Ostreococcus tauri ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase reveals alternative paths for the evolution of subunit roles

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase controls starch synthesis in plants and is an interesting case to study the evolution and differentiation of roles in heteromeric enzymes. It includes two homologous subunits, small (S) and large (L), that originated from a common photosynthetic eukaryotic ancestor. In present day organisms, these subunits became complementary after loss of certain roles in a process described as subfunctionalization. For instance, the potato tuber enzyme has a noncatalytic L subunit that complements an S subunit with suboptimal allosteric properties. To understand the evolution of catalysis and regulation in this family, we artificially synthesized both subunit genes from the unicellular alga Ostreococcus tauri. This is among the most ancient species in the green lineage that diverged from the ancestor of all green plants and algae. After heterologous gene expression, we purified and characterized the proteins. The O. tauri enzyme was not redox-regulated, suggesting that redox regulation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases appeared later in evolution. The S subunit had a typical low apparent affinity for the activator 3-phosphoglycerate, but it was atypically defective in the catalytic efficiency (V(max)/K(m)) for the substrate Glc-1-P. The L subunit needed the S subunit for soluble expression. In the presence of a mutated S subunit (to avoid interference), the L subunit had a high apparent affinity for 3-phosphoglycerate and substrates suggesting a leading role in catalysis. Therefore, the subfunctionalization of the O. tauri enzyme was different from previously described cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first biochemical description of a system with alternative subfunctionalization paths.