@article{CompartLiFettke2021,
  author    = {Compart, Julia and Li, Xiaoping and Fettke, J{\"o}rg},
  title     = {Starch-A complex and undeciphered biopolymer},
  series = {Journal of plant physiology : biochemistry, physiology, molecular biology and biotechnology of plants},
  volume    = {258},
  journal   = {Journal of plant physiology : biochemistry, physiology, molecular biology and biotechnology of plants},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {M{\"u}nchen},
  issn      = {0176-1617},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.jplph.2021.153389},
  pages     = {258 -- 259},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {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 for industrial applications by biotechnology.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{LiuLiFettke2021,
  author    = {Liu, Qingting and Li, Xiaoping and Fettke, J{\"o}rg},
  title     = {Starch granules in Arabidopsis thaliana mesophyll and guard cells show similar morphology but differences in size and number},
  series = {International journal of molecular sciences},
  volume    = {22},
  journal   = {International journal of molecular sciences},
  number    = {11},
  publisher = {Molecular Diversity Preservation International},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {1422-0067},
  doi       = {10.3390/ijms22115666},
  pages     = {11},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Transitory starch granules result from complex carbon turnover and display specific situations during starch synthesis and degradation. The fundamental mechanisms that specify starch granule characteristics, such as granule size, morphology, and the number per chloroplast, are largely unknown. However, transitory starch is found in the various cells of the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana, but comparative analyses are lacking. Here, we adopted a fast method of laser confocal scanning microscopy to analyze the starch granules in a series of Arabidopsis mutants with altered starch metabolism. This allowed us to separately analyze the starch particles in the mesophyll and in guard cells. In all mutants, the guard cells were always found to contain more but smaller plastidial starch granules than mesophyll cells. The morphological properties of the starch granules, however, were indiscernible or identical in both types of leaf cells.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{LiuLiFettke2021,
  author    = {Liu, Qingting and Li, Xiaoping and Fettke, J{\"o}rg},
  title     = {Starch granules in Arabidopsis thaliana mesophyll and guard cells show similar morphology but differences in size and number},
  series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  journal   = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe},
  number    = {1143},
  issn      = {1866-8372},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-51106},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-511067},
  pages     = {13},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Transitory starch granules result from complex carbon turnover and display specific situations during starch synthesis and degradation. The fundamental mechanisms that specify starch granule characteristics, such as granule size, morphology, and the number per chloroplast, are largely unknown. However, transitory starch is found in the various cells of the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana, but comparative analyses are lacking. Here, we adopted a fast method of laser confocal scanning microscopy to analyze the starch granules in a series of Arabidopsis mutants with altered starch metabolism. This allowed us to separately analyze the starch particles in the mesophyll and in guard cells. In all mutants, the guard cells were always found to contain more but smaller plastidial starch granules than mesophyll cells. The morphological properties of the starch granules, however, were indiscernible or identical in both types of leaf cells.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MeridaFettke2021,
  author    = {Merida, Angel and Fettke, J{\"o}rg},
  title     = {Starch granule initiation in Arabidopsis thaliana chloroplasts},
  series = {The plant journal},
  volume    = {107},
  journal   = {The plant journal},
  number    = {3},
  publisher = {Wiley},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {0960-7412},
  doi       = {10.1111/tpj.15359},
  pages     = {688 -- 697},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The initiation of starch granule formation and the mechanism controlling the number of granules per plastid have been some of the most elusive aspects of starch metabolism. This review covers the advances made in the study of these processes. The analyses presented herein depict a scenario in which starch synthase isoform 4 (SS4) provides the elongating activity necessary for the initiation of starch granule formation. However, this protein does not act alone; other polypeptides are required for the initiation of an appropriate number of starch granules per chloroplast. The functions of this group of polypeptides include providing suitable substrates (maltooligosaccharides) to SS4, the localization of the starch initiation machinery to the thylakoid membranes, and facilitating the correct folding of SS4. The number of starch granules per chloroplast is tightly regulated and depends on the developmental stage of the leaves and their metabolic status. Plastidial phosphorylase (PHS1) and other enzymes play an essential role in this process since they are necessary for the synthesis of the substrates used by the initiation machinery. The mechanism of starch granule formation initiation in Arabidopsis seems to be generalizable to other plants and also to the synthesis of long-term storage starch. The latter, however, shows specific features due to the presence of more isoforms, the absence of constantly recurring starch synthesis and degradation, and the metabolic characteristics of the storage sink organs.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{OrzechowskiSitnickaGrabowskaetal.2021,
  author    = {Orzechowski, Slawomir and Sitnicka, Dorota and Grabowska, Agnieszka and Compart, Julia and Fettke, J{\"o}rg and Zdunek-Zastocka, Edyta},
  title     = {Effect of short-term cold treatment on carbohydrate metabolism in potato leaves},
  series = {International journal of molecular sciences},
  volume    = {22},
  journal   = {International journal of molecular sciences},
  number    = {13},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {1422-0067},
  doi       = {10.3390/ijms22137203},
  pages     = {17},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Plants are often challenged by an array of unfavorable environmental conditions. During cold exposure, many changes occur that include, for example, the stabilization of cell membranes, alterations in gene expression and enzyme activities, as well as the accumulation of metabolites. In the presented study, the carbohydrate metabolism was analyzed in the very early response of plants to a low temperature (2 degrees C) in the leaves of 5-week-old potato plants of the Russet Burbank cultivar during the first 12 h of cold treatment (2 h dark and 10 h light). First, some plant stress indicators were examined and it was shown that short-term cold exposure did not significantly affect the relative water content and chlorophyll content (only after 12 h), but caused an increase in malondialdehyde concentration and a decrease in the expression of NDA1, a homolog of the NADH dehydrogenase gene. In addition, it was shown that the content of transitory starch increased transiently in the very early phase of the plant response (3-6 h) to cold treatment, and then its decrease was observed after 12 h. In contrast, soluble sugars such as glucose and fructose were significantly increased only at the end of the light period, where a decrease in sucrose content was observed. The availability of the monosaccharides at constitutively high levels, regardless of the temperature, may delay the response to cold, involving amylolytic starch degradation in chloroplasts. The decrease in starch content, observed in leaves after 12 h of cold exposure, was preceded by a dramatic increase in the transcript levels of the key enzymes of starch degradation initiation, the alpha-glucan, water dikinase (GWD-EC 2.7.9.4) and the phosphoglucan, water dikinase (PWD-EC 2.7.9.5). The gene expression of both dikinases peaked at 9 h of cold exposure, as analyzed by real-time PCR. Moreover, enhanced activities of the acid invertase as well as of both glucan phosphorylases during exposure to a chilling temperature were observed. However, it was also noticed that during the light phase, there was a general increase in glucan phosphorylase activities for both control and cold-stressed plants irrespective of the temperature. In conclusion, a short-term cold treatment alters the carbohydrate metabolism in the leaves of potato, which leads to an increase in the content of soluble sugars.},
  language  = {en}
}