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Three starch branching enzyme (BE) isozymes, BEI, BEIIa, and BEIIb, are involved in starch biosynthesis in rice endosperm. Past in vivo and in vitro studies have suggested that each BE isozyme plays a distinct role in forming the fine structure of amylopectin. To elucidate more details of their roles, we prepared DNA constructs in which all the possible combinations of the expressions of these three isozymes were suppressed in developing rice endosperm. Analysis of the chain-length distributions of amylopectin produced under these various conditions confirmed the contributions of the individual BE isozymes to the fine structure of amylopectin in rice endosperm. Among these isozymes, the impact of loss of BEIIb activity on amylopectin fine structure was most remarkable and indicated that it plays a specific role in the synthesis of short chains with a 6–13 degree of polymerization (DP). The contribution of BEI to the amylopectin synthesis was unclear when only BEI activity was reduced. It was clear, however, when both BEI and BEIIb activities were substantially inhibited. The DP11-22 intermediate chains were markedly reduced in the Δ BEI/BEIIb line compared with the Δ BEIIb line, indicating that BEI plays a distinct role in the synthesis of these intermediate chains. Although no substantial change in amylopectin chain profile was detected in the Δ BEIIa line, the role of BEIIa could be deciphered by analyzing amylopectin fine structure from the Δ BEI/BEIIa/BEIIb line in comparison to that from Δ BEI/BEIIb line. This strongly suggests that BEIIa compensates for the role of BEI, rather than that of BEIIb, by forming intermediate chains of DP11-22. In addition, the new possibility that BEIIa is involved in the formation of starch granules in rice endosperm was suggested because the onset temperature for gelatinization of starch granules in the Δ BEIIa/BEIIb line was significantly higher than that in the Δ BEIIb line. In summary, the present study highlights the distinct roles of BEI, BEIIa, and BEIIb in the synthesis of amylopectin in developing rice endosperm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been believed that isoamylase (ISA)-type α-glucan debranching enzymes (DBEs) play crucial roles not only in α-glucan degradation but also in the biosynthesis by affecting the structure of glucans, although molecular basis on distinct roles of the individual DBEs has not fully understood. In an attempt to relate the roles of DBEs to their chain-length specificities, we analyzed the chain-length distribution of DBE enzymatic reaction products by using purified DBEs from various sources including rice, cyanobacteria, and bacteria. When DBEs were incubated with phytoglycogen, their chain-length specificities were divided into three groups. First, rice endosperm ISA3 (OsISA3) and Eschericia coli GlgX (EcoGlgX) almost exclusively debranched chains having degree of polymerization (DP) of 3 and 4. Second, OsISA1, Pseudomonas amyloderamosa ISA (PsaISA), and rice pullulanase (OsPUL) could debranch a wide range of chains of DP≧3. Third, both cyanobacteria ISAs, Cyanothece ATCC 51142 ISA (CytISA) and Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 ISA (ScoISA), showed the intermediate chain-length preference, because they removed chains of mainly DP3-4 and DP3-6, respectively, while they could also react to chains of DP5-10 and 7–13 to some extent, respectively. In contrast, all these ISAs were reactive to various chains when incubated with amylopectin. In addition to a great variation in chain-length preferences among various ISAs, their activities greatly differed depending on a variety of glucans. Most strikingly, cyannobacteria ISAs could attack branch points of pullulan to a lesser extent although no such activity was found in OsISA1, OsISA3, EcoGlgX, and PsaISA. Thus, the present study shows the high possibility that varied chain-length specificities of ISA-type DBEs among sources and isozymes are responsible for their distinct functions in glucan metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deficiencies in both starch synthase IIIa and branching enzyme IIb lead to significantly increased amylose content in japonica rice endoseprm due to pleiotropic effects on other starch biosynthetic enzymes.Starch synthase (SS) IIIa has the second highest activity of the total soluble SS activity in developing rice endosperm. Branching enzyme (BE) IIb is the major BE isozyme, and is strongly expressed in developing rice endosperm. A mutant (ss3a/be2b) was generated from wild-type japonica rice which lacks SSIIa activity. The seed weight of ss3a/be2b was 74–94% of that of the wild type, whereas the be2b seed weight was 59–73% of that of the wild type. There were significantly fewer amylopectin short chains [degree of polymerization (DP) ≤13] in ss3a/be2b compared with the wild type. In contrast, the amount of long chains (DP ≥25) connecting clusters of amylopectin in ss3a/be2b was higher than in the wild type and lower than in be2b. The apparent amylose content of ss3a/be2b was 45%, which was >1.5 times greater