Trehalose Accumulation in Wheat Plant Promotes Sucrose and Starch Biosynthesis

Abstract

Seeds of Triticum aestivum L. (cv. Sakha 93) were sown in pots and grown under controlled conditions in growth chamber. The plants were irrigated with half strength of Hoaglad solution without or with 10 or 30 µM validamycin A, a potent inhibitor of trehalase. Plants were collected at three different stages of growth (17, 24 and 31 DAP). Validamycin A decreased the activity of trehalase which leads to the accumulation of trehalose in shoot and root of wheat plants. Raising trehalose level in the plant tissues was accompanied by increase in the sucrose content and starch content of the shoot. The increased contents in sucrose and starch were mainly attributed to the increased levels of trehalose. The effect of trehalose on the sucrose degrading enzymes (alkaline and acid invertases and sucrose synthase) showed stimulation of alkaline invertase activity and inhibition of acid invertase and sucrose synthase. The opposite behavior of sucrose degrading enzymes suggests a regulation mechanism controlling the sucrose pool.