Enhanced Rice Growth is Conferred by Increased Leaf ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Activity

Enhanced Rice Growth is Conferred by Increased Leaf ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Activity

Modification of leaf starch levels may be employed in attempts to increase cereal yield. Few studies have examined leaf starch as a plant biomass limiting factor. Here we test the hypothesis that rice plant productivity may be increased by increasing leaf starch. Starch biosynthesis is controlled by the heterotetrameric rate-limiting enzyme ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase). Rice variety Nipponbare was transformed with a modified form of the maize endosperm AGPase large subunit gene, Sh2r6hs, as well as with the small subunit gene, Bt2, under control of a rice RuBisCO small subunit promoter. RNA sequencing results indicated that Sh2r6hs and Bt2 transcript levels were each greater than 20 times that of the native genes. Increased total AGPase activity was correlated with higher leaf starch accumulation at the end of the day.