than that of either ss3a or be2b. Both SSIIIa and BEIIb deficiencies led to higher activity of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) and granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI), which partly explains the high amylose content in the ss3a/be2b endosperm. The percentage apparent amylose content of ss3a and ss3a/be2b at 10 days after flowering (DAF) was higher than that of the wild type and be2b. At 20 DAF, amylopectin biosynthesis in be2b and ss3a/be2b was not observed, whereas amylose biosynthesis in these lines was accelerated at 30 DAF. These data suggest that the high amylose content in the ss3a/be2b mutant results from higher amylose biosynthesis at two stages, up to 20 DAF and from 30 DAF to maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The relationship between the solubility, crystallinity, and length of the unit chains of plant storage α-glucan was investigated by manipulating the chain length of α-glucans accumulated in a rice mutant. Transgenic lines were produced by introducing a cDNA for starch synthase IIa (SSIIa) from an indica cultivar (SSIIaI, coding for active SSIIa) into an isoamylase1 (ISA1)-deficient mutant (isa1) that was derived from a japonica cultivar (bearing inactive SSIIa proteins). The water-soluble fraction accounted for >95% of the total α-glucan in the isa1 mutant, whereas it was only 35–70% in the transgenic SSIIaI/isa1 lines. Thus, the α-glucans from the SSIIaI/isa1 lines were fractionated into soluble and insoluble fractions prior to the following characterizations. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a weak B-type crystallinity for the α-glucans of the insoluble fraction, while no crystallinity was confirmed for α-glucans in isa1. Concerning the degree of polymerization (DP) ≤30, the chain lengths of these α-glucans differed significantly in the order of SSIIaI/isa1 insoluble > SSIIaI/isa1 soluble > α-glucans in isa1. The amount of long chains with DP ≥33 was higher in the insoluble fraction α-glucans than in the other two α-glucans. No difference was observed in the chain length distributions of the β-amylase limit dextrins among these α-glucans. These results suggest that in the SSIIaI/isa1 transgenic lines, the unit chains of α-glucans were elongated by SSIIaI, whereas the expression of SSIIaI did not affect the branch positions. Thus, the observed insolubility and crystallinity of the insoluble fraction can be attributed to the elongated length of the outer chains due to SSIIaI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study established the way in which plastidial α-glucan phosphorylase (Pho1) synthesizes maltodextrin (MD) which can be the primer for starch biosynthesis in rice endosperm. The synthesis of MD by Pho1 was markedly accelerated by branching enzyme (BE) isozymes, although the greatest effect was exhibited by the presence of branching isozyme I (BEI) rather than by isozyme IIa (BEIIa) or isozyme IIb (BEIIb). The enhancement of the activity of Pho1 by BE was not merely due to the supply of a non-reducing ends. At the same time, Pho1 greatly enhanced the BE activity, possibly by generating a branched carbohydrate substrate which is used by BE with a higher affinity. The addition of isoamylase to the reaction mixture did not prevent the concerted action of Pho1 and BEI. Furthermore, in the product, the branched structure was, at least to some extent, maintained. Based on these results we propose that the interaction between Pho1 and BE is not merely due to chain-elongating and chain-branching reactions, but occurs in a physically and catalytically synergistic manner by each activating the mutual capacity of the other, presumably forming a physical association of Pho1, BEI and branched MDs. This close interaction might play a crucial role in the synthesis of branched MDs and the branched MDs can act as a primer for the biosynthesis of amylopectin molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch synthase (SS) I and IIIa are the first and second largest components of total soluble SS activity, respectively, in developing japonica rice (Oryza sativa L.) endosperm. To elucidate the distinct and overlapping functions of these enzymes, double mutants were created by crossing the ss1 null mutant with the ss3a null mutant. In the F2 generation, two opaque seed types were found to have either the ss1ss1/SS3ass3a or the SS1ss1/ss3ass3a genotype. Phenotypic analyses revealed lower SS activity in the endosperm of these lines than in those of the parent mutant lines since these seeds had different copies of SSI and SSIIIa genes in a heterozygous state. The endosperm of the two types of opaque seeds contained the unique starch with modified fine structure, round-shaped starch granules, high amylose content, and specific physicochemical properties. The seed weight was ∼90% of that of the wild type. The amount of granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) and the activity of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) were higher than in the wild type and parent mutant lines. The double-recessive homozygous mutant prepared from both ss1 and ss3a null mutants was considered sterile, while the mutant produced by the leaky ss1 mutant×ss3a null mutant cross was fertile. This present study strongly suggests that at least SSI or SSIIIa is required for starch biosynthesis in rice endosperm. