ARS | Publication request: NEW INTRACELLULAR LOCATIONS AND PUTATIVE NOVEL FUNCTIONS FOR MAIZE SUCROSE SYNTHASES.

Submitted to: Plant Biology Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 28, 2005
Publication Date: May 1, 2005
Citation: Chalivendra, S.C., Palaniappan, A., Duncan, K., Huber, S.C., Sachs, M.M. 2005. New intracellular locations and putative novel functions for maize sucrose synthases [abstract]. Plant Biology Annual Meeting. Available: http://abstracts.aspb.org/pb2005/public/P51/7674.html.

Technical Abstract: Bioinformatics analysis of the three sucrose synthase (SuSy) proteins in maize predicts that the SH1 protein encoded by the <i>shrunken1</i> locus has a mitochondrial targeting sequence at its N-terminus. An examiniation of putative sucrose synthase proteins reported from several plant species in the GenBank indicated that, at least one of the sucrose synthase genes encodes a potentially mitochondrion-targeted SuSy. We have experimentally confirmed this observation in maize by using Percoll-gradient purified mitochondrial preparations and immunodetection of sucrose synthase by protein-gel blot analysis. Sucrose synthase protein was also detected in enriched nuclear preparations. Although the SuSy protein was significantly induced by anoxia in maize roots, its association with mitochondria decreased under anaerobic stress. Currently, we are examining the biological significance of the organellar localization of sucrose synthases in plants.