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The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tuber is a swollen underground stem that can sprout in an apical dominance (AD) pattern. Bromoethane (BE) induces loss of AD and the accumulation of vegetative vacuolar processing enzyme (S. tuberosum vacuolar processing enzyme [StVPE]) in the tuber apical meristem (TAM). Vacuolar processing enzyme activity, induced by BE, is followed by programmed cell death in the TAM. In this study, we found that the mature StVPE1 (mVPE) protein exhibits specific activity for caspase 1, but not caspase 3 substrates. Optimal activity of mVPE was achieved at acidic pH, consistent with localization of StVPE1 to the vacuole, at the edge of the TAM. Downregulation of StVPE1 by RNA interference resulted in reduced stem branching and retained AD in tubers treated with BE. Overexpression of StVPE1 fused to green fluorescent protein showed enhanced stem branching after BE treatment. Our data suggest that, following stress, induction of StVPE1 in the TAM induces AD loss and stem branching.

Original publication

DOI

10.1111/pce.13044

Type

Journal article

Journal

Plant Cell Environ

Publication Date

10/2017

Volume

40

Pages

2381 - 2392

Keywords

Solanum tuberosum (potato), apical dominance (AD), caspase, stem branching, tuber apical meristem (TAM), vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE), Apoptosis, Caspase 1, Cysteine Endopeptidases, Gene Expression Regulation, Plant, Gene Silencing, Green Fluorescent Proteins, Hydrocarbons, Brominated, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Meristem, Plant Tubers, Solanum tuberosum