Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Expression Patterns, Activities and Sugar Metabolism Regulation of Sucrose Phosphate Synthase, Sucrose Synthase, Neutral Invertase and Soluble Acid Invertase in Different Goji Cultivars during Fruit Development

  • RESEARCH PAPERS
  • Published:
Russian Journal of Plant Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sugars are crucial factors that contribute to fruit flavor. To uncover the regulatory mechanism of sugar metabolism in developing fruit, we isolated four genes, encoding key enzymes (sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS—EC 2.3.1.14), sucrose synthase (SuSy—EC 2.4.1.13), neutral invertase (NI—EC 3.2.1.26) and soluble acid invertase (SAI—EC 3.2.1.26), related to sugar metabolism in Goji (Lycium barbarum L.) fruit and examined sugar content, gene expression and enzyme activities in developing fruit of two cultivars. The results showed that Ningqi No. 1 maintained high levels of hexose (glucose and fructose) and lower sucrose than Ningqi No. 3. Expression levels of SPS and NI were demonstrated to be tied to corresponding enzyme activities while SAI and SuSy were not connected to changes in enzyme activities during fruit development in either cultivar. In this sense, NI and SPS seem to play a major role in sugar metabolism. These findings suggested that cultivar Ningqi No 1. has enhanced hexose synthesis and hydrolysis of sucrose relative to Ningqi No. 3. This work demonstrated a novel function profile of sugar metabolism as well as relevant gene expression to explain how different sugar levels in different Goji cultivar fruits are maintained during fruit development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Borsanie, J., Budde, C.O., Porrini, L., Lauxmann, M.A., Lombardo, V.A., and Murray, R., Carbon metabolism of peach fruit after harvest: changes in enzymes involved in organic acid and sugar level modifications, J. Exp. Bot., 2009, vol. 60, no. 15, pp. 1823–1837.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Feng, M., Zhang, N., and Song, C.B., Study on growth and development of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) fruit, Seed, 2005, vol. 24, pp. 63–65.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Nguyen-Quoc, B. and Foyer, C.H., A role for futile cycles involving invertase and sucrose synthase in sucrose metabolism of tomato fruit, J. Exp. Bot., 2001, vol. 52, pp. 881–889.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hubbard, N.L., Huber, S.C., and Pharr, D.M., Sucrose phosphate synthase and acid invertase as determinants of sucrose concentration in developing muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) fruits, Plant Physiol., 1989, vol. 91, pp. 1527–1534.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Li, M., Feng, F., and Cheng, L., Expression patterns of genes involved in sugar metabolism and accumulation during apple fruit development, PLoS One, 2012, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hu, R.F., Jiang, H., and Li, Y.Y., Research advance on sucrose synthesize enzyme, North. Hortic., 2012, vol. 1, pp. 167–170.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Zhu, C.P. and Zhang, S.H., Lycium barbarum polysaccharide inhibits the proliferation of HeLa cells by inducing apoptosis, J. Sci. Food. Agric., 2013, vol. 93, pp. 149–156.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Miron, D. and Schaffer, A.A., Sucrose phosphate synthase, sucrose synthase and acid invertase activities in developing fruit of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and the sucrose accumulating Lycopersicon hirsutum Humb. and Bonlp., Plant Physiol., 1991, vol. 95, pp. 623–627.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Giovannoni, J.J., Genetic regulation of fruit development and ripening, Plant Cell, 2004, vol. 16, pp. S170—S180.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Stepansky, A., Kovalski, I., Schaffer, A.A., and Perl-Treves, R., Variation in sugar levels and invertase activity in mature fruit representing abroad spectrum of Cucumis melo genotypes, Genet. Resour. Crop Evol., 1999, vol. 46, pp. 53–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Lester, G.E., Arias, L.S., and Gomez-Lim, M., Muskmelon fruit soluble acid invertase and sucrose phosphate synthase activity and polypeptide profiles during growth and maturation, J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci., 2001, vol. 126, no. 1, pp. 33–36.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Laporte, M.M., Galagan, J.A., Shapiro, J.A., Boersig, M.R., Shewmaker, C.K., and Sharkey, T.D., Sucrose-phosphate synthase activity and yield analysis of tomato plants transformed with maize sucrose-phosphate synthase, Planta, 1997, vol. 203, pp. 253–259.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Signora, L., Galtier, N., Skøt, L., Lucas, H., and Foyer, C.H., Over-expression of sucrose phosphate synthase in Arabidopsis thaliana results in increased foliar sucrose/starch ratios and favours decreased foliar carbohydrate accumulation in plants after prolonged growth with CO2 enrichment, J. Exp. Bot., 1998, vol. 49, no. 321, pp. 669–680.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Caltier, N., Foyer, C.H., Huber, J., Voelker, T.A., and Huber, S.C., Effects of elevated sucrose-phosphate synthase activity on photosynthesis, assimilate partitioning, and growth in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. UC82B), Plant Physiol., 1993, vol. 101, pp. 535–543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Strand, A., Zrenner, R., Trevanion, S., Stitt, M., Gustafsson, P., and Gardeström, P., Decreased expression of two key enzymes in the sucrose biosynthesis pathway, cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and sucrose phosphate synthase, has remarkably different consequences for photosynthetic carbon metabolism in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana, Plant J., 2000, vol. 23, pp. 759–770.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Zhang, X.M., Dou, M.A., Yao, Y.L., Du, L.Q., Li, J.G., and Sun, G.M., Dynamic analysis of sugar metabolism in different harvest seasons of pineapple (Ananas comosus L. (Merr.)), Afr. J. Biotechnol., 2011, vol. 10, pp. 2716–2723.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Yang, G.D., Zhao, H.W., Tan, F.Z., Liu, X.Y., Yang, G.B., and He, C., A studies of sucrose metabolic enzymes in function leaves of different quality spring maizes, Heilongjiang Agric. Sci., 2006, vol. 5, pp. 14–16.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Cheng, W.H., Im, K.H., and Chourey, P.S., Sucrose phosphate synthase expression at the cell and tissue level is coordinated with sucrose sink-to-source transitions in maize leaf, Plant Physiol., 1996, vol. 111, pp. 1021–1029.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Winter, H. and Huber, S.C., Regulation of sucrose metabolism in higher plants: localization and regulation of activity of key enzymes, Crit. Rev. Biochem. Mol. Biol., 2000, vol. 35, pp. 253–289.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Carlson, S.J., Chourey, P.S., Helentjaris, T., and Datta, R., Gene-expression studies on developing kernels of maize sucrose synthase (SuSy) mutants show evidence for a third SuSy gene, Plant Mol. Biol., 2002, vol. 49, pp. 15–29.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Islam, M.S., Matsui, T., and Yoshida, Y., Carbohydrate content and the activities of sucrose synthase, sucrose phosphate synthase and acid invertase in different tomato cultivars during fruit development, Sci. Hort., 1996, vol. 65, nos. 2–3, pp. 125–136.

