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Transgenic tobacco plants with strongly decreased expression of pyrophosphate: Fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase do not differ significantly from wild type in photosynthate partitioning, plant growth or their ability to cope with limiting phosphate, limiting nitrogen and suboptimal temperatures

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Abstract

Transformation of tobacco with the potato gene encoding the subunit of pyrophosphate: fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase (PFP) in the antisense orientation under the control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter, followed by selfing and crossing of the transformants, generated a line of tobacco (5–37) with up to an 85% reduction in PFP activity in the shoot. Transformants containing a sense construct (4-40-91) contained only 1–3% of wild-type PFP, presumably due to co-suppression. Rates of photosynthesis and partitioning between sucrose and starch in source leaves were identical in 4-40-91 transformants and the wild type. In the dark in sink leaves of 4-40-91 transformants, levels of hexose phosphates were up to 50% higher, glycerate-3-phosphate 30% lower and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate threefold higher than in the wild type; inorganic pyrophosphate, pyruvate and the ATP/ADP ratio were unaltered. Low -PFP and wild-type plants did not differ significantly in their rate of growth at 25° C and 200 μmol quanta · m−2 · s−1 on full nutrient medium. Growth on limiting phosphate and limiting nitrogen was inhibited identically in the wild type and transformants, and transformants adjusted their shoot/root ratio in an identical manner to the wild type. Differences in fructose-2,6-bisphosphate and glycolytic metabolites between the wild type and transformants were no larger in these suboptimal nutrient conditions, than in optimal conditions. Growth of the wild type and 4-40-91 transformants was inhibited identically at 12° C compared to 25° C. Differences in fructose-2,6-bisphosphate were smaller when the genotypes were compared at 12° C than at 25° C. We conclude that PFP does not play an essential role in photosynthate partitioning in source leaves. During respiratory metabolism in sink leaves it catalyzes a net glycolytic flux, as in potato tubers. However, tobacco seedlings are able to compensate for a large decrease in expression of PFP without loss of growth, or the ability to cope with suboptimal phosphate, nitrogen or temperature.

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Abbreviations

F2,6BP:

fructose-2,6-bisphosphate

F6P:

fructose-6-phosphate

G6P:

glucose-6-phosphate

PFK:

phosphofructokinase

PFP:

pyrophosphate-dependent fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase

3-PGA:

glycerate-3-phosphate

PPi:

inorganic pyrophosphate

PEP:

phosphoenolpyruvate

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Author notes

  1. Matthew Paul

    Present address: AFRC Institute of Arable Crops Research, Rothamsted Experimental Station, AL5 2JQ, Harpenden, Herts, UK

  2. Mohammad Hajirezaei

    Present address: Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, D-064466, Gatersleben, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenphysiologie, Universität Bayreuth, D-95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Matthew Paul & Mohammad Hajirezaei

  2. Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, D-064466, Gatersleben, Germany

    Uwe Sonnewald

  3. Biology Department, Queens University, K7L 3N6, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

    David Dennis

  4. Botanisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Mark Stitt

Authors
  1. Matthew Paul
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  2. Uwe Sonnewald
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  3. Mohammad Hajirezaei
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  4. David Dennis
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  5. Mark Stitt
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Additional information

This work was supported by the Bundesministerium für Forschung and Technologie (M.S, U.S.) and the Canadian Research Council (S.C., D.D). M.P. was supported by a Royal Society Fellowship.

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Paul, M., Sonnewald, U., Hajirezaei, M. et al. Transgenic tobacco plants with strongly decreased expression of pyrophosphate: Fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase do not differ significantly from wild type in photosynthate partitioning, plant growth or their ability to cope with limiting phosphate, limiting nitrogen and suboptimal temperatures. Planta 196, 277–283 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00201385

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00201385

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