Effects of endosperm texture and cooking conditions on the in vitro starch digestibility of sorghum and maize flours

The effects of endosperm vitreousness, cooking time and temperature on sorghum and maize starch digestion in vitro were studied using floury and vitreous endosperm flours. Starch digestion was significantly higher in floury sorghum endosperm than vitreous endosperm, but similar floury and vitreous endosperm of maize. Cooking with 2-mercaptoethanol increased starch digestion in both sorghum and maize, but more with sorghum, and more with vitreous endosperm flours. Increasing cooking time progressively reduced starch digestion in vitreous sorghum endosperm but improved digestibility in the other flours. Pressure-cooking increased starch digestion in all flours, but markedly more in vitreous sorghum flour; probably through physical disruption of the protein matrix enveloping the starch. Irrespective of vitreousness or cooking condition, the alpha-amylase kinetic constant (k) for both sorghum and maize flours remained similar, indicating that differences in their starch digestion were due to factors extrinsic to the starches. SDS-PAGE indicated that the higher proportion of disulphide bond-cross-linked prolamin proteins and more extensive polymerisation of the prolamins on cooking, resulting in polymers of M_r>100k, were responsible for the lower starch digestibility of the vitreous sorghum endosperm flour.     

小麦淀粉合成关键酶基因和相关蛋白表达对不同施磷量的响应

为深入研究磷素在小麦淀粉产量和品质形成过程中的作用,以新疆冬小麦主栽品种新冬20号为试验材料,研究0 kg·hm^-2（CK）、105 kg·hm^-2（LP）和210 kg·hm^-2（HP）3种施磷（P₂O₅）量对小麦籽粒灌浆特性、淀粉合成关键酶(AGPase和GBSS)活性和基因表达、胚乳可溶性蛋白和淀粉粒结合蛋白含量及谱带特征、胚乳微观特性等的影响。结果表明,籽粒灌浆后期磷肥对粒重的促进作用逐渐增强;低磷（LP）条件下, agp1、 agp2、 gbss1、 gbss2基因表达量显著提高;3个处理下AGPase活性的变化趋势基本一致;籽粒灌浆中期（14～21 d）,低磷处理的GBSS活性显著高于CK;不同磷处理对淀粉粒结合蛋白和胚乳可溶性蛋白含量的影响显著,但对蛋白谱带特征的影响较弱。扫描电镜结果显示,不同磷处理的胚乳淀粉粒形态未发生明显变化;与CK和高磷（HP）处理相比,低磷处理下籽粒胚乳横断面蛋白基质较少,淀粉粒与蛋白质结合较疏松。说明常规施磷（低磷）条件下,淀粉合成关键酶基因（agp和gbss）相对表达量提高或酶活性变化可影响籽粒淀粉合成及胚乳中蛋白与淀粉粒的嵌合度,并最终造成粒重的增加和淀粉特性的变化。     

干旱胁迫下小麦颖果内源激素的变化及其与胚乳发育的关系

为探明干旱胁迫下小麦颖果内源激素与胚乳发育的关系,以小麦品种扬麦16为材料,在幼苗返青至颖果成熟阶段进行干旱处理,采用树脂切片及显微摄影等技术观察小麦颖果和胚乳细胞发育的形态结构特征,并通过酶联免疫吸附法测定颖果生长素(IAA)、脱落酸(ABA)、赤霉素(GA_3、GA_4)、玉米素核苷(ZR)、二氢玉米素核苷(DHZR)的含量。结果显示,干旱胁迫缩短了小麦颖果发育进程,促进颖果早衰,导致颖果发育不良;显著降低了籽粒千粒重、可溶性糖含量和总淀粉含量,提高了蛋白质含量;促进颖果发育早期胚乳细胞分裂和淀粉积累,抑制了发育后期胚乳细胞的分裂、体积扩大和淀粉体充实,并提高了颖果整个发育过程中胚乳蛋白体的积累;提高了颖果发育前期IAA、GA_3、GA_4、ZR和DHZR的含量,ABA含量在整个发育时期均较高。说明干旱胁迫能通过影响颖果内源激素的积累来调控胚乳发育。     

