amount of the G6PD gene was also quantitated utilizing a cloned G6PD gene as a probe, but no significant difference was found between the mutants and low-G6PD activity flies which shared the same X, second, and third chromosomes with the mutants. These findings are consistent with our notion that the mutations might be regulatory mutations, possibly resulting from the insertion of a novel class of transposable genetic elements.This research was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan.     

Antisense inhibition of the plastidial glucose-6-phosphate/phosphate translocator in Vicia seeds shifts cellular differentiation and promotes protein storage

The glucose-6-phosphate/phosphate translocator (GPT) acts as an importer of carbon into the plastid. Despite the potential importance of GPT for storage in crop seeds, its regulatory role in biosynthetic pathways that are active during seed development is poorly understood. We have isolated GPT1 from Vicia narbonensis and studied its role in seed development using a transgenic approach based on the seed-specific legumin promoter LeB4. GPT1 is highly expressed in vegetative sink tissues, flowers and young seeds. In the embryo, localized upregulation of GPT1 at the onset of storage coincides with the onset of starch accumulation. Embryos of transgenic plants expressing antisense GPT1 showed a significant reduction (up to 55%) in the specific transport rate of glucose-6-phosphate as determined using proteoliposomes prepared from embryos. Furthermore, amyloplasts developed later and were smaller in size, while the expression of genes encoding plastid-specific translocators and proteins involved in starch biosynthesis was decreased. Metabolite analysis and stable isotope labelling demonstrated that starch biosynthesis was also reduced, although storage protein biosynthesis increased. This metabolic shift was characterized by upregulation of genes related to nitrogen uptake and protein storage, morphological variation of the protein-storing vacuoles, and a crude protein content of mature seeds of transgenics that was up to 30% higher than in wild-type. These findings provide evidence that (1) the prevailing level of GPT1 abundance/activity is rate-limiting for the synthesis of starch in developing seeds, (2) GPT1 exerts a controlling function on assimilate partitioning into storage protein, and (3) GPT1 is essential for the differentiation of embryonic plastids and seed maturation.     

Characterization of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconic acid dehydrogenase from hazel cotyledons

NADP reduction was shown to occur in a crude cytosolic extract from the cotyledonary material of hazel seed prior to the addition of erogenous dehydrogenase substrate. This activity interfered with the assay of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconic acid dehydrogenase activities. The inherent NADP reduction was removed by ammonium sulphate fractionation. Subsequent de-salting of the resulting partially-purified fraction permitted assay of G6PDH and 6PGDH. Both enzymes were shown to be NADP specific. Typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics were shown for each enzyme, towards NADP and their respective substrate.     

Cloning and sequence analysis of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase gene from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC 7942

The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) gene (zwf) of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC 7942 was cloned on a 2.8 kb Hind III fragment. Sequence analysis revealed an ORF of 1572 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 524 amino acids which exhibited 41% identity with the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli.