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Relative turnover numbers of maize endosperm and potato tuber ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases in the absence and presence of 3-phosphoglyceric acid

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Abstract

Adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase; EC 2.7.7.27) synthesizes the starch precursor, ADP-glucose. It is a rate-limiting enzyme in starch biosynthesis and its activation by 3-phosphoglyceric acid (3PGA) and/or inhibition by inorganic phosphate (Pi) are believed to be physiologically important. Leaf, tuber and cereal embryo AGPases are highly sensitive to these effectors, whereas endosperm AGPases are much less responsive. Two hypotheses can explain the 3PGA activation differences. Compared to leaf AGPases, endosperm AGPases (i) lack the marked ability to be activated by 3PGA or (ii) they are less dependent on 3PGA for activity. The absence of purified preparations has heretofore negated answering this question. To resolve this issue, heterotetrameric maize (Zea mays L.) endosperm and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tuber AGPases expressed in Escherichia coli were isolated and the relative amounts of enzyme protein were measured by reaction to antibodies against a motif resident in both small subunits. Resulting reaction rates of both AGPases are comparable in the presence but not in the absence of 3PGA when expressed on an active-protein basis. We also placed the potato tuber UpReg1 mutation into the maize AGPase. This mutation greatly enhances 3PGA sensitivity of the potato AGPase but it has little effect on the maize AGPase. Thirdly, lysines known to bind 3PGA in potato tuber AGPase, but missing from the maize endosperm AGPase, were introduced into the maize enzyme. These had minimal effect on maize endosperm activity. In conclusion, the maize endosperm AGPase is not nearly as dependent on 3PGA for activity as is the potato tuber AGPase.

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Abbreviations

AGPase:

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase

Bt2 :

brittle2

Glc-1-P:

glucose-1-phosphate

K a :

3PGA concentration giving one-half maximal activation

3PGA:

3-phosphoglyceric acid

Sh2 :

shrunken2

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation (L.C.H.: IBN-9316887, IBN-960416, IBN-9982626 and MCB-9420422), the USDA Competitive Grants Program (L.C.H.: 94-37300-453, 9500836, 95-37301-2080, 9701964, 97-36306-4461, 98-01006 and 2000-01488), the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station (Journal Series No. R-08238) and Department of Energy (T.W.O.: DEFG03–96ER20216). We thank Drs. Rob Ferl, Don McCarty and Karen Koch of the University of Florida for many helpful discussions. We thank Dr. Ken Cline (University of Florida) for assistance with image analysis, Dr. Nancy Denslow (University of Florida) for help with antibody production and the Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research at the University of Florida for DNA sequencing and protein synthesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2211 Fifield Hall, P.O. Box 110690, Gainesville, , FL 32611, USA

    Brian T. Burger, Joanna M. Cross, Janine R. Shaw, Joel R. Caren, Thomas W. Greene & L. Curtis Hannah

  2. Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, , WA 99164-6340, USA

    Thomas W. Okita

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  1. Brian T. Burger
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  2. Joanna M. Cross
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  3. Janine R. Shaw
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  4. Joel R. Caren
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  5. Thomas W. Greene
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  6. Thomas W. Okita
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  7. L. Curtis Hannah
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Correspondence to L. Curtis Hannah.

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Burger, B.T., Cross, J.M., Shaw, J.R. et al. Relative turnover numbers of maize endosperm and potato tuber ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases in the absence and presence of 3-phosphoglyceric acid. Planta 217, 449–456 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-003-1000-0

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