Differential expression of potato tuber protein genes.

Patatin and the 22-kilodalton protein complex make up more than 50% of the soluble protein present in potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers and these two proteins are coordinately regulated during tuber development. Although genomic sequences related to these tuber genes exist in the genome of potato species that do not bear tubers, they cannot be induced into expression under the tested conditions. These genes are not expressed during substantial starch accumulation in petioles from a model petiole-leaf cutting system in nontuber-bearing plants, indicating that starch accumulation and synthesis of the major tuber proteins occur independently. Tuber protein gene expression also has been examined in hybrid potato plants that contain genomes from both tuberizing and nontuberizing species. One such triploid hybrid produced only stolons, whereas a pentaploid hybrid with an increased number of tuber genomes produced tubers. It was shown, using immunoblotting and Northern blot hybridization, that these two hybrids actively expressed both patatin and the 22-kilodalton tuber protein in induced petioles from the leaf-cutting system. The induced accumulation of patatin transcripts was consistent in all genotypes containing some tuberizing genome. The induced accumulation of the 22-kilodalton protein transcripts, however, was lower in genotypes containing some nontuberizing genome. Sucrose induction of these genes in leaves corroborates the induction patterns in petioles. A correlation exists between 22-kilodalton protein gene expression and a potato plant's ability to produce stolons or tubers.