  22. Itai, A. and Tanahashi, T., Inhibition of sucrose loss during cold storage in Japanese pear (Pyruspyrifolia nakai) by 1-MCP, Postharvest Biol. Technol., 2008, vol. 48, pp. 355–363.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Geigenberger, P., Response of plant metabolism to too little oxygen, Curr. Opin. Plant Biol., 2003, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 247–256.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Zeng, Y., Wu, Y., Avigne, W.T., and Koch, K.E., Differential regulation of sugar-sensitive sucrose synthases by hypoxia and anoxia indicate complementary transcriptional and posttranscriptional responses, Plant Physiol., 1998, vol. 116, pp. 1573–1583.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Roitsch, T., and González, M.C., Function and regulation of plant invertases: sweet sensations, Trends Plant Sci., 2004, vol. 9, pp. 606–613.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Zhu, Z., Li, R.L., Li, B.Q., and Tian, S.P., Characterization of genes encoding key enzymes involved in sugar metabolism of apple fruit in controlled atmosphere storage, Food Chem., 2013, vol. 141, pp. 3323–3328.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Ruan, Y.L., Jin, Y., Yang, Y.J., Li, G.J., and Boyer, J.S., Sugar input, metabolism, and signaling mediated by invertase: roles in development, yield potential, and response to drought and heat, Mol. Plant, 2010, vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 942–955.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Hothorn, M., Wolf, S., Aloy, P., Greiner, S., and Scheffzek, K., Structural insights into the target specificity of plant invertase and pectin methylesterase inhibitory proteins, Plant Cell, 2004, vol. 16, pp. 3237–3447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Basson, C.E., Groenewald, J.H., Kossmann, J., and Cronjé, C., Sugar and acid-related quality attributes and enzyme activities in strawberry fruits: invertase is the main sucrose hydrolysing enzyme, Food Chem., 2009, vol. 121, pp. 1156–1162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of Ningxia (project no. 2018A0270), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (project no. 31260065) and (project no. 31560418) and West Light foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Life College, Ningxia University, 750021, Yinchuan, China

    T. Wang, H. Xu, Y. Yang, R. Zheng, J. Shi, R. Chen & L. Wang

  2. WBRPU Lab of National Education Ministry, 750021, Yinchuan, China

    T. Wang, R. Zheng, R. Chen & L. Wang

  3. Key Laboratory of Modern Molecular Breeding for Dominant and Special Crops in Ningxia, 750021, Yinchuan, China

    T. Wang, R. Zheng, R. Chen & L. Wang

  4. Gene Development Cell Biology Department, Iowa State University, 50011, Ames, USA

    D. Wright

Authors
  1. T. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Wright
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Y. Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. R. Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J. Shi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. R. Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. L. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to L. Wang.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

The article is published in the original.

Abbreviations: CWIN—cell wall invertase; DTT—DL-Dithiothreitol; EF1a—elongation factors 1a; GAPDH—glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; NI—neutral invertases; PMSF— phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride; PVP—polyvinylpyrrolidone; RACE—rapid amplification of cDNA ends; SAI—soluble acid invertases; SPS—sucrose phosphate synthase; SuSy—sucrose synthase; VIN—vacuolar invertase.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, T., Wright, D., Xu, H. et al. Expression Patterns, Activities and Sugar Metabolism Regulation of Sucrose Phosphate Synthase, Sucrose Synthase, Neutral Invertase and Soluble Acid Invertase in Different Goji Cultivars during Fruit Development. Russ J Plant Physiol 66, 29–40 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1021443719010199

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1021443719010199

Keywords:

Search

Navigation