Starch: its metabolism, evolution, and biotechnological modification in plants

Abstract

Starch is the most widespread and abundant storage carbohydrate in plants. We depend upon starch for our nutrition, exploit its unique properties in industry, and use it as a feedstock for bioethanol production. Here, we review recent advances in research in three key areas. First, we assess progress in identifying the enzymatic machinery required for the synthesis of amylopectin, the glucose polymer responsible for the insoluble nature of starch. Second, we discuss the pathways of starch degradation, focusing on the emerging role of transient glucan phosphorylation in plastids as a mechanism for solubilizing the surface of the starch granule. We contrast this pathway in leaves with the degradation of starch in the endosperm of germinated cereal seeds. Third, we consider the evolution of starch biosynthesis in plants from the ancestral ability to make glycogen. Finally, we discuss how this basic knowledge has been utilized to improve and diversify starch crops.