title: RNA interference-mediated repression of sucrose-phosphatase in transgenic potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum) strongly affects the hexose-to-sucrose ratio upon cold storage with only minor effects on total soluble carbohydrate accumulation.
abstract: Storage of potato tubers at low temperatures leads to the accumulation of glucose and fructose in a process called 'cold sweetening'. The aim of this work was to investigate the role of sucrose-phosphatase (SPP) in potato tuber carbohydrate metabolism at low temperature (4 degrees C). To this end, RNA interference (RNAi) was used to reduce SPP expression in transgenic potato tubers. Analysis of SPP specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), SPP protein accumulation and enzyme activity indicated that SPP silencing in transgenic tubers was stable during the cold treatment. Analysis of soluble carbohydrates showed that in transgenic tubers, cold-induced hexogenesis was inhibited while, despite strongly reduced SPP activity, sucrose levels exceeded wild-type (WT) values four- to fivefold after 34 d of cold treatment. This led to a drastic change in the hexose-to-sucrose ratio from 1.9 in WT tubers to 0.15 to 0.11 in transgenic tubers, while the total amount of soluble sugars was largely unchanged in both genotypes. Sucrose-6(F)-phosphate (Suc6P), the substrate of SPP, accumulated in transgenic tubers in the cold which most likely enables the residual enzyme to operate with maximal catalytic activity in vivo and thus, in the long term, counterbalances reduced SPP activity in the transformants. Northern analysis revealed that cold-induced expression of vacuolar invertase (VI) was blocked in SPP-silenced tubers explaining a reduced sucrose-to-hexose conversion. Suc6P levels were found to negatively correlate with VI expression. A possible role of Suc6P in regulating VI expression is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Staudtstr. 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mohammad R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hajirezaei
authors.forename: María-Inés
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Zanor
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hornyik
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Debast
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lacomme
authors.forename: Alisdair R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fernie
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sonnewald
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Börnke
mesh_terms: D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003080:Cold Temperature; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D006601:Hexoses / Q000378:metabolism*; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D035281:Plant Tubers / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006601:Hexoses; D013395:Sucrose; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; C022697:sucrose-phosphatase