Sorbitol dehydrogenase aids grain-fill and integrates carbohydrate metabolism with redox in the hypoxic maize endosperm

Clicks: 13
ID: 329266
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #355 of 379 articles by views in The Plant cell

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 379 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Abstract Extreme low oxygen is typical of microenvironments inside developing grains, thus requiring metabolic adaptations to hypoxia. Potential contributions from sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) are tested here for maize (Zea mays) since the reversible reaction (fructose + NADH ↔ sorbitol + NAD+) can balance both redox state and metabolism during assimilate import into kernels. To do so, we developed and analyzed maize sdh1 mutants and over-expression lines. Dysfunction of Sdh1 decreased seed weight by 17%, impaired starch accumulation, and enhanced levels of glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Redox balance in the inner endosperm was also disrupted (NADH and NADPH levels rose) and adenylate energy charge (AEC) decreased. Moreover, genes responsive to oxidative stress were upregulated in mutant kernels. In contrast, Sdh1-OE lines rescued the small-grain phenotype without exceeding wild-type kernel size. Metabolite profiles of mutant and Sdh1-OE kernels revealed reciprocal levels for sucrose, hexoses, and key points of redox sensitivity and C/N balance. Results are distinct from the classical involvement of sorbitol in long distance transport (as in apples) and its contribution to desiccation tolerance in diverse species. Rather, our analyses support a two-fold contribution by an SDH-modulated sorbitol reservoir that 1) aids redox balance in the hypoxic endosperm by storing excess reductant and 2) minimizes fructose levels that can otherwise inhibit sucrose import, metabolism, and signaling pathways. Collective evidence reveals a previously unrecognized role for sorbitol and SDH in kernel-fill that integrates carbohydrate metabolism and redox balance in the low-oxygen endosperm of this developing grain.
Reference Key
openalex_W7213877357 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Nadia Mourad, Hardy Rolletschek, Matthias Langer, Maria Angélica Sanclemente, Michelle Saint-Fleur, Lily Herndon, Shan Wu, S. M. de Sousa, Jiahn‐Chou Guan, Karen E. Koch
Are you one of these authors? Claim your profile
Journal The Plant cell
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/plcell/koag293
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koag293
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.