TY - JOUR A1 - Li, Jing A1 - Francisco, Perigio A1 - Zhou, Wenxu A1 - Edner, Christoph A1 - Steup, Martin A1 - Ritte, Gerhard A1 - Bond, Charles S. A1 - Smith, Steven M. T1 - Catalytically-inactive beta-amylase BAM4 required for starch breakdown in Arabidopsis leaves is a starch- binding-protein N2 - Of the four chloroplast beta-amylase (BAM) proteins identified in Arabidopsis, BAM3 and BAM4 were previously shown to play the major roles in leaf starch breakdown, although BAM4 apparently lacks key active site residues and beta- amylase activity. Here we tested multiple BAM4 proteins with different N-terminal sequences with a range of glucan substrates and assay methods, but detected no alpha-1,4-glucan hydrolase activity. BAM4 did not affect BAM1, BAM2 or BAM3 activity even when added in 10-fold excess, nor the BAM3-catalysed release of maltose from isolated starch granules in the presence of glucan water dikinase. However, BAM4 binds to amylopectin and to amylose-Sepharose whereas BAM2 has very low beta-amylase activity and poor glucan binding. The low activity of BAM2 may be explained by poor glucan binding but absence of BAM4 activity is not. These results suggest that BAM4 facilitates starch breakdown by a mechanism involving direct interaction with starch or other alpha-1,4-glucan. Y1 - 2009 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00039861 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2009.07.024 SN - 0003-9861 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koetting, Oliver A1 - Santelia, Diana A1 - Edner, Christoph A1 - Eicke, Simona A1 - Marthaler, Tina A1 - Gentry, Matthew S. A1 - Comparot-Moss, Sylviane A1 - Chen, Jychian A1 - Smith, Alison M. A1 - Steup, Martin A1 - Ritte, Gerhard A1 - Zeeman, Samuel C. T1 - STARCH-EXCESS4 is a laforin-like phosphoglucan phosphatase required for starch degradation in Arabidopsis thaliana N2 - Starch is the major storage carbohydrate in plants. It is comprised of glucans that form semicrystalline granules. Glucan phosphorylation is a prerequisite for normal starch breakdown, but phosphoglucan metabolism is not understood. A putative protein phosphatase encoded at the Starch Excess 4 (SEX4) locus of Arabidopsis thaliana was recently shown to be required for normal starch breakdown. Here, we show that SEX4 is a phosphoglucan phosphatase in vivo and define its role within the starch degradation pathway. SEX4 dephosphorylates both the starch granule surface and soluble phosphoglucans in vitro, and sex4 null mutants accumulate phosphorylated intermediates of starch breakdown. These compounds are linear alpha-1,4-glucans esterified with one or two phosphate groups. They are released from starch granules by the glucan hydrolases alpha-amylase and isoamylase. In vitro experiments show that the rate of starch granule degradation is increased upon simultaneous phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of starch. We propose that glucan phosphorylating enzymes and phosphoglucan phosphatases work in synergy with glucan hydrolases to mediate efficient starch catabolism. Y1 - 2009 UR - http://www.plantcell.org/ U6 - https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.108.064360 SN - 1040-4651 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hejazi, Mahdi A1 - Fettke, Jörg A1 - Paris, Oskar A1 - Steup, Martin T1 - The two plastidial starch-related dikinases sequentially phosphorylate glucosyl residues at the surface of both the a- and b-type allomorphs of crystallized maltodextrins but the mode of action differs N2 - In this study, two crystallized maltodextrins were generated that consist of the same oligoglucan pattern but differ strikingly in the physical order of double helices. As revealed by x-ray diffraction, they represent the highly ordered A- and B-type allomorphs. Both crystallized maltodextrins were similar in size distribution and birefringence. They were used as model substrates to study the consecutive action of the two starch-related dikinases, the glucan, water dikinase and the phosphoglucan, water dikinase. The glucan, water dikinase and the phosphoglucan, water dikinase selectively esterify glucosyl residues in the C6 and C3 positions, respectively. Recombinant glucan, water dikinase phosphorylated both allomorphs with similar rates and caused complete glucan solubilization. Soluble neutral maltodextrins inhibited the glucan, water dikinase-mediated phosphorylation of crystalline particles. Recombinant phosphoglucan, water dikinase phosphorylated both the A- and B-type allomorphs