鸟苷酸激酶OsGK1对水稻种子发育至关重要

【目的】对水稻粉质皱缩突变体fse2进行表型分析及基因克隆,为阐明水稻淀粉合成机制以及胚的发育奠定基础。【方法】fse2来自粳稻品种滇粳优1号的MNU(N-甲基-N-亚硝基脲)诱变突变体库。本研究考查了突变体fse2籽粒的理化性状,利用扫描电镜和半薄切片观察了淀粉颗粒的结构;构建了fse2与N22的F₂群体,通过图位克隆及转基因互补验证确定目标基因;通过qRT-PCR以及GUS活性染色对FSE2进行组织表达分析;免疫印迹分析了突变体中淀粉合成相关基因以及线粒体基因的蛋白变化。【结果】fse2籽粒粉质皱缩,千粒重显著下降;胚乳中淀粉颗粒变小变圆,排列松散,不能形成正常的复合淀粉颗粒;突变体中总淀粉、直链淀粉含量均显著下降,脂肪含量显著上升,突变体淀粉的糊化特性发生明显改变。FSE2编码一个线粒体和质体双定位的鸟苷酸激酶(guanylate kinase),命名为OsGK1。OsGK1在各器官中组成型表达,并在花后6 d的胚乳中表达水平最高。突变体胚乳中淀粉合成相关蛋白水平显著降低,尤其是AGPS2b和PHOI。此外,突变体fse2的胚发育严重受损,导致种子纯合致死;线粒体定位的AOX积累显著增强,而野生型中几乎检测不到,表明线粒体呼吸途径受损。【结论】由于OsGK1的功能缺陷,导致水稻种子中线粒体和造粉体发育异常,进而产生了胚致死以及胚乳粉质皱缩的表型,因此OsGK1对水稻种子的发育至关重要。     

Opaque2基因对糯玉米子粒品质的影响分析

玉米Opaque2(O2)基因突变显著影响子粒胚乳中蛋白体形成、淀粉含量、氨基酸组成等,其中,赖氨酸含量提高使营养品质大幅度提升。通过回交转育的方法构建17份糯玉米o2近等基因系,对子粒表型、种皮厚度、百粒重和粗淀粉含量等性状分析。结果表明,与对照相比,16个近等基因系子粒明显皱缩、胚乳变为粉质,6个近等基因系种皮厚度增加,11个近等基因系百粒重显著降低,12个近等基因系子粒粗淀粉含量显著降低。由此表明,o2基因的导入对糯玉米子粒表型、产量、淀粉含量等主要起负调控作用,影响程度与导入背景密切相关。     

Starch Properties of a Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Mutant with an Altered Flour-pasting Profile

Ethyl methanesulphonate treatment of seeds from cultivar Kanto 107 lacking Wx-A1 and Wx-B1 proteins induced a mutant, named K107Afpp4, showing an altered flour-pasting profile, i.ea markedly increased viscosity at a low temperature and a decreased peak time in Rapid Visco Analyser measurement. The colour of the iodine complex of the isolated starch from the mutant remained bluish-purple but its λ_maxdecreased to 584 nm from 601 nm shown by the wild type Kanto 107. The absorbance at 680 nm (blue value) of the mutant starch decreased to 0·206 from 0·324 for Kanto 107. The amylose content of K107Afpp4 starch was 12·7% measured by concanavalin A method, compared to 21·9% for the wild type. The apparent amylose content of the mutant starch measured by amperometric titration was 15·9% while that of Kanto 107 was 25·3%. Gel permeation chromatography showed that the mutant starch has a decreased amount of lower molecular weight fractions than starch from the wild type. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated that mutant starch has a higher gelatinisation peak temperature, 61·8 °C, than the wild type, 59·5 °C. The mutant will be useful as a genetic resource for altering wheat starch/flour properties and for clarifying the relationship between amylose content and wheat quality.     

