Abstract
Two starch synthase clones, zSSIIa and zSSIIb, were isolated from a cDNA library constructed from W64A maize endosperm. zSSIIa and zSSIIb are 3124 and 2480 bp in length, and contain open reading frames of 732 and 698 amino acid residues, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences of the two clones share 58.1% sequence identity. Amino acid sequence identity between the zSSIIa and zSSIIb clones and the starch synthase II clones of potato and pea ranges between 45 to 51%. The predicted amino acid sequence from each SSII cDNA contains the KXGGL consensus motif at the putative ADP-Glc binding site. Both clones also contain putative transit peptides followed by the VRAA(E)A motif, the consensus cleavage site located at the C-terminus of chloroplast transit peptides. The identity of the zSSIIa and zSSIIb clones as starch synthases was confirmed by expression of enzyme activity in Escherichia coli. Genomic DNA blot analysis revealed two copies of zSSIIa and a single copy of zSSIIb. zSSIIa was expressed predominantly in the endosperm, while transcripts for zSSIIb were detected mainly in the leaf at low abundance. These findings establish that the zSSIIa and zSSIIb genes are characteristically distinct from genes encoding granule-bound starch synthase I (Waxy protein) and starch synthase I.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Muller-Rober B, Kossmann J: Approaches to influence starch quantity and starch quality in transgenic plants. Plant Cell Envir 17: 601–613 (1994).
Martin C, Smith AM: Starch biosynthesis. Plant Cell 7: 971–985 (1995).
Smith AM, Denyer K, Martin CR: What controls the amount and structure of starch in storage organs? Plant Physiol 107: 673–677 (1995).
Morell MK, Rahman S, Abrahams SL, Appels R: The biochemistry and molecular biology of starch synthesis in cereals. Aust J Plant Physiol 22: 647–660 (1995).
Nelson O, Pan D: Starch synthesis in maize endosperms. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Mol Biol 46: 475–496 (1995).
Wasserman BP, Harn C, MuForster C, Huang R: Progress toward genetically modified starches. Cereal Foods World 40: 810–817 (1995).
MuForster C, Huang R, Powers JR, Harriman RW, Knight M, Singletary GW, Keeling PL, Wasserman BP: Physical association of starch biosynthetic enzymes with starch granules of maize endosperm. Granuleassociated forms of starch synthase I and starch branching enzyme II. Plant Physiol 111: 821–829 (1996).
Echt S, Schwartz D: Evidence for the inclusion of controlling elements within the structural gene at the waxy locus in maize. Genetics 99: 275–284 (1981).
Mu C, Harn C, Ko YT, Singletary GW, Keeling PL, Wasserman BP: Association of a 76 kDa polypeptide with soluble starch synthase I activity in maize (cv73) endosperm. Plant J 6: 151–159 (1994).
Baba T, Arai Y, Ono T, Munakata A, Yamaguchi H, Itoh T: Branching enzyme from amylomaize endosperms. Carbohydr Res 107: 213–230 (1982).
Nakayama S, Nakamura Y: Purification and some properties of starch branching enzyme (Qenzyme) from tuberous root of sweet potato. Physiol Plant 91: 763–769 (1994).
Guan H, Baba T, Preiss J: Expression of branching enzyme II of maize endosperm in Escherichia coli. Cell Mol Biol 40: 981–988 (1994).
Fisher DK, Kim KN, Gao M, Boyer CD, Guiltinan MJ: A cDNA encoding starch branching enzyme I from maize endosperm. Plant Physiol 108: 1313–1314 (1995).
Nelson OE, Rines HW: The enzymatic deficiency in the waxy mutant of maize. Biochem Biophys Res Comm 9: 297–300 (1962).
Shure M, Wessler S, Fedoroff N: Molecular identification and isolation of the waxy locus in maize. Cell 35: 225–233 (1983).
Visser RGF, Hergersberg M, van der Leij FR, Jacobsen E, Witholt B, Feenstra WJ: Molecular cloning and partial characterization of the gene for granulebound starch synthase from a wildtype and an amylosefree potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Plant Sci 64: 185–192 (1989).
Wang Z, Wu Z, Xing Y, Zheng F, Guo X, Zhang W, Hong M: Nucleotide sequence of rice waxy gene. Nucl Acids Res 18: 5898 (1990).
van derLeij FR, Visser RGF, Ponstein AS, Jacobsen E, Feenstra WJ: Sequence of the structural gene for granulebound starch synthase of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and evidence for a single point deletion in the amf allele. Mol Gen Genet 228: 240–248 (1991).
Salehuzzaman SNIM, Jacobsen E, Visser RGF: Isolation and characterization of a cDNA encoding granulebound starch synthase in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and its antisense expression in potato. Plant Mol Biol 23: 947–962 (1993).
Dry I, Smith AM, Edwards A, Bhattacharyya M, Dunn P, Martin C: Characterization of cDNAs encoding two isoforms of granulebound starch synthase which show differential expression in developing storage organs of pea and potato. Plant J 2: 193–202 (1992).
