Tryptophan Boost Caused by Senescence Occurred Independently of Cytoplasmic Glutamine Synthetase

Abstract

We examined to determine whether senescence-induced tryptophan levels are positively associated with levels of glutamine synthetase (GS1), the initial enzyme in tryptophan biosynthesis. We generated transgenic rice plants in which GS1 was suppressed by RNA interference technology. The transgenic line showed a dramatic decrease in GS1 protein and glutamine content, but the levels of tryptophan and mRNA of the key tryptophan biosynthetic genes upon senescence were comparable to those of the wild type.