ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The current understanding of the regulation of carbohydrate accumulation is still under investigation despite the tremendous work done in this subject. Purine and pyrimidine nucleotides have been implicated in many biochemical processes in plants. Amongst others, they are building blocks for nucleic acid synthesis, an energy source, precursors for the synthesis of primary products such as sucrose, polysaccharides, phospholipids, as well as secondary products. With the aim of placing adenine and uridine nucleotides in the context of sucrose and starch metabolism and carbon partitioning in higher plant, we have investigated the transcripts, enzymes and metabolites in carbohydrate metabolism and both de novo and salvage of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides in both sugarcane and tobacco tissues. For that purpose, adenylate kinase (ADK) and UMP synthase were chosen for silencing and over expression as they are rate limiting steps of de novo adenine and uridine nucleotides biosynthesis, respectively.
Sugarcane with repressed ADK activity showed significant increase in both the starch and adenylate pools. Increase in starch content was highly correlated with reduced ADK activity. As a result of decreased ADK activity, the salvage pathway was up regulated via the increased activity of both adenosine kinase (AK) and adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRTase) which positively correlated with increase in adenine nucleotide contents. In addition hexose phosphates and ADP glucose, the committed substrate for starch biosynthesis positively correlated with changes in starch content. A high ratio of ATP/ADP was observed in all transgenic lines compared with the untransformed wild type and suggested to favour starch synthesis.
Over expression of cytosolic ADK in tobacco demonstrated an expression of the enzyme where 2/3 of the total activity was in the direction of ADP production. As a result of over expression of ADK, starch content increased in all transgenic plants and positively correlated with changes in the activity of ADK. Despite changes in adenine nucleotide content, the salvage pathway was not activated and no significant changes in both AK and APRTase acivities were found between the transgenic and the untransformed plants. Sucrose synthase (SuSy) activity in breakdown direction positively correlated with changes in starch content suggesting a contribution in the starch accumulation in tobacco plants. In addition the ratio of ATP/ADP was low in all transgenic lines compared with the untransformed wild type. This was in line with the higher content in ADP compare to ATP in all transgenic lines and was supported by the over expression of ADK, and predominantly in the direction of ADP production.
Repressed UMP synthase in transgenic sugarcane resulted in increases in sucrose, starch and uridinylate. UDP-glucose, hexose phosphates and uridinylate content positively correlated with changes in sucrose content. Transgenic lines had increased sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity and low activity in SuSy, which suggests alteration of carbon flux toward sucrose. As a result of decreased UMP synthase activity, an up regulation of the salvage pathway was observed and predominantly via increased activity of uridine kinase (UK) which positively correlated with changes in the uridinylate pool. In addition to repressed UMP synthase activity, starch content and adenine nucleotides increased in transgenic lines.
Tobacco plants transformed with a cytosolic UMP synthase demonstrated an over expression of the enzyme in all transgenic lines. As a result of over expression of UMP synthase, key metabolites were up regulated, amongst them sucrose. Increase in sucrose content positively correlated with both hexoses and hexose phosphates but not the uridinylate pool. SPS activity positively correlated with increase in sucrose content, and accounted for most of the sucrose synthesized in transgenic lines. Despite the increase in the adenylate pool, no significant changes were observed in starch content. The depletion level of UDP-glucose in all transgenic lines was a mere reflection of the higher activity of UDP glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) in the formation of glucose-1-phosphate. In addition, no salvage pathway was up regulated in transgenic lines.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die huidige beskikbare inligting in verband met die reguleering van koolhidraat akkumulasie word steeds ondersoek ten spyte van die groot hoeveelheid navorsing wat reeds in hierdie verband gedoen is. Purien en pirimidien nukleotide speel ‘n rol in baie biochemiese prosesse in plante. Onder andere is hulle boublokke vir nukleïensuur sintese, ‘n energie bron, voorlopers vir die sintese van primêre produkte soos byvoorbeeld sukrose, polisakkariede, fosfolipiede, asook sekondêre produkte. Met die vooruitsig om adenine- en uridiennukleotide in verband te plaas met sukrose en stysel metabolisme en koolstof afskorting in plante, ondersoek ons hier die transkripte, ensieme en metaboliete in koolhidraat metabolisme in beide de novo en berging van purien en pirimidien nukleotide in suikerriet asook tabak weefsel. Vir hierdie doel is adenilaatkinase (ADK) en UMP-sintase gekies vir uitskakeling en ooruitdrukking, juis omdat hulle tempo vermindering stappe van de novo adenine- en uridiennukleotide biosintese is.
