PGM — Arabidopsis thaliana

Summary

AT5G51820 (PGM, also known as STARCH-FREE 1) encodes a phosphoglucomutase (EC 5.4.2.2) with phosphoglucomutase activity and magnesium binding, belonging to the alpha-D-phosphohexomutase superfamily. The enzyme localises to the chloroplast stroma, chloroplast envelope, stromule, apoplast and cytosol. PGM is associated with starch granule initiation, starch biosynthesis and breakdown, sucrose biosynthesis, carbohydrate export, phloem loading, detection of gravity and negative gravitropism, as well as responses to water. The gene has been connected to numerous agronomically relevant traits including starch content, starch mobilisation, hexose, glucose, sucrose, proline and protein content, oleic acid content, leaf thickness, leaf growth and development, root mass density, photosynthetic ability and rate, stomatal resistance, seed oil content, and root phototropism and hydrotropism. Related genes in other species are linked to leaf water potential, net photosynthetic rate and drought tolerance.