Protein phosphorylation regulates maize endosperm starch synthase IIa activity and protein−protein interactions

• Published in: The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology Vol. 105; no. 4; pp. 1098 - 1112
• Main Authors: Mehrpouyan, Sahar, Menon, Usha, Tetlow, Ian J., Emes, Michael J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2021
• Subjects: amyloplasts; Biosynthesis; Cereals; Corn; Electrophoresis; Endosperm; Enzymes; Gel electrophoresis; Glucan; heteromeric enzyme complexes; Immunoblotting; Isoforms; Kinases; maize endosperm; Phosphorylation; Polyacrylamide; Protein biosynthesis; Protein interaction; Protein kinase inhibitors; protein phosphorylation; Proteins; Starch; starch biosynthesis; Starch synthase; starch synthase IIa; Starch-branching enzymes; Stroma; Substrates; maize endosperm; heteromeric enzyme complexes; starch biosynthesis; amyloplasts; protein phosphorylation; starch synthase IIa
• ISSN: 0960-7412; 1365-313X
• DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15094

SUMMARY Starch synthesis is an elaborate process employing several isoforms of starch synthases (SSs), starch branching enzymes (SBEs) and debranching enzymes (DBEs). In cereals, some starch biosynthetic enzymes can form heteromeric complexes whose assembly is controlled by protein phosphorylation. Previous studies suggested that SSIIa forms a trimeric complex with SBEIIb, SSI, in which SBEIIb is phosphorylated. This study investigates the post‐translational modification of SSIIa, and its interactions with SSI and SBEIIb in maize amyloplast stroma. SSIIa, immunopurified and shown to be free from other soluble starch synthases, was shown to be readily phosphorylated, affecting Vmax but with minor effects on substrate Kd and Km values, resulting in a 12‐fold increase in activity compared with the dephosphorylated enzyme. This ATP‐dependent stimulation of activity was associated with interaction with SBEIIb, suggesting that the availability of glucan branching limits SSIIa and is enhanced by physical interaction of the two enzymes. Immunoblotting of maize amyloplast extracts following non‐denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis identified multiple bands of SSIIa, the electrophoretic mobilities of which were markedly altered by conditions that affected protein phosphorylation, including protein kinase inhibitors. Separation of heteromeric enzyme complexes by GPC, following alteration of protein phosphorylation states, indicated that such complexes are stable and may partition into larger and smaller complexes. The results suggest a dual role for protein phosphorylation in promoting association and dissociation of SSIIa‐containing heteromeric enzyme complexes in the maize amyloplast stroma, providing new insights into the regulation of starch biosynthesis in plants. Significance Statement There is increasing evidence for the role of heteromeric enzyme complexes (HECs) during starch biosynthesis in cereal endosperms. This study demonstrates the effects of protein phosphorylation on starch synthase IIa (SSIIa) activity and the formation of SSIIa‐containing HECs. Protein phosphorylation is shown to have multiple effects, modulating the enzyme’s catalytic activity and the balance between high‐molecular‐weight and low‐molecular‐weight complexes, and monomers.