RNA interference-mediated silencing of the starch branching enzyme gene improves amylose content in rice

Genet Mol Res. 2013 Jan 4;12(3):2800-8. doi: 10.4238/2013.January.4.19.

Abstract

Amylose and amylopectin are the 2 major components of plant storage starch. The rice starch branching enzyme (RBE) plays an important role in the starch components of rice. In the present study, we selected a specific 195-bp segment from the RBE3 gene to construct hairpin DNA, which was driven by an endosperm-specific high molecular weight glutenin promoter to regulate the biosynthesis of starch. An RNA interference plasmid for the RBE3 gene was constructed to form double-stranded RNA. Following Agrobacterium-mediated rice transformation (in the cultivar Zhonghua 11), 41 transgenic plants were identified using PCR and Southern blot analysis. Semi-quantitative real-time PCR revealed that RBE3 gene expression was significantly reduced in immature transgenic seeds. Transgenic rice amylose content had an average increase of 140%. The highest rice amylose content was 47.61% and the growth rate increased 238% compared to the non-transgenic controls. Branching enzyme II activity was notably reduced, and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, soluble starch synthase, isoamylase, and pullulanase enzyme activity was markedly reduced in T3 seeds. Relative enzyme activity change explained the reduction in thousand-grain weight in transgenic plants. The present study indicated that amylose content was negatively correlated with branching enzyme II activity, spike size, and thousand-grain weight.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 1,4-alpha-Glucan Branching Enzyme / genetics*
  • 1,4-alpha-Glucan Branching Enzyme / metabolism
  • Amylose / metabolism*
  • Endosperm / metabolism
  • Gene Silencing*
  • Genes, Plant*
  • Glucose-1-Phosphate Adenylyltransferase / metabolism
  • Glycoside Hydrolases / metabolism
  • Isoamylase / metabolism
  • Oryza / enzymology
  • Oryza / genetics
  • Oryza / metabolism*
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • Starch Synthase / metabolism

Substances

  • Plant Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Amylose
  • 1,4-alpha-Glucan Branching Enzyme
  • starch-branching enzyme II
  • Starch Synthase
  • Glucose-1-Phosphate Adenylyltransferase
  • Glycoside Hydrolases
  • pullulanase
  • Isoamylase