only following a prephosphorylation by the glucan, water dikinase, and the activity increased with the extent of prephosphorylation. The action of the phosphoglucan, water dikinase on the prephosphorylated A- and B-type allomorphs differed. When acting on the B-type allomorph, by far more phosphoglucans were solubilized as compared with the A type. However, with both allomorphs, the phosphoglucan, water dikinase formed significant amounts of mono-phosphorylated phosphoglucans. Thus, the enzyme is capable of acting on neutral maltodextrins. It is concluded that the actual carbohydrate substrate of the phosphoglucan, water dikinase is defined by physical rather than by chemical parameters. A model is proposed that explains, at the molecular level, the consecutive action of the two starch-related dikinases. Y1 - 2009 UR - http://www.plantphysiol.org/ U6 - https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.109.138750 SN - 0032-0889 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fettke, Jörg A1 - Malinova, Irina A1 - Eckermann, Nora A1 - Steup, Martin T1 - Cytosolic heteroglycans in photoautotrophic and in heterotrophic plant cells N2 - In plants several 'starch-related' enzymes exist as plastid- and cytosol-specific isoforms and in some cases the extraplastidial isoforms represent the majority of the enzyme activity. Due to the compartmentation of the plant cells, these extraplastidial isozymes have no access to the plastidial starch granules and, therefore, their in vivo function remained enigmatic. Recently, cytosolic heteroglycans have been identified that possess a complex pattern of the monomer composition and glycosidic bonds. The glycans act both as acceptors and donors for cytosolic glucosyl transferases. In autotrophic tissues the heteroglycans are essential for the nocturnal starch-sucrose conversion. In this review we summarize the current knowledge of these glycans, their interaction with glucosyl transferases and their possible cellular functions. We include data on the heteroglycans in heterotrophic plant tissues and discuss their role in intracellular carbon fluxes that originate from externally supplied carbohydrates. Y1 - 2009 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00319422 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2009.03.016 SN - 0031-9422 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fettke, Jörg A1 - Hejazi, Mahdi A1 - Smirnova, Julia A1 - Hoechel, Erik A1 - Stage, Marion A1 - Steup, Martin T1 - Eukaryotic starch degradation : integration of plastidial and cytosolic pathways N2 - Starch is an important plant product widely used as a nutrient, as a source of renewable energy, and for many technological applications. In plants, starch is the almost ubiquitous storage carbohydrate whereas most heterotrophic prokaryotes and eukaryotes rely on glycogen. Despite close similarities in basic chemical features, starch and glycogen differ in both structural and physicochemical properties. Glycogen is a hydrosoluble macromolecule with evenly distributed branching points. Starch exists as a water-insoluble particle having a defined (and evolutionary conserved) internal structure. The biochemistry of starch requires the co-operation of up to 40 distinct (iso)enzymes whilst approximately 10 (iso)enzymes permit glycogen metabolism. The biosynthesis and degradation of native starch include the transition of carbohydrates from the soluble to the solid phase and vice versa. In this review, two novel aspects of the eukaryotic plastidial starch degradation are discussed: Firstly, biochemical reactions that take place at the surface of particulate glucans and mediate the phase transition of carbohydrates. Secondly, processes that occur downstream of the export of starch-derived sugars into the cytosol. Degradation of transitory starch mainly results in the formation of neutral sugars, such as glucose and maltose, that are transported into the cytosol via the respective translocators. The cytosolic metabolism of the neutral sugars includes the action of a hexokinase, a phosphoglucomutase, and a transglucosidase that utilizes high molecular weight glycans as a transient glucosyl acceptor or donor. Data are included on the transglucosidase (disproportionating isozyme 2) in Cyanophora paradoxa that accumulates storage carbohydrates in the cytosol rather than in the plastid. Y1 - 2009 UR - http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/ U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/Jxb/Erp054 SN - 0022-0957 ER -