Manipulation of starch granule size distribution in potato tubers by modulation of plastid division.

Starch granule size is an important parameter for starch applications in industry. Starch granules are formed in amyloplasts, which are, like chloroplasts, derived from proplastids. Division processes and associated machinery are likely to be similar for all plastids.

A tormentor in the quest for plant p53-like proteins.

Over the past few years the presence of p53-like proteins in plants was frequently reported, by using the monoclonal antibody Pab240. By means of protein purification and screening a cDNA library, a Pab240 cross-reacting protein and a cDNA clone were isolated from barley. Peptide- and DNA-sequence analysis identified one and the same protein: 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase.

Glucosylation activity and complex formation of two classes of reversibly glycosylated polypeptides.

Reversibly glycosylated polypeptides (RGPs) have been implicated in polysaccharide biosynthesis. In plants, these proteins may function, for example, in cell wall synthesis and/or in synthesis of starch. We have isolated wheat (Triticum aestivum) and rice (Oryza sativa) Rgp cDNA clones to study the function of RGPs.