Effect of Grain Structure and Cooking on Sorghum and Maize in vitro Protein Digestibility

Uncooked and cooked sorghum showed improvement in in vitro protein digestibility as the structural complexity of the sample reduced from whole grain flour through endosperm flour to protein body-enriched samples. This was not the case for maize. Cooking reduced protein digestibility of sorghum but not maize. Treating cooked sorghum and maize whole grain and endosperm flours with alpha -amylase to reduce sample complexity before in vitro pepsin digestion slightly improved protein digestibility. The reduction in sorghum protein digestibility on cooking was not related to the total polyphenol content of samples. Pericarp components, germ, endosperm cell walls, and gelatinised starch were identified as possible factors limiting sorghum protein digestibility. Electrophoresis of uncooked and cooked protein-body-enriched samples of sorghum and maize, and prolamin fractions of sorghum under non-reducing conditions showed oligomeric proteins with molecular weights (M_r) 45, 66 and >66 kDa and monomeric kafirins and zeins. Protein-body-enriched samples of sorghum had more 45–50 kDa oligomers than those of maize. In cooked sorghum, some of these were resistant to reduction. Pepsin-indigestible residues from protein-body-enriched samples consisted mainly of α-zein (uncooked and cooked maize) or α-kafirin (uncooked sorghum), whilst cooked sorghum had in addition, β- and γ-kafirin and reduction-resistant 45–50 kDa oligomers. Cooking appears to lead to formation of disulphide-bonded oligomeric proteins that occurs to a greater extent in sorghum than in maize. This may explain the poorer protein digestibility of cooked sorghum.     

Increasing protein content and digestibility in sorghum grain with a synthetic biology approach

Despite great genetic diversity, sorghum grain consistently suffers from poor protein digestibility. The physicochemical packaging of protein bodies which consist of protease-resistant β- and γ-kafirin is considered a major obstacle. A synthetic β-kafirin gene, which shares the endosperm-specific promoter and signal peptide with the native β-kafirin gene (Sobic.009G001600.1), was transformed into sorghum inbred line Tx430. The gene was modified with ten additional proteolytic sites. These sites were designed to be amenable to cleavage by pepsin and/or chymotrypsin proteinases. Five independent transgenic lines were regenerated by microprojectile transformation. Notably, considerably more protein was observed in the peripheral endosperm of transgenic lines under scanning electron microscopy. Microscopy revealed invaginated or irregularly shaped protein bodies in the endosperm of transgenic lines. Grains of transgenic lines contained 11–37% more protein, which was 11–21% more pepsin digestible and 7–25% more chymotrypsin digestible than Tx430. Additionally, the abundant synthetic β-kafirin protein (5.6% of total protein) was detected by mass spectrometry data analysis in the transgenic line 9-1. Field-grown homozygous transgenics retained higher protein content, larger seed size and no reduction in grain number per plant. The results illustrated that plant synthetic biology could play an important role in improving sorghum nutritional value.     

OsESV1基因对水稻淀粉合成的影响

【目的】 研究水稻EARLY STARVATION1 (OsESV1)基因对水稻淀粉代谢的影响。【方法】 通过CRISPR-Cas9技术获得osesv1突变体,考查osesv1的表型及胚乳淀粉的理化特性,分析OsESV1的表达特性及相关功能。【结果】 OsESV1蛋白在植物界中十分保守。osesv1突变体株高、穗长、每穗粒数低于野生型,分蘖数显著多于野生型,叶片中淀粉含量显著下降,籽粒中的直链淀粉含量上升,而总淀粉含量无明显变化。OsESV1呈组成型表达,并且具有昼夜节律表达的特征。OsESV1蛋白定位在叶绿体内且呈点状分布。酵母双杂交和双分子荧光互补实验结果表明OsESV1蛋白可以与ADP-葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶小亚基(OsAGPS) 2a和OsAGPS1互作。【结论】 OsESV1基因影响水稻叶片的淀粉合成途径,而对胚乳淀粉合成的影响不明显。     

水稻粉质胚乳突变体ws的表型分析及基因克隆

从甲基亚硝基脲(1-Methyl-1-Nitrosourea,MNU)处理的粳稻品种滇粳优1号突变体库中,筛选到一个稳定遗传的胚乳粉质突变体ws,其籽粒的千粒重、籽粒大小、总淀粉含量、直链淀粉含量等指标均降低,淀粉在尿素溶液中的膨胀能力减弱。对成熟及发育中的胚乳淀粉结构进行观察,发现ws突变体的胚乳中产生大量小而不规则排布的单淀粉颗粒。利用F2群体中分离出的92个隐性极端个体将突变基因连锁在第8染色体近着丝粒位置,随后共用2025个极端个体将目标基因定位于95kb的区间。测序发现ws突变体中编码腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶(Adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase,AGPase)小亚基S2的基因发生点突变,导致编码氨基酸的替换。基因表达分析发现,突变体胚乳中编码AGPase各亚基的相关基因表达量没有发生显著改变,而Western杂交分析显示突变体中AGPS2b的蛋白含量下降。同时,ws突变体的胚乳中AGPase活性下降为野生型的一半。研究结果表明,OsAGPS2的突变导致水稻胚乳中AGPase活性降低,从而影响了淀粉合成。     

