Abstract

CORTES SIERRA, Simón; CHAVARRIAGA, Paul; CEBALLOS, Hernan  and  LOPEZ CARRASCAL, Camilo. Expression Assessment of Starch Biosynthesis-Related Genes in Different Cassava Varieties. Acta biol.Colomb. [online]. 2015, vol.20, n.2, pp.37-46. ISSN 0120-548X.  https://doi.org/10.15446/abc.v20n2.42875.

Cassava storage roots represent an important starch source. Recently, the starch metabolic pathway in cassava has been reconstructed thanks to the full release of its genome. In this study gene expression was evaluated for genes coding pullulanase, isoamylase, α-amylase, deproportionating enzyme, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, granule bound starch synthase, starch branching enzyme and soluble starch synthase, in cassava storage roots five and 11 months old, in five cassava varieties. Important gene expression differences were detected both at the variety and time level. CM523-7 and SM1219-2 showed one of the highest expression levels for AGPase and GBSS genes, while α-amylase showed the lowest level in these two varieties. TMS60444 variety showed similar expression levels in starch biosynthesis-related genes, but conversely also showed the highest α-amylase expression. This correlates with the relative low dry-matter content in TMS60444. Gene expression data reported here will allow complementing actual information on enzymatic activity, in order to identify the most relevant factors in differential starch accumulation between cassava varieties.

Keywords : differential expression; metabolism; qRT-PCR.

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