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Rice (Oryza sativa) endosperm has two isoamylase (ISA) oligomers, ISA1 homo-oligomer and ISA1-ISA2 hetero-oligomer. To examine their contribution to starch synthesis, expression of the ISA1 or ISA2 gene was differently regulated in various transgenic plants. Although suppression of ISA2 gene expression caused the endosperm to have only the homo-oligomer, no significant effects were detected on the starch phenotypes. In contrast, ISA2 overexpression led to endosperm having only the hetero-oligomer, and starch synthesis in the endosperm was drastically impaired, both quantitatively and qualitatively, because the starch was devoid of typical starch features, such as thermal and x-ray diffraction properties, and water-soluble highly branched maltodextrins were accumulated. In the ISA2 overexpressed line, about 60% to 70% of the ISA1-ISA2 hetero-oligomer was bound to starch, while the ISA homo- and hetero-oligomers from the wild type were mostly present in the soluble form at the early milking stage of the endosperm. Detailed analysis of the relative amounts of homo- and hetero-oligomers in various lines also led us to the conclusion that the ISA1 homo-oligomer is essential, but not the ISA1-ISA2 oligomer, for starch production in rice endosperm. The relative amounts of ISA1 and ISA2 proteins were shown to determine the ratio of both oligomers and the stoichiometry of both ISAs in the hetero-oligomer. It was noted when compared with the homo-oligomer that all the hetero-oligomers from rice endosperm and leaf and potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber were much more stable at 40°C. This study provides substantial data on the structural and functional diversity of ISA oligomers between plant tissues and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To our knowledge the present paper shows for the first time the kinetic parameters of all the three starch branching enzyme (BE) isozymes, BEI, BEIIa and BEIIb, from rice with both amylopectin and synthetic amylose as glucan substrate. The activities of these BE isozymes with a linear glucan amylose decreased with a decrease in the molar size of amylose, and no activities of BEIIa and BEIIb were found when the degree of polymerization (DP) of amylose was lower than at least 80, whereas BEI had an activity with amylose of a DP higher than approximately 50. Detailed analyses of debranched products from BE reactions revealed the distinct chain length preferences of the individual BE isozymes. BEIIb almost exclusively transferred chains of DP7 and DP6 while BEIIa formed a wide range of short chains of DP6 to around DP15 from outer chains of amylopectin and amylose. On the other hand, BEI formed a variety of short chains and intermediate chains of a DP ≤40 by attacking not only outer chains but also inner chains of branched glucan while BEIIa or BEIIb could only scarcely or could not attack inner chains, respectively. The comprehensive in vitro studies revealed different enzymatic characteristics of the three BE isozymes and give a new insight into the distinct roles of individual BE isozymes in amylopectin biosynthesis in the endosperm. Based on these results, the functional distinction and interaction of BE isozymes during amylopectin biosynthesis in cereal endosperm is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Rice (Oryza sativa) allelic sugary1 (sug1) mutants defective in isoamylase 1 (ISA1) accumulate varying levels of starch and phytoglycogen in their endosperm, and the activity of a pullulanase-type of a debranching enzyme (PUL) was found to correlate closely with the severity of the sug1 phenotype. Thus, three PUL-deficient mutants were generated to investigate the function of PUL in starch biosynthesis. The reduction of PUL activity had no pleiotropic effects on the other enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis. The short chains (DP ≤13) of amylopectin in PUL mutants were increased compared with that of the wild type, but the extent of the changes was much smaller than that of sug1 mutants. The α-glucan composition [amylose, amylopectin, water-soluble polysaccharide (WSP)] and the structure of the starch components (amylose and amylopectin) of the PUL mutants were essentially the same, although the average chain length of the B2-3 chains of amylopectin in the PUL mutant was ∼3 residues longer than that of the wild type. The double mutants between the PUL-null and mild sug1 mutants still retained starch in the outer layer of endosperm tissue, while the amounts of WSP and short chains (DP ≤7) of amylopectin were higher than those of the sug1 mutant; this indicates that the PUL function partially overlaps with that of ISA1 and its deficiency has a much smaller effect on the synthesis of amylopectin than ISA1 deficiency and the variation of the sug1 phenotype is not