A mutant of rice lacking the leaf large subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase has drastically reduced leaf starch content but grows normally
Sandrine Rösti A , Brendan Fahy A and Kay Denyer A BA John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UH, UK.
B Corresponding author. Email: kay.denyer@bbsrc.ac.uk
Functional Plant Biology 34(6) 480-489 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP06257
Submitted: 13 October 2006 Accepted: 19 February 2007 Published: 1 June 2007
Abstract
A mutant of rice was identified with a Tos17 insertion in OsAPL1, a gene encoding a large subunit (LSU) of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase). The insertion prevents production of a normal transcript from OsAPL1. Characterisation of the mutant (apl1) showed that the LSU encoded by OsAPL1 is required for AGPase activity in rice leaf blades. In mutant leaf blades, the AGPase small subunit protein is not detectable and the AGPase activity and starch content are reduced to <1 and <5% of that in wild type blades, respectively. The mutation also leads to a reduction in starch content in the leaf sheaths but does not significantly affect AGPase activity or starch synthesis in other parts of the plant. The sucrose, glucose and fructose contents of the leaves are not affected by the mutation. Despite the near absence of starch in the leaf blades, apl1 mutant rice plants grow and develop normally under controlled environmental conditions and show no reduction in productivity.
Additional keywords: Oryza sativa L., starch, Tos17.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Alison Smith (John Innes Centre) and Peter Keeling (BASF Plant Sciences) for constructive criticism of the manuscript. This work was supported by a CASE studentship from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council UK (BBSRC). The industrial partner for the CASE studentship was Syngenta. The John Innes Centre is supported by a core strategic grant from the BBSRC.
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