Evidence that the rb Locus Alters the Starch Content of Developing Pea Embryos through an Effect on ADP Glucose Pyrophosphorylase

Abstract

The aim of this work was to discover whether the rb locus of peas (Pisum sativum L.) affects seed starch content through action on an enzyme of starch synthesis in the developing embryo. The phenotypic effects of this locus are like those of the better characterised, unlinked r locus, which affects seed starch content through action on starch-branching enzyme. Embryos recessive at one or both of these loci (RRrbrb, rrRbRb, rrrbrb) have lower starch contents from an early stage of development than embryos dominant at these loci (RRRbRb). Maximum catalytic activities of enzymes of the pathway from sucrose to starch (sucrose synthase EC 2.4.1.13, UDP glucose pyrophosphorylase EC 2.7.7.9, ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase EC 2.7.7.27, ADP glucose-starch synthase EC 2.4.1.21, starch-branching enzyme EC 2.4.1.18) were compared in developing embryos of three lines of rbrb peas and four lines of RbRb peas. The only consistent difference between the two sorts of embryo was in the activity of ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase, which was at least tenfold lower in rbrb than in RbRb embryos. The activity in rbrb embryos was in most cases less than the estimated rate of starch synthesis of RRRbRb embryos. We conclude that the effect of the rb locus on the starch content of pea seeds is mediated through an alteration in the activity of ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase in the developing embryo.