significantly dependent on the PUL activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Plastidial phosphorylase (Phol) accounts for ~96% of the total phosphorylase activity in developing rice (Oryza sativa) seeds. From mutant stocks induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea treatment, we identified plants with mutations in the Pho1 gene that are deficient in Pho1. Strikingly, the size of mature seeds and the starch content in these mutants showed considerable variation, ranging from shrunken to pseudonormal. The loss of Phol caused smaller starch granules to accumulate and modified the amylopectin structure. Variation in the morphological and biochemical phenotype of individual seeds was common to all 15 pho1-independent homozygous mutant lines studied, indicating that this phenotype was caused solely by the genetic defect. The phenotype of the pho1 mutation was temperature dependent. While the mutant plants grown at 30°C produced mainly plump seeds at maturity, most of the seeds from plants grown at 20°C were shrunken, with a significant proportion showing severe reduction in starch accumulation. These results strongly suggest that Pho1 plays a crucial role in starch biosynthesis in rice endosperm at low temperatures and that one or more other factors can complement the function of Pho1 at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch synthase IIIa (SSIIIa)-deficient rice (Oryza sativa) mutants were generated using retrotransposon insertion and chemical mutagenesis. The lowest migrating SS activity bands on glycogen-containing native polyacrylamide gel, which were identified to be those for SSIIIa, were completely absent in these mutants, indicating that they are SSIIIa null mutants. The amylopectin B2 to B4 chains with degree of polymerization (DP) ≥= 30 and the Mr of amylopectin in the mutant were reduced to about 60% and 70% of the wild-type values, respectively, suggesting that SSIIIa plays an important part in the elongation of amylopectin B2 to B4 chains. Chains with DP 6 to 9 and DP 16 to 19 decreased while chains with DP 10 to 15 and DP 20 to 25 increased in the mutants amylopectin. These changes in the SSIIIa mutants are almost opposite images of those of SSI-deficient rice mutant and were caused by 1.3- to 1.7-fold increase of the amount of SSI in the mutants endosperm. Furthermore, the amylose content and the extralong chains (DP ≥= 500) of amylopectin were increased by 1.3- and 12-fold, respectively. These changes in the composition in the mutants starch were caused by 1.4- to 1.7-fold increase in amounts of granules-bound starch synthase (GBSSI). The starch granules of the mutants were smaller with round shape, and were less crystalline. Thus, deficiency in SSIIIa, the second major SS isozyme in developing rice endosperm affected the structure of amylopectin, amylase content, and physicochemical properties of starch granules in two ways: directly by the SSIIIa deficiency itself and indirectly by the enhancement of both SSI and GBSSI gene transcripts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four starch synthase I (SSI)-deficient rice (Oryza sativa) mutant lines were generated using retrotransposon Tos17 insertion. The mutants exhibited different levels of SSI activities and produced significantly lower amounts of SSI protein ranging from 0% to 20% of the wild type. The mutant endosperm amylopectin showed a decrease in chains with degree of polymerization (DP) 8 to 12 and an increase in chains with DP 6 to 7 and DP 16 to 19. The degree of change in amylopectin chain-length distribution was positively correlated with the extent of decrease in SSI activity in the mutants. The structural changes in the amylopectin increased the gelatinization temperature of endosperm starch. Chain-length analysis of amylopectin in the SSI band excised from native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/SS activity staining gel showed that SSI preferentially synthesized DP 7 to 11 chains by elongating DP 4 to 7 short chains of glycogen or amylopectin. These results show that SSI distinctly generates DP 8 to 12 chains from short DP 6 to 7 chains emerging from the branch point in the A or B1 chain of amylopectin. SSI seemingly functions from the very early through the late stage of endosperm development. Yet, the complete absence of SSI, despite being a major SS isozyme in the developing endosperm, had no effect on the size and shape of seeds and starch granules and the crystallinity of endosperm starch, suggesting that other SS enzymes are probably capable of partly compensating SSI function. In summary, this study strongly suggested that amylopectin chains are synthesized by the coordinated actions of SSI, SSIIa, and SSIIIa isoforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive analysis of the transcript levels of genes which encode starch-synthesis enzymes is fundamental for the assessment of the function of each enzyme and the regulatory mechanism for starch biosynthesis in source and sink organs. Using quantitative real-time RT-PCR, an examination was made of the expression profiles of 27 rice genes encoding six classes of enzymes, i.e. ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), starch synthase, starch branching enzyme, starch debranching enzyme, starch phosphorylase, and disproportionating enzyme in developing seeds and leaves. The modes of gene expression were tissue- and developmental stage-specific. Four patterns of expression in the seed were identified: group 1 genes, which are expressed very early in grain formation and are presumed to be involved in the construction of fundamental cell machineries, de novo synthesis of glucan primers, and initiation of starch granules; group 2 genes, which are highly expressed throughout endosperm development; group 3 genes, which have transcripts that are low at the onset but which rise steeply at the start of starch synthesis in the endosperm and are thought to play essential roles in endosperm starch synthesis; and group 4 genes, which are expressed scantly, mainly at the onset of grain development, and might be involved in synthesis of starch in the pericarp. The methodology also revealed that the defect in the cytosolic AGPase small subunit2b (AGPS2b) transcription from the AGPS2 gene in endosperm sharply enhanced the expressions of endosperm and leaf plastidial AGPS1, the endosperm cytosolic AGPase large subunit2 (AGPL2), and the leaf plastidial AGPL1. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is widely accepted that green plants evolved the capacity to synthesize the highly organized branched α-polyglucan amylopectin with tandem-cluster structure, whereas animals and bacteria continued to produce random branched glycogen. Although most previous studies documented that cyanobacteria accumulate glycogen, the present study shows explicitly that some cyanobacteria such as Cyanobacterium sp. MBIC10216, Myxosarcina burmensis and Synechococcus sp. BG043511 had distinct α-polyglucans, which were designated as semi-amylopectin. The semi-amylopectin was intermediate between rice amylopectin and typical cyanobacterial glycogen in terms of chain length distribution, molecular size and length of the most abundant α-1,4-chain. It was also found that Cyanobacterium sp. MBIC10216 had no amylose-type component in its α-polyglucans. The evolutionary aspect of the structure of α-polyglucan is discussed in relation to the phylogenetic evolutionary tree of 16S rRNA sequences of cyanobacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the role of isoamylasel (ISA1) in amylopectin biosynthesis in plants, a genomic DNA fragment from Aegilops tauschii was introduced into the ISA1-deficient rice (Oryza sativa) sugary-1 mutant line EM914, in which endosperm starch is completely replaced by phytoglycogen. A. tauschii is the D genome donor of wheat (Triticum aestivum), and the introduced fragment effectively included the gene for ISA1 for wheat (TaISA) that was encoded on the D genome. In TaISA1-expressing rice endosperm, phytoglycogen synthesis was substantially replaced by starch synthesis, leaving only residual levels of phytoglycogen. The levels of residual phytoglycogen present were inversely proportional to the expression level of the TaISA1 protein, although the level of pullulanase that had been reduced in EM914 was restored to the same level as that in the wild type. Small but significant differences were found in the amylopectin chain-length distribution, gelatinization temperatures, and A-type x-ray diffraction patterns of the starches from lines expressing TaISA1 when compared with wild-type rice starch, although in the first two parameters, the effect was proportional to the expression level of TaISA. The impact of expression levels of ISA1 on starch structure and properties provides support for the view that ISA1 is directly involved in the synthesis of amylopectin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the starch branching enzyme IIb (BEIIb) gene was introduced into a BEIIb-defective mutant, the resulting transgenic rice plants showed a wide range of BEIIb activity and the fine structure of their amylopectins showed considerable variation despite having the two other BE isoforms, BEI and BEIIa, in their endosperm at the same levels as in the wild-type. The properties of the starch granules, such as their gelatinization behaviour, morphology and X-ray diffraction pattern, also changed dramatically depending on the level of BEIIb activity, even when this was either slightly lower or higher than that of the wild-type. The over-expression of BEIIb resulted in the accumulation of excessive branched, water-soluble polysaccharides instead of amylopectin. These results imply that the manipulation of BEIIb activity is an effective strategy for the generation of novel starches for use in foodstuffs and industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have isolated a starch mutant that was deficient in starch-branching enzyme I (BEI) from the endosperm mutant stocks of rice (Oryza sativa) induced by the treatment of fertilized egg cells with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. The deficiency of BEI in this mutant was controlled by a single recessive gene, tentatively designated