The Structure and Expression of the Wheat Starch Synthase III Gene. Motifs in the Expressed Gene Define the Lineage of the Starch Synthase III Gene Family

The endosperm of hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum[L.]) was shown to contain a high molecular weight starch synthase (SS) analogous to the product of the maize du1 gene, starch synthase III (SSIII; DU1). cDNA and genomic DNA sequences encoding wheat SSIII were isolated and characterized. The wheat SSIII cDNA is 5,346 bp long and contains an open reading frame that encodes a 1,628-amino acid polypeptide. A putative N-terminal transit peptide, a 436-amino acid C-terminal catalytic domain, and a central 470-amino acid SSIII-specific domain containing three regions of repeated amino acid similarity were identified in the wheat gene. A fourth region between the transit peptide and the SSIII-specific domain contains repeat motifs that are variable with respect to motif sequence and repeat number between wheat and maize. In dicots, this N-terminal region does not contain repeat motifs and is truncated. The gene encoding wheat SSIII, designated ss3, consists of 16 exons extending over 10 kb, and is located on wheat chromosome I. Expression of ss3 mRNA in wheat was detected in leaves, pre-anthesis florets, and from very early to middle stage of endosperm development. The entire N-terminal variable repeat region and the majority of the SSIII-specific domain are encoded on a single 2,703-bp exon. A gene encoding a class III SS from the Arabidopsis genome sequencing project shows a strongly conserved exon structure to the wheat ss3 gene, with the exception of the N-terminal region. The evolutionary relationships of the genes encoding monocot and dicot class III SSs are discussed.