Starch-A complex and undeciphered biopolymer
- Starch is a natural storage carbohydrate in plants and algae. It consists of two relatively simple homo-biopolymers, amylopectin and amylose, with only alpha-1,4 and alpha-1,6 linked glucosyl units. Starch is an essential source of nutrition and animal food, as well as an important raw material for industry. However, despite increasing knowledge, detailed information about its structure and turnover are largely lacking. In the last decades, most data were generated using bulk experiments, a method which obviously presents limitations regarding a deeper understanding of the starch metabolism. Here, we discuss some unavoidable questions arising from the existing data. We focus on a few examples related to starch biosynthesis, degradation, and structure where these limitations strongly emerge. Closing these knowledge gaps will also be extremely important for taking the necessary steps in order to set up starch-providing crops for the challenges of the ongoing climate changes, as well as for increasing the usability of starches forStarch is a natural storage carbohydrate in plants and algae. It consists of two relatively simple homo-biopolymers, amylopectin and amylose, with only alpha-1,4 and alpha-1,6 linked glucosyl units. Starch is an essential source of nutrition and animal food, as well as an important raw material for industry. However, despite increasing knowledge, detailed information about its structure and turnover are largely lacking. In the last decades, most data were generated using bulk experiments, a method which obviously presents limitations regarding a deeper understanding of the starch metabolism. Here, we discuss some unavoidable questions arising from the existing data. We focus on a few examples related to starch biosynthesis, degradation, and structure where these limitations strongly emerge. Closing these knowledge gaps will also be extremely important for taking the necessary steps in order to set up starch-providing crops for the challenges of the ongoing climate changes, as well as for increasing the usability of starches for industrial applications by biotechnology.…
| Author details: | Julia Compart, Xiaoping LiGND, Jörg FettkeORCiDGND |
|---|---|
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2021.153389 |
| ISSN: | 0176-1617 |
| ISSN: | 1618-1328 |
| Pubmed ID: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33652172 |
| Title of parent work (English): | Journal of plant physiology : biochemistry, physiology, molecular biology and biotechnology of plants |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| Place of publishing: | München |
| Publication type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Date of first publication: | 2021/02/14 |
| Publication year: | 2021 |
| Release date: | 2022/11/23 |
| Tag: | Analytical limitations; Organization model; Starch; Starch metabolism; Starch structure |
| Volume: | 258 |
| Article number: | 153389 |
| First page: | 258 |
| Last Page: | 259 |
| Funding institution: | Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftGerman Research Foundation (DFG) [DFG- FE 1030/2-1, DFG-FE 1030/5-1, DFG-FE 1030/6-1] |
| Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie |
| DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie |
| Peer review: | Referiert |
