@article{NakamuraSteupColleonietal.2022,
  author    = {Nakamura, Yasunori and Steup, Martin and Colleoni, Christophe and Iglesias, Alberto A. and Bao, Jinsong and Fujita, Naoko and Tetlow, Ian},
  title     = {Molecular regulation of starch metabolism},
  series = {Plant molecular biology : an international journal of fundamental research and genetic engineering},
  volume    = {108},
  journal   = {Plant molecular biology : an international journal of fundamental research and genetic engineering},
  number    = {4-5},
  publisher = {Springer},
  address   = {Dordrecht},
  issn      = {0167-4412},
  doi       = {10.1007/s11103-022-01253-0},
  pages     = {289 -- 290},
  year      = {2022},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{NakamuraOnoSawadaetal.2017,
  author    = {Nakamura, Yasunori and Ono, Masami and Sawada, Takayuki and Crofts, Naoko and Fujita, Naoko and Steup, Martin},
  title     = {Characterization of the functional interactions of plastidial starch phosphorylase and starch branching enzymes from rice endosperm during reserve starch biosynthesis},
  series = {Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology},
  volume    = {264},
  journal   = {Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Clare},
  issn      = {0168-9452},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.plantsci.2017.09.002},
  pages     = {83 -- 95},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {Functional interactions of plastidial phosphorylase (Phol) and starch branching enzymes (BEs) from the developing rice endosperm are the focus of this study. In the presence of both Phol and BE, the same branched primer molecule is elongated and further branched almost simultaneously even at very low glucan concentrations present in the purified enzyme preparations. By contrast, in the absence of any BE, glucans are not, to any significant extent, elongated by Phol. Based on our in vitro data, in the developing rice endosperm, Phol appears to be weakly associated with any of the BE isozymes. By using fluorophore-labeled malto-oligosaccharides, we identified maltose as the smallest possible primer for elongation by Phol. Linear dextrins act as carbohydrate substrates for BEs. By functionally interacting with a BE, Phol performs two essential functions during the initiation of starch biosynthesis in the rice endosperm: First, it elongates maltodextrins up to a degree of polymerization of at least 60. Second, by closely interacting with BEs, Phol is able to elongate branched glucans efficiently and thereby synthesizes branched carbohydrates essential for the initiation of amylopectin biosynthesis.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{NakamuraOnoUtsumietal.2012,
  author    = {Nakamura, Yasunori and Ono, Masami and Utsumi, Chikako and Steup, Martin},
  title     = {Functional interaction between plastidial starch phosphorylase and starch branching enzymes from rice during the synthesis of branched maltodextrins},
  series = {Plant \& cell physiology},
  volume    = {53},
  journal   = {Plant \& cell physiology},
  number    = {5},
  publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {0032-0781},
  doi       = {10.1093/pcp/pcs030},
  pages     = {869 -- 878},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {The present study established the way in which plastidial alpha-glucan phosphorylase (Pho1) synthesizes maltodextrin (MD) which can be the primer for starch biosynthesis in rice endosperm. The synthesis of MD by Pho1 was markedly accelerated by branching enzyme (BE) isozymes, although the greatest effect was exhibited by the presence of branching isozyme I (BEI) rather than by isozyme IIa (BEIIa) or isozyme IIb (BEIIb). The enhancement of the activity of Pho1 by BE was not merely due to the supply of a non-reducing ends. At the same time, Pho1 greatly enhanced the BE activity, possibly by generating a branched carbohydrate substrate which is used by BE with a higher affinity. The addition of isoamylase to the reaction mixture did not prevent the concerted action of Pho1 and BEI. Furthermore, in the product, the branched structure was, at least to some extent, maintained. Based on these results we propose that the interaction between Pho1 and BE is not merely due to chain-elongating and chain-branching reactions, but occurs in a physically and catalytically synergistic manner by each activating the mutual capacity of the other, presumably forming a physical association of Pho1, BEI and branched MDs. This close interaction might play a crucial role in the synthesis of branched MDs and the branched MDs can act as a primer for the biosynthesis of amylopectin molecules.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{FettkeAlbrechtHejazietal.2010,
  author    = {Fettke, J{\"o}rg and Albrecht, Tanja and Hejazi, Mahdi and Mahlow, Sebastian and Nakamura, Yasunori and Steup, Martin},
  title     = {Glucose 1-phosphate is efficiently taken up by potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber parenchyma cells and converted to reserve starch granules},
  issn      = {0028-646X},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.03126.x},
  year      = {2010},
  abstract  = {Reserve starch is an important plant product but the actual biosynthetic process is not yet fully understood. Potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber discs from various transgenic plants were used to analyse the conversion of external sugars or sugar derivatives to starch. By using in vitro assays, a direct glucosyl transfer from glucose 1-phosphate to native starch granules as mediated by recombinant plastidial phosphorylase was analysed. Compared with labelled glucose, glucose 6-phosphate or sucrose, tuber discs converted externally supplied [C-14] glucose 1-phosphate into starch at a much higher rate. Likewise, tuber discs from transgenic lines with a strongly reduced expression of cytosolic phosphoglucomutase, phosphorylase or transglucosidase converted glucose 1-phosphate to starch with the same or even an increased rate compared with the wild-type. Similar results were obtained with transgenic potato lines possessing a strongly reduced activity of both the cytosolic and the plastidial phosphoglucomutase. Starch labelling was, however, significantly diminished in transgenic lines, with a reduced concentration of the plastidial phosphorylase isozymes. Two distinct paths of reserve starch biosynthesis are proposed that explain, at a biochemical level, the phenotype of several transgenic plant lines.},
  language  = {en}
}