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The manipulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels in sugarcane

Thesis (MSc (Plant Biotechnology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.

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Main Author: Hiten, Nicholas Fletcher
Other Authors: Botha, F. C.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch 2006
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access_status_str Open Access
author Hiten, Nicholas Fletcher
author2 Botha, F. C.
author_browse Botha, F. C.
Hiten, Nicholas Fletcher
author_facet Botha, F. C.
Hiten, Nicholas Fletcher
author_sort Hiten, Nicholas Fletcher
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv University of Stellenbosch
description Thesis (MSc (Plant Biotechnology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2873
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:41:50.126Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2006
publishDateRange 2006
publishDateSort 2006
publisher Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
publisherStr Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2873 The manipulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels in sugarcane Hiten, Nicholas Fletcher Botha, F. C. University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Genetics. Institute for Plant Biotechnology (IPB) Dissertations -- Plant biotechnology Theses -- Plant biotechnology Sugarcane -- Biotechnology Sugarcane -- Genetic engineering Transgenic plants Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate Thesis (MSc (Plant Biotechnology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (Fru 2,6-P2) is an important regulatory molecule in plant carbohydrate metabolism. There were three main objectives in this study. Firstly, to determine whether the recombinant rat 6-phosphofructo 2-kinase (6PF2K, EC 2.7.1.105) and fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase2, EC 3.1.3.11) enzymes, which catalyse the synthesis and degradation of Fru 2,6-P2 respectively, showed any catalytic activity as fusion proteins. Secondly, to alter the levels of Fru 2,6-P2 in sugarcane, an important agricultural crop due to its ability to store large quantities of sucrose, by expressing the recombinant genes. Thirdly, to investigate whether sugar metabolism in photosynthetic- (leaves) and non-photosynthetic tissue (internodes) were subsequently influenced. Activity tests performed on the bacterially expressed glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion 6PF2K and FBPase2 enzymes showed that they were catalytically active. In addition antibodies were raised against the bacterially expressed proteins. Methods for extracting and measuring Fru 2,6-P2 from sugarcane tissues had to be optimised because it is known that the extraction efficiencies of Fru 2,6-P2 could vary significantly between different plant species and also within tissues from the same species. A chloroform/methanol extraction method was established that provided Fru 2,6-P2 recoveries of 93% and 85% from sugarcane leaves and internodes respectively. Diurnal changes in the levels of Fru 2,6-P2, sucrose and starch were measured and the results suggested a role for Fru 2,6-P2 in photosynthetic sucrose metabolism and in the partitioning of carbon between sucrose and starch in sugarcane leaves. Transgenic sugarcane plants expressing either a recombinant rat FBPase2 (ODe lines) or 6PF2K (OCe lines) were generated. The ODe lines contained decreased leaf Fru 2,6-P2 levels but increased internodal Fru 2,6-P2 levels compared to the control plants. Higher leaf sucrose and reducing sugars (glucose and fructose) were measured in the transgenic plants than the control plants. The transgenic lines contained decreased internodal sucrose and increased reducing sugars compared to the control plants. Opposite trends were observed for Fru 2,6-P2 and sucrose when leaves, internodes 3+4 or internodes 7+8 of the different plant lines were compared. In contrast, no consistent trends between Fru 2,6-P2 and sucrose were evident in the OCe transgenic lines. Masters 2006-10-11T09:04:07Z 2010-06-01T09:00:35Z 2006-10-11T09:04:07Z 2010-06-01T09:00:35Z 2006-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2873 en University of Stellenbosch 1843855 bytes application/pdf application/pdf Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
spellingShingle Dissertations -- Plant biotechnology
Theses -- Plant biotechnology
Sugarcane -- Biotechnology
Sugarcane -- Genetic engineering
Transgenic plants
Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate
Hiten, Nicholas Fletcher
The manipulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels in sugarcane
title The manipulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels in sugarcane
title_full The manipulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels in sugarcane
title_fullStr The manipulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels in sugarcane
title_full_unstemmed The manipulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels in sugarcane
title_short The manipulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels in sugarcane
title_sort manipulation of fructose 2 6 bisphosphate levels in sugarcane
topic Dissertations -- Plant biotechnology
Theses -- Plant biotechnology
Sugarcane -- Biotechnology
Sugarcane -- Genetic engineering
Transgenic plants
Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2873
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