Suppression of Plastidial Glucan Phosphorylase (PHO1) Increases Drought Tolerance in Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.)

Julia Paprocka, Arsalan Khan, Agnieszka Rękowska, Paulina Nowak, Edyta Zdunek-Zastocka, Joerg Fettke and Sławomir Orzechowski ()
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Julia Paprocka: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Arsalan Khan: Biopolymer Analytics, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
Agnieszka Rękowska: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Paulina Nowak: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Edyta Zdunek-Zastocka: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Joerg Fettke: Biopolymer Analytics, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
Sławomir Orzechowski: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-17

Abstract: Glucan phosphorylase is present in plants in two isozymes, namely, a plastidial isoform (PHO1) and a cytosolic isoform (PHO2), and is involved in starch-related carbohydrate metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine whether mutations in the genes encoding glucan phosphorylase caused these plants to have increased resistance to short-term drought. One of the strategies plants use to defend themselves against drought stress is to change their starch content, which may be due to changes in glucan phosphorylase activity. In our greenhouse pot experiment, we used potato leaves from wild-type plants and transgenic mutant lines with reduced expression of genes encoding both PHO isozymes. The plants were exposed to drought or were grown under optimal conditions. A lack of water strongly affected the water saturation deficit (WSD) and leaf protein content. The activity of the plastidial glucan phosphorylase isoform (PHO1) in mutant plants increased under drought stress, in contrast to its activity in wild-type plants. After analyzing several physiological parameters, we found that suppressed expression of the gene encoding one of the subunits of plastidial glucan phosphorylase, PHO1a, resulted in increased tolerance to drought in potatoes.

Keywords: abiotic stress; starch metabolism; hydrogen peroxide; relative water content; glucan phosphorylase activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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