The use of micro-beam X-ray diffraction for the characterization of starch crystal structure in rice mutant kernels of waxy, amylose extender, and sugary1

Micro-beam X-ray diffraction analyses were carried out on slices from wild-type rice and mutants. The method permitted the crystalline structure to be analyzed with less destruction of cells and fewer artificial effects that occur during the purification of starch from tissue and provided information concerning the localization and crystalline structure of starches distributed in the endosperm. The starch on kernel slices from the wild-type and waxy mutant, carrying a defect for the Granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) gene, displayed an A-type of diffraction pattern; no difference in the crystalline patterns between starches located in the inner and outer region in a kernel were observed. A double mutant of the waxy and amylose extender (ae) mutant carrying a defect for the Starch branching enzyme IIb gene accumulated amylose-free B-type starches. The kernel slice from the double mutant of waxy and sugary1, mutated on the Isoamylase I locus, displayed an A-type diffraction pattern in the outer region and was amorphous in the inner region. A chain-length distribution analysis of polyglucans in kernels from wild-type and mutants showed that ae amylopectin had more long chains and less short chains than the wild-type and waxy amylopectin. On the other hand, the water-soluble polysaccharide in the inner region of the sugary1 endosperm had more short chains than the amylopectin in the outer region counterparts. These results indicate that branch chain length in amylopectin is crucial in determining the formation of A- and B-type starches.     

Tryptophanyl-tRNA Synthetase Gene WRS1 Regulates Rice Seed Development

【Objective】Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are closely related to the transmission of genetic information. Besides translation, aaRSs in plants participate in gametogenesis and embryo development, early plastid development, immune signal perception and disease defense. In this study, we used a rice endosperm defective mutant to analyze the function of tryptophanyl-tRNA synthase (WRS1) during seed development, proving that WRS1 gene encodes a key factor affecting rice endosperm development. 【Method】In this study, a stably-inherited rice floury endosperm mutant (wrs1) was screened from the mutant library of indica cultivar N22 (Oryza sativa subsp. indica) induced by ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). Map-based cloning and complementation test identified the target gene. Morphological observation and starch physicochemical properties of wrs1 mature seeds were analyzed. Semi-thin sections were prepared to observe the developing endosperm structure with a scanning electron microscope. qRT-PCR and GUS staining were performed to analyze the expression of WRS1. The expression of starch synthesis related genes in the endosperm at 12 days after flowering was determined by qRT-PCR, and these protein expression levels in mature seed were detected by immunoblotting. The free amino acid contents of mature seeds were measured with a fully automatic amino acid analyzer. 【Result】The seedlings of wrs1 were featured by obvious delay in development and finally withered and died. The floury grains isolated from the heterozygous mutant (WRS1wrs1) showed shrunken belly, decreased grain thickness and thousand-grain weight. Total starch contents, the peak viscosity and breakdown viscosity of pasting starch were lower in wrs1. The compound starch granules in developing endosperm of wrs1 were smaller and loosely arranged. WRS1 was restricted to the 183 kb region of the long arm of chromosome 12. Sequencing revealed a single base substitution in exon 6 of the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase gene (WRS1), resulting in a substitution of methionine. The expression of most starch synthesis-related genes in wrs1 was down-regulated, while these proteins showed different accumulation levels. The contents of proteins in wrs1 grains were decreased, while free amino acids contents were significantly increased. 【Conclusion】WRS1 encodes tryptophanyl-tRNA synthase. Mutation of this gene affects amino acid homeostasis and protein synthesis in rice endosperm, resulting in abnormal expression of the genes in starch synthesis pathway which affects starch synthesis and accumulation, and eventually lead to seed development defects.     

