The different pH optima and substrate specificities of extracellular and vacuolar invertases from plants are determined by a single amino-acid substitution
M. Goetz et T. Roitsch, The different pH optima and substrate specificities of extracellular and vacuolar invertases from plants are determined by a single amino-acid substitution, PLANT J, 20(6), 1999, pp. 707-711
Different plant invertase isoenzymes are characterized by a single amino-ac
id difference in a conserved sequence, the WEC-P/V-D box. A proline residue
is present in this sequence motif of extracellular invertase sequences, wh
ereas a valine is found at the same position of vacuolar invertase sequence
s. The role of this distinct difference was studied by substituting the pro
line residue of extracellular invertase CIN1 from Chenopodium rubrum with a
valine residue, by site-directed mutagenesis. The mutated gene was heterol
ogously expressed in an invertase-deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain
. The single amino-acid difference was shown to be the molecular basis for
two enzymatic properties of invertase isoenzymes, for both the pH optimum a
nd the substrate specificity. A proline in the WEC-P/V-D box determines the
more acidic pH optimum and the higher cleavage rate of raffinose of extrac
ellular invertases, compared to vacuolar invertases that have a valine resi
due at this position.