as starch-branching enzyme mutant I (sbe1). The mutant endosperm exhibited the normal phenotype and contained the same amount of starch as the wild type. However, the mutation apparently altered the fine structure of amylopectin. The mutant amylopectin was characterized by significant decrease in both long chains with degree of polymerization (DP) ≥ 37 and short chains with DP 12 to 21, marked increase in short chains with DP ≤ 10 (A chains), and slight increase in intermediate chains with DP 24 to 34, suggesting that BEI specifically synthesizes B[sub 1] and β[sub 2-3] chains. The endosperm starch from the sbe1 mutant had a lower onset concentration for urea gelatinization and a lower onset temperature for thermo-gelatinization compared with the wild type, indicating that the genetic modification of amylopectin fine structure is responsible for changes in physicochemical properties of sbe1 starch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch is made up of amylose (linear α-1,4-polyglucans) and amylopectin (α-1,6-branched polyglucans). Amylopectin has a distinct fine structure called multiple cluster structure and is synthesized by multiple subunits or isoforms of four classes of enzymes: ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase, soluble starch synthase (SS), starch branching enzyme (BE), and starch debranching enzyme (DBE). In the present paper, based on analyses of mutants and transgenic lines of rice in which each enzyme activity is affected, the contribution of the individual isoform to the fine structure of amylopectin in rice endosperm is evaluated, and a new model referred to as the “two-step branching and improper branch clearing model” is proposed to explain how amylopectin is synthesized. The model emphasizes that two sets of reactions, α-1,6-branch formation and the subsequent α-1,4-chain elongation, are catalyzed by distinct BE and SS isoforms, respectively, are fundamental to the construction of the cluster structure. The model also assesses the role of DBE, namely isoamylase or in addition pullulanase, to remove unnecessary α-1,6-glucosidic linkages that are occasionally formed at improper positions apart from two densely branched regions of the cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article offers information on a study which aims to efficiently produce Coenzyme Q10 in rice by introducing the gene for decaprenyl diphosphate synthase (DdsA) into rice sugary and shrunken mutants. It says that the study utilized the rice cultivar Nipponbare and the DdsA gene was isolated from Gluconobacter suboxydans. The result is a genetically modified rice cultivar that produces 1.3 to 1.6 times coenzyme Q10 as earlier enriched rice did.

Up to now, no information on the structural characteristics of glucans involved in the initiation of starch biosynthesis in cereal endosperm has been available. Since amylopectin is a major constituent of starch and largely affects the starch physicochemical properties, we attempted to characterize the fine structures of branched glucans. We isolated small glucan granules with a diameter of approximately 40–80 nm from rice endosperm at the early developmental stages and analyzed the chain-length distribution of the glucans and their phosphorylase-limit dextrins. Compared with normal amylopectin, the proportion of long chains of these glucans with degree of polymerization (DP) ≥ 35 was significantly lower and these long chains did not form a peak. These structural features were commonly found in small glucan granules in three rice cultivars. Based on the present results, we propose that these immature glucans located in small granules in young endosperm are involved in the initiation process of amylopectin biosynthesis in rice endosperm. • Isolation and characterization of immature glucans in very young rice endosperm. • The glucans having structurally an immature cluster compared with amylopectin. • Possible role of immature glucans in the initial starch synthesis in rice endosperm. • New insights into the specific initial stage of starch synthesis in cereal endosperm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Rice endosperm starch is composed of 0–30% linear amylose, which is entirely synthesized by granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI: encoded by Waxy, Wx). The remainder consists of branched amylopectin and is elongated by multiple starch synthases (SS) including SSI, IIa and IIIa. Typical japonica rice lacks active SSIIa and contains a low expressing Wx b causing a low amylose content (ca. 20%). WAB2-3 (SS3a/Wx a ) lines generated by the introduction of a dominant indica Wx a into a japonica waxy mutant (SS3a/wx) exhibit elevated GBSSI and amylose content (ca. 25%). The japonica ss3a mutant (ss3a/Wx b ) shows a high amylose content (ca. 30%), decreased long chains of amylopectin and increased GBSSI levels. To investigate the functional relationship between the ss3a and Wx a genes, the ss3a/Wx a line was generated by crossing ss3a/Wx b with SS3a/Wx a , and the starch properties of this line were examined. The results show that the apparent amylose content