Metabolic engineering of invertase activities in different subcellular compartments affects sucrose accumulation in sugarcane cells

Transgenic sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) lines were created to express altered invertase isoform activity to elucidate the role(s) of invertase in the sucrose accumulation process. A sugarcane soluble acid invertase cDNA (SCINVm, AF062734) in the antisense orientation was used to decrease invertase activity. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae invertase gene (SUC2), fused with appropriate targeting elements, was used to increase invertase activity in the apoplast, cytoplasm and vacuole. A callus/liquid culture system was established to evaluate change in invertase activity and sugar concentration in the transgenic lines. Increased invertase activity in the apoplast led to rapid hydrolysis of sucrose and rapid increase of hexose in the medium. The cellular hexose content increased dramatically and the sucrose level decreased. Cells with higher cytoplasmic invertase activity did not show a significant change in the sugar composition in the medium, but did significantly reduce the sucrose content in the cells. Transformation with the sugarcane antisense acid invertase gene produced a cell line with moderate inhibition of soluble acid invertase activity and a 2-fold increase in sucrose accumulation. Overall, intracellular and extracellular sugar composition was very sensitive to the change in invertase activities. Lowering acid invertase activity increased sucrose accumulation.