Suikerriet met onderdrukte ADK aktiwiteit wys betekenisvolle vermeerdering in beide die stysel en adenilaat poele. Verhoging in styselinhoud was hoogs gekorreleerd met verminderde ADK aktiwiteit. As gevolg van ‘n vermindering in ADK aktiwiteit, is die bergingspad opwaards gereguleer via die vermeerdering van beide adenosienkinase (AK) en adenien-fosforibosieltransferase (APRTase) aktiwiteit wat positief korreleer met die vermeerdering in adeniennukleotied-inhoud. Addisioneel word hexosefosfate en ADP-glukose, die toegewysde substraat vir stysel biosintese, positief gekorreleer met veranderinge in styselinhoud. ‘n Hoë verhouding van ATP/ADP was geobserveer in alle transgeniese lyne in vergelyking met die nie-getransformeerde wilde tipe en blyk stysel sintese te begunstig.
Ooruitdrukking van sitologiese ADK in tabak demonstreer die uitdrukking van die ensiem waar 2/3 van die totale aktiwiteit in die rigting van ADP produksie was. As ‘n resultaat van ooruitdrukking van ADK, word stysel inhoud vermeerder in alle transgeniese plante en positief gekorreleer met die verandering in die aktiwiteit van ADK. Ten spyte van veranderinge in adeniennukleotide inhoud was die bergingspad nie geaktiveer nie en geen betekenisvolle veranderinge in beide AK en APRTase aktiwiteit was gevind tussen die transgeniese en nie-transgeniese plante nie. Sukrose sintese (SuSy) aktiwiteit tydens afbreking korreleer positief met
die veranderinge in stysel inhoud en dui moontlik op ‘n bydrae in die stysel akkumulasie in tabak plante. Verder was die verhouding van ATP/ADP laag in alle transgeniese lyne in vergelyking met die nie-getransformeerde wilde tipe. Hierdie bevinding word ondersteun deur die hoër inhoud in ADP in vergelyking met ATP in alle transgeniese lyne en word verder ondersteun deur die ooruitdrukking van ADK, hoofsaaklik in die rigting van ADP produksie.
Onderdrukte UMP-sintase in transgeniese suikerriet lei tot verhogings in sukrose, stysel en uridienilaat. UDP-glukose, hexose-fosfate en uridienilaat inhoud korreleer positief met die verandering in sukrose inhoud. Transgeniese lyne het verhoogde sukrose-fosfaatsintase (SPS) aktiwiteit en lae SuSy aktiwiteit wat dui op ‘n verandering in koolstof vloei in die rigting van sukrose. As gevolg van die afname in UMP-sintese aktiwiteit, word ‘n verhoogde reguleering van die bergingspad gesien, en dít hoofsaaklik via verhoogde aktiwiteit in uridienkinase (UK) wat positief korreleer met veranderinge in die uridienilaat poel. Addisioneel tot die onderdrukking van UMP-sintase was stysel inhoud en adenine- nucleotides in transgeniese lyne verhoog.
Tabak plante wat getransformeer is met sitologiese UMP-sintase demonstreer verhoogde uitdrukking van die ensiem in al die transgeniese lyne. As ‘n resultaat van ooruitdrukking van UMP-sintase is sleutel metaboliete, onderandere sucrose, oorgereguleer. ‘n Verhoging in sukrose inhoud korreleer positief met beide hexose en hexose-fosfate maar nie met die uridienilaat poel nie. SPS aktiwiteit korreleer positief met die verhoging in sukrose inhoud en verklaar die meeste van die sukrose vervaardig in transgeniese lyne. Ten spyte van die verhoging in die adenilaat poel word geen noemenswaardige veranderinge gesien in die stysel inhoud nie. Die uitputtingsvlak van die UDP-glukose in alle transgeniese lyne was slegs ‘n aanduiding van die hoër aktiwiteit van UDP-glukose pirofosforilase (UGPase) in die formasie van glukose-1-fosfaat. Verder was geen bergingspad opgereguleer in die transgeniese lyne nie.