Hyperphosphorylation of cereal starch

Plant starch is naturally phosphorylated at a fraction of the C6 and the C3 hydroxyl groups during its biosynthesis in plastids. Starch phosphate esters are important in starch metabolism and they also generate specific industrial functionality. Cereal grains starch contains little starch bound phosphate compared with potato tuber starch and in order to investigate the effect of increased endosperm starch phosphate, the potato starch phosphorylating enzyme glucan water dikinase (StGWD) was overexpressed specifically in the developing barley endosperm. StGWD overexpressors showed wild-type phenotype. Transgenic cereal grains synthesized starch with higher starch bound phosphate content (7.5 (±0.67) nmol/mg) compared to control lines (0.8 (±0.05) nmol/mg) with starch granules showing altered morphology and lower melting enthalpy. Our data indicate specific action of GWD during starch biosynthesis and demonstrates the possibility for in planta production of highly phosphorylated cereal starch.     

Biochemical characterization of QTLs associated with endosperm modification in quality protein maize

Genetic analysis using quality protein maize (QPM) recombinant inbred lines derived from K0326Y QPM and W64Ao2 identified three quantitative trait loci (QTL) in bins 1.06, 7.02 and 9.03 associated with opaque2 endosperm modification. We evaluated the effects of these QTLs on protein accumulation and starch physicochemical properties. The QTL in bin 1.06 is close to α-zein genes, and vitreous individuals with this QTL had increased accumulation of 19-kDa α-zein, 27-kDa γ-zein and legumin-1. The QTL in bin 7.02 corresponds to the γ-zein locus, and greater accumulation of this protein was found in vitreous individuals. The QTL in bin 9.03 is close to starch biosynthetic genes; greater accumulation of granule-bound starch synthase and amylose was observed in vitreous kernel samples with this locus and that in bin 1.06, as well as less gelatinization enthalpy and crystallinity. Vitreous kernels contained angular-shaped/compact starch granules and more short-intermediate length chains of amylopectin. These results support that endosperm modification in QPM is associated with increased accumulation of γ-zein and other storage proteins, but also show that synthesis of less crystalline starch with more amorphous regions at the periphery of granules, which favor their packing and association with endosperm proteins, may also be an important factor.     

水稻糖质胚乳突变体Sug-11籽粒灌浆过程的淀粉合成关键酶活性及其与淀粉理化特性关系

以水稻糖质胚乳突变体Sug-11与其野生型对照中花11为材料,通过对两者籽粒中可溶性总糖、蔗糖含量和淀粉含量以及有关淀粉品质理化指标的比较,结合籽粒灌浆过程中糖类物质含量、淀粉合成代谢关键酶活性和相关同工型基因转录表达水平的动态测定,从籽粒淀粉合成代谢角度,对水稻糖质突变体Sug-11的籽粒糖类含量变化和千粒重下降的生理原因进行了分析。结果表明,Sug-11糖质突变体与其野生型在灌浆初期的可溶性糖和蔗糖含量差异并不明显,随着籽粒灌浆进程,两者间的籽粒糖分含量差异在灌浆中后期逐步趋于明显;与野生型相比,Sug-11糖质胚乳突变体的稻米直链淀粉含量和直链淀粉碘蓝值显著下降,而淀粉溶解度和支链淀粉碘蓝值则显著升高,糖质胚乳突变对稻米淀粉的理化特性也产生了明显的影响;在籽粒淀粉合成代谢的几个关键酶中,Sug-11糖质突变体籽粒中的DBE活性及其在灌浆过程中的动态变化与其野生型存在明显差异,揭示了胚乳糖质突变体Sug-11籽粒中淀粉积累减少、糖分含量增加主要是由籽粒灌浆中后期的PUL转录表达水平和DBE活性的大幅下降所引起的,而Sug-11的籽粒灌浆不良和千粒重下降等现象,则与其ADPGase活性在籽粒灌浆前期的显著下降存在一定的联系。     

