Ethanolic fermentation in transgenic tobacco expressing Zymomonas mobilis pyruvate decarboxylase

Bucher, Marcel; Brändle, Roland; Kuhlemeier, Cris (1994). Ethanolic fermentation in transgenic tobacco expressing Zymomonas mobilis pyruvate decarboxylase. The EMBO journal, 13(12), pp. 2755-2763. Oxford University Press

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During oxygen limitation in higher plants, energy metabolism switches from respiration to fermentation. As part of this anaerobic response the expression of genes encoding pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is strongly induced. In addition there-is ample evidence for post-translational regulation. In order to understand this multi-level regulation of the anaerobic response, we provided tobacco with the constitutive capacity of ethanolic fermentation by expressing a PDC gene derived from the obligate anaerobe Zymomonas mobilis. The protein accumulated to high levels and was active in an in vitro assay. During the first 2-4 h of anoxia, acetaldehyde accumulated to 10- to 35-fold and ethanol to 8- to 20-fold higher levels than in wild-type. Under normoxic conditions no accumulation of acetaldehyde and ethanol could be measured. Instead, the two products may be immediately re-metabolized in tobacco leaf tissue. We show that aerobic fermentation takes place when the respiratory system is inhibited. Although these conditions enhance ethanolic fermentation under normoxia, they fail to increase ADH transcript levels. These results indicate that anaerobic transcription is triggered not by the metabolic consequences of oxygen limitation, but directly through an oxygen-sensing system.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) > Anoxia / Postanoxia [discontinued]
08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) > Plant Development
08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS)

UniBE Contributor:

Brändle, Roland, Kuhlemeier, Cris

Subjects:

500 Science > 580 Plants (Botany)

ISSN:

0261-4189

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Language:

English

Submitter:

Peter Alfred von Ballmoos-Haas

Date Deposited:

07 Mar 2017 09:00

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 15:00

PubMed ID:

8026460

Uncontrolled Keywords:

aerobic fermentation, alcohol dehydrogenase gene expression, anoxia, transgenic tobacco, Zymomonas mobilis, pyruvate decarboxylase

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.91770

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/91770

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