Baba T, Nishihara M, Mizuno K, Kawasaki T, Shimada H, Kobayashi E, Ohnishi S, Tanaka K, Arai Y: Identification, cDNA cloning, and gene expression of soluble starch synthase in rice (Oryza sativa L.) immature seeds. Plant Physiol 103: 565–573 (1993).
Edwards A, Marshall J, Sidebottom C, Visser RGG, Smith AM, Martin C: Biochemical and molecular characterization of a novel starch synthase from potato tubers. Plant J 8: 183–294 (1995).
Abel GJW, Springer F, Willmitzer L, Kossmann J: Cloning and functional analysis of a cDNA encoding a novel 139 kDa starch synthase from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Plant J 10: 981–991 (1996).
Knight ME, Harn C, Lilley CER, Guan H, Singletary GW, MuForster C, Wasserman BP, Keeling PL: Molecular cloning of starch synthase I from maize (W64) endosperm and expression in E. coli. Plant J, in press (1998).
Marshall J, Sidebottom C, Debet M, Martin C, Smith AM, Edwards A: Identification of the major starch synthase in the soluble fraction of potato tubers. Plant Cell 8: 1121–1135 (1996).
Gavel Y, von Heijne G: A conserved cleavagesite motif in chloroplast transit peptides. FEBS Lett 261: 455–458 (1990).
Boyer CD, Preiss J: Multiple forms of (1,4)-α-Dglucan-6-glucosyl transferases from developing Zea mays L. kernels. Carbohydr Res 61: 321–334 (1978).
Dang PL, Boyer CD: Maize leaf and kernel starch synthases and starch branching enzymes. Phytochemistry 27: 1255–1259 (1988).
Denyer K, Sidebottom C, Hylton CM, Smith AM: Soluble isoforms of starch synthase and starchbranching enzyme also occur within starch granules in developing pea embryos. Plant J 4: 191–198 (1993).
Shen B, Carneiro N, Torres-Jerrez I, Stevenson B, McCreery T, Helentjaris T, Baysdorfer C, Almira E, Ferl RJ, Habben JE, Larkins B: Partial sequencing and mapping of clones from two maize cDNA libraries. Plant Mol Biol 26: 1085–1101 (1994).
Sanger F, Nicklen S, Coulson AR: DNA sequencing with chain terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA74: 5463–5467 (1987).
Chomczynski P, Sacchi N: Singlestep method of RNA isolation by acid guanidinium thiocyanatephenolchloroform extraction. Anal Biochem 162: 156–159 (1987).
Sambrook J, Fritsch EF and Maniatis T: Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (1989).
Southern EM: Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J Mol Biol 98: 503–517 (1975).
Lutcke HA, Chow KC, Mickel FS, Moss KA, Kern HF, Scheele GA: Selection of AUG initiation codons differs in plants and animals. EMBO J 6: 43–48 (1987).
Dean C, Tamaki S, Dunsmuir P, Favreau M, Katayama C, Dooner H, Bedbrook J: mRNA transcripts of several plant genes are polyadenylated at multiple sites in vivo. Nucl Acids Res 14: 2229–2240 (1986).
Fisher DK, Gao M, Kim KN, Boyer CD, Guiltinan MJ: Two closely related cDNAs encoding starch branching enzyme from Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Mol Biol 30: 97–108 (1996).
Macdonald FD, Preiss J: Partial purification and characterization of granulebound starch synthases from normal and waxy maize. Plant Physiol 78: 849–852 (1985).
Schiefer S, Lee EYC, Whelan WJ: Multiple forms of starch synthetase in maize varieties as revealed by discgel electrophoresis and activity staining. FEBS Lett 30: 129–132 (1973).
Hylton CM, Denyer K, Keeling PL, Chang MT, Smith AM: The effect of waxymutations on the granulebound starch synthases of barley and maize endosperms. Planta 198: 230–237 (1996).
Klosgen RB, Gierl A, Schwartz-Sommer Z, Saedler H: Molecular analysis of the waxy locus ofmaize. Mol Gen Genet 203: 237–244 (1986).
Rohde W, Becker D, Salamini F: Structural analysis of thewaxy locus from Hordeum vulgare. Nucl Acids Res 16: 7185–7186 (1988).
Ainsworth C, Clark J, Balsdon J: Expression, organisation and structure of the genes encoding the waxy protein (granulebound starch synthase) in wheat. Plant Mol Biol 22: 67–82 (1993).
Furukawa K, Tagaya M, Inouye M, Preiss J, Fukui T: Identification of lysine 15 at the active site in Escherichia coli glycogen synthase. Conservation of a lysXglygly sequence in the bacterial and mammalian enzymes. J Biol Chem 265: 2086–2090 (1990).
Burr B, Burr UK, Thompsen H, Albertson MC, Stuber CW: Gene mapping with recombinant inbreds in maize. Genetics 118: 519–526 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harn, C., Knight, M., Ramakrishnan, A. et al. Isolation and characterization of the zSSIIa and zSSIIb starch synthase cDNA clones from maize endosperm. Plant Mol Biol 37, 639–649 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006079009072
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006079009072