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. 1992 Jun;99(2):595–600. doi: 10.1104/pp.99.2.595

Increased Fatty Acid β-Oxidation after Glucose Starvation in Maize Root Tips

Martine Dieuaide 1, Renaud Brouquisse 1, Alain Pradet 1, Philippe Raymond 1
PMCID: PMC1080505  PMID: 16668928

Abstract

The effects of glucose starvation on the oxidation of fatty acids were studied in excised maize (Zea mays L.) root tips. After 24 hours of glucose starvation, the rate of oxidation of palmitic acid to CO2 by the root tips was increased 2.5-fold. Different enzyme activities were tested in a crude particulate fraction from nonstarved root tips and those starved for 24 hours. The activities of the β-oxidation enzymes crotonase, hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase, and thiolase and those of catalase, malate synthase, and peroxisomal citrate synthase were higher after starvation. However, no isocitrate lyase activity was detected, thus suggesting that the glyoxylate cycle does not operate. The overall β-oxidation activity was assayed as the formation of [14C]acetyl-CoA from [14C]palmitic acid after high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the CoA derivatives. An activity was detected in sugar-fed root tips, and it was increased by two-to fivefold in starved roots. Because the recovery of enzyme activities is only marginally better in starved roots compared with nonstarved roots, these results indicate that the β-oxidation activity in the tissues is increased during sugar starvation. This increase is probably an essential part of the response to a situation in which lipids and proteins replace carbohydrates as the major respiratory substrates. These results are discussed in relation to the metabolic changes observed in senescing plant tissues.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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