水稻粉质皱缩胚乳突变体fse4的表型分析与基因克隆

【目的】水稻种子主要以淀粉形式储藏能量。淀粉合成需要多种酶类和调控因子参与，机制较为复杂。本研究利用水稻胚乳发育缺陷突变体，克隆和鉴定新的调控淀粉合成相关基因，旨在为研究淀粉合成及其调控提供理论依据。【方法】从化学诱变剂甲基亚硝基脲（1-methyl-1-nitroso-urea, MNU）处理的宁粳3号(Ningjing 3, WT)突变体库中筛选到一个能稳定遗传的胚乳粉质皱缩突变体，命名为fse4 (floury and shrunken 4 )。与籼稻品种Dular杂交获得F1种子（F2），通过图位克隆的策略确定FSE4候选基因。利用杂合植株（FSE4fse4）分离出的粉质种子，观察形态学特征，分析其理化性质。使用扫描电镜和半薄切片技术观察胚乳结构。使用qRT-PCR和免疫印迹分析淀粉合成相关基因表达模式和淀粉合成相关酶类的蛋白积累量。利用全自动氨基酸分析仪测定成熟胚乳各氨基酸含量。【结果】突变体fse4籽粒宽度、厚度以及千粒重显著下降，同时胚乳中总淀粉、总蛋白、直链淀粉含量亦显著下降，而脂肪含量显著上升；淀粉黏度、崩解值和消减值显著低于野生型。突变体fse4中多为单粒型淀粉颗粒，且排列分散。FSE4定位于第5染色体长臂约252 kb的区间内，测序发现编码Δ1-吡咯啉-5-羧酸合成酶基因 （Delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase, P5CS）第1外显子上发生单碱基替换，导致一保守的氨基酸发生变异。突变体fse4中大部分淀粉合成相关基因表达量下调，多种淀粉合成相关蛋白积累量减少。突变体fse4米粉中多种氨基酸含量发生显著变化，游离氨基酸含量是其野生型的3.6倍。此外，外源喷施脯氨酸能部分恢复突变体fse4种子萌发缺陷表型。【结论】FSE4编码脯氨酸合成关键限速酶P5CS，该基因对胚乳中氨基酸的合成及代谢起重要的调控作用，并影响淀粉的合成与积累。     

Phenotypic Analysis and Gene Cloning of Rice Floury Endosperm Mutant fse4

【Objective】Starch is the main energy reserve of rice endosperm. The biosynthesis of starch is complex, requiring a large number of synthetic enzymes and regulators. Screening rice endosperm defective mutants and cloning the underlying genes will lay theoretical basis for starch biosynthesis and its regulation. 【Method】 A stable genetic floury and shrunken endosperm mutant termed as fse4 (floury and shrunken4) were obtained from the mutant library of Ningjing 3 (WT), which was induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). An F2 mapping population was generated by crossing the fse4 mutant with Dular (an indica rice variety) and the gene was finally isolated. The floury seeds segregated from the fse4 heterozygous plants were used to observe the morphological features, and the physicochemical properties of the brown rice flour were analyzed. The endosperm structure was observed with a scanning electron microscopy by the semi-thin section technology. The expression of starch synthesis related genes during grain filling was determined by qRT-PCR; Immunoblotting was used to detect the accumulation of proteins related to starch synthesis. The amino acids contents of each mature endosperm were determined with the fully automatic amino acid analyzer.【Result】The 1000-grain weight and grain size were significantly reduced in fse4. Compared with WT, the contents of total starch, amylose and total protein were signi?cantly lower in fse4, while the lipid content was signi?cantly higher. The starch viscosity, breakdown viscosity and setback viscosity of the fse4 mutant were lower than WT. The endosperm of the mutant had many single dispersed starch granules with large spaces between each other. Using 1568 recessive individuals, FSE4 was narrowed down to a 252 kb region. Sequencing revealed a single base substitution in the first exon of the delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), resulting in a conserved amino acid variation. Most of the genes related to starch synthesis were downregulated in fse4 and the protein accumulation related to starch synthase were reduced. The contents of various amino acids in fse4 rice flour were increased or decreased, the total free amino acids contents in fse4 seeds was 2.6 times higher than those in WT. Exogenous proline was applied during the germination of fse4 seeds, and the embryonic lethal phenotype was partially recovered.【Conclusion】FSE4 encode the key rate-limiting enzyme P5CS of proline synthesis, which plays an important role in the biosynthesis and metabolism of amino acids in endosperm and affects the accumulation of starch.