of the ss3a/Wx a line was increased (41.3%) compared to the parental lines. However, the GBSSI quantity did not increase compared to the SS3a/Wx a line. The amylopectin branch structures were similar to the ss3a/Wx b mutant. Therefore, Wx a and ss3a synergistically increase the apparent amylose content in rice endosperm, and the possible reasons for this increase are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Stored starch generally consists of two d-glucose homopolymers, the linear polymer amylose and a highly branched glucan amylopectin that connects linear chains. Amylopectin structurally contributes to the crystalline organization of the starch granule in cereals. In the endosperm, amylopectin biosynthesis requires the proper execution of a coordinated series of enzymatic reactions involving ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), soluble starch synthase (SS), starch branching enzyme (BE), and starch debranching enzyme (DBE), whereas amylose is synthesized by AGPase and granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS). It is highly possible that plastidial starch phosphorylase (Pho1) plays an important role in the formation of primers for starch biosynthesis in the endosperm. Recent advances in our understanding of the functions of individual enzyme isoforms have provided new insights into how linear polymer chains and branch linkages are synthesized in cereals. In particular, genetic analyses of a suite of mutants have formed the basis of a new model outlining the role of various enzyme isoforms in cereal starch production. In our current review, we summarize the recent research findings related to starch biosynthesis in cereal endosperm, with a particular focus on rice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Starch synthase IIIa (SSIIIa)-deficient rice (Oryza sativa) mutants were generated using retrotransposon insertion and chemical mutagenesis. The lowest migrating SS activity bands on glycogen-containing native polyacrylamide gel, which were identified to be those for SSIIIa, were completely absent in these mutants, indicating that they are SSIIIa null mutants. The amylopectin B2 to B4 chains with degree of polymerization (DP) ≥= 30 and the Mr of amylopectin in the mutant were reduced to about 60% and 70% of the wild-type values, respectively, suggesting that SSIIIa plays an important part in the elongation of amylopectin B2 to B4 chains. Chains with DP 6 to 9 and DP 16 to 19 decreased while chains with DP 10 to 15 and DP 20 to 25 increased in the mutants amylopectin. These changes in the SSIIIa mutants are almost opposite images of those of SSI-deficient rice mutant and were caused by 1.3- to 1.7-fold increase of the amount of SSI in the mutants endosperm. Furthermore, the amylose content and the extralong chains (DP ≥= 500) of amylopectin were increased by 1.3- and 12-fold, respectively. These changes in the composition in the mutants starch were caused by 1.4- to 1.7-fold increase in amounts of granules-bound starch synthase (GBSSI). The starch granules of the mutants were smaller with round shape, and were less crystalline. Thus, deficiency in SSIIIa, the second major SS isozyme in developing rice endosperm affected the structure of amylopectin, amylase content, and physicochemical properties of starch granules in two ways: directly by the SSIIIa deficiency itself and indirectly by the enhancement of both SSI and GBSSI gene transcripts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch debranching enzyme (DBE)-deficient, sugary-1 mutations of rice caused the biosynthesis of more highly branched α-glucan in the form of phytoglycogen and sugary -amylopectin rather than wild-type amylopectin. Phytoglycogen and sugary -amylopectin are located in the inner and outer regions of the rice endosperm, respectively. Detailed analyses of these glucans from a variety of allelic mutants with different severity of sugary phenotype revealed that sugary -amylopectins consisted of more short chains of DP<12 but fewer chains of DP13–24 than did wild-type amylopectin, and the alterations reflected on lower molecular weights, smaller gyration radii, and denser molecules. These changes resulted in lower onset gelatinization temperature, lower peak viscosity, lesser degree of crystallinity, and smaller and cracked granules with rough surface of sugary starch granules as compared with that of the wild-type. These results indicate that changes in the fine structure of amylopectin induced by lesion of DBE greatly influence the morphological and physicochemical properties of starch. Phytoglycogens from sugary-1 mutants were composed of multiple components of smaller molecular weights and gyration radii than sugary -amylopectin and amylopectin. The highly branched phytoglycogens were more tightly packed molecules exhibiting greater dispersed densities than sugary -amylopectin and amylopectin. These results suggest that the levels of DBE in rice endosperm control the biosynthetic pathway of branched α-glucans and produce amylopectin, sugary -amylopectin and phytoglycogen. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]