Transgenic potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants were created with sense and antisense copies of the potato D-enzyme (disproportionating enzyme; EC 2.4.1.25) cDNA linked to patatin and cauliflower mosaic virus 35 S promoters, and screened for D-enzyme activity in tubers. Transformants with sense constructs mostly had wild type D-enzyme activity but two plants had only about 1% wild-type activity. Transformants with antisense constructs had activity ranging from 90% to about 1% of wild type. Three 35 S antisense plants with very low activity were analysed in detail. Western blot analysis showed that D-enzyme was present in greatly reduced amounts in tubers and in leaves, whereas plastidic starch phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1) was unaffected. The lack of D-enzyme resulted in slow plant growth but development was otherwise apparently normal. Furthermore, the starch content of tubers was not appreciably altered in amount, proportion of amylose, molecular weight of debranched amylopectin, or branch chain length, despite the lack of D-enzyme. These results do not indicate a direct requirement for D-enzyme in the synthesis and accumulation of storage starch in tubers. The results are discussed in terms of the known reactions catalysed by D-enzyme and possible involvement of D-enzyme in starch metabolism.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	antisense inhibition, D-enzyme, glucanotransferase, Solanum tuberosum, starch metabolism
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Plant Biology
Research Field:	Plant Physiology
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences
UTAS Author:	Smith, SM (Professor Steven Smith)
ID Code:	101572
Year Published:	1998
Web of Science® Times Cited:	35
Deposited By:	Plant Science
Deposited On:	2015-06-26
Last Modified:	2015-08-25
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