PLANT PHYSIOLOGY , Vol 113, Issue 2 503-510, Copyright © 1997 by American Society of Plant Biologists

WHOLE PLANT, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND STRESS PHYSIOLOGY

A [beta]-Amylase in Potato Tubers Is Induced by Storage at Low Temperature

T. H. Nielsen, U. Deiting and M. Stitt
Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant Biology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, 40 Thorvaldsensvej, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark (T.H.N.)

A new starch-degrading enzyme activity is induced by storage of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers at low temperatures (L. Hill, R. Reimholz, R. Schroder, T.H. Nielsen, M. Stitt [1996] Plant Cell Environ 14: 1223-1237). The cold-induced activity was separated from other amylolytic activities in zymograms based on iodine staining of polyacrylamide gels containing amylopectin. A similar band of activity was detected at normal growth temperatures in leaves, stems, and growing tubers but was present only at low activity in warm-stored tubers. The cold-induced enzyme was separated by ion-exchange chromatography from other amylolytic activities. It has a broad neutral pH optimum. Characterization of its hydrolytic activity with different substrates showed that the cold-induced activity is a [beta]-amylase present at low activity in tubers stored at 20[deg]C and induced progressively when temperatures are decreased to 5 and 3[deg]C. The first clear induction of [beta]-amylase activity was observed within 3 d of storage at 3[deg]C, and the activity increased 4- to 5-fold within 10 d. The possible involvement of the cold-induced [beta]-amylase in sugar accumulation during cold storage is discussed.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. G. Malone, V. Mittova, R. G. Ratcliffe, and N. J. Kruger The Response of Carbohydrate Metabolism in Potato Tubers to Low Temperature Plant Cell Physiol., September 1, 2006; 47(9): 1309 - 1322. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M.-R. Hajirezaei, S. Biemelt, M. Peisker, A. Lytovchenko, A. R. Fernie, and U. Sonnewald The influence of cytosolic phosphorylating glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPC) on potato tuber metabolism J. Exp. Bot., July 1, 2006; 57(10): 2363 - 2377. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Sparla, A. Costa, F. Lo Schiavo, P. Pupillo, and P. Trost Redox Regulation of a Novel Plastid-Targeted beta-Amylase of Arabidopsis Plant Physiology, July 1, 2006; 141(3): 840 - 850. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Kaplan and C. L. Guy {beta}-Amylase Induction and the Protective Role of Maltose during Temperature Shock Plant Physiology, July 1, 2004; 135(3): 1674 - 1684. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Yang, J. Zhang, Z. Wang, and Q. Zhu Activities of starch hydrolytic enzymes and sucrose-phosphate synthase in the stems of rice subjected to water stress during grain filling J. Exp. Bot., November 1, 2001; 52(364): 2169 - 2179. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Todaka, H. Matsushima, and Y. Morohashi Water stress enhances {beta}-amylase activity in cucumber cotyledons J. Exp. Bot., April 1, 2000; 51(345): 739 - 745. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]