Abstract
Following exposure to low temperatures (i.e., <10 °C), potato tubers undergo low-temperature sweetening (LTS), the conversion of starch to sugars. This phenomenon is of great importance to potato chip processors because high levels of reducing sugars lead to undesirable nonenzymatic browning during potato chip frying operations. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the biochemical differences in carbohydrate metabolism between a tolerant (ND 860-2) and a sensitive (Novachip) cultivar during 4 °C storage. On chilling, there was an increase in the levels of sucrose, fructose, and glucose in both cultivars, with levels being at least 2-fold higher in the sensitive cultivar. Increased levels of ATP and NADH, along with a higher respiratory rate observed in the tolerant tubers, collectively indicate a higher metabolic rate in the LTS-tolerant cultivar. ATP- and pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase activity was similar in both cultivars. Higher levels of ethanol and lactate were also observed in ND 860-2, suggesting a greater flux of sugars via anaerobic respiration. No significant differences were observed in enzymatic activities in the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) or in levels of NADPH, thereby suggesting that the PPP does not play a role in conferring LTS tolerance. Therefore, we propose that LTS-tolerant potatoes may maintain low tissue sugar concentrations via an overall increased metabolism, rather than differing in one specific metabolic step. This increased metabolic rate does not appear to be due to greater enzyme expression (i.e., coarse control) but, rather, to a greater overall flux of carbohydrates through glycolysis and respiration.
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