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Functional Analysis of Starch Metabolism in Plants
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Functional Analysis of Starch Metabolism in Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 29239

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yong-Gu Cho

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Guest Editor
Department of Crop Science, College of Agriculture, Life and Environment Sciences, Chungbuk National University, 1 Chungdae-ro, Seowon-gu, Chongju 28644, Republic of Korea
Interests: marker-assisted breeding (MAS); plant breeding by CRISPR/Cas9; functional genomics; GWAS; biotic and abiotic tolerance; transcriptomics; functional analysis of genes; plant biotechnology; molecular breeding in rice
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Kwon-Kyoo Kang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Horticultural Biotechnology, Hankyung National University, Anseong 17579, Republic of Korea
Interests: functional analysis of genes via CRISPR/Cas9; functional genomics; MABc (marker-assisted backcross); transcriptomics; plant biotechnology; molecular breeding in plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Starch is the major storage carbohydrate in higher plants, and has many important functions. Starch is synthesized in leaves during the day from fixed carbon through photosynthesis, and is mobilized at night to support continued respiration, sucrose export, and growth in the dark. Its major site of accumulation is in storage organs, including seeds, fruits, tubers, and storage roots.

Starch has been identified as a major integrator in the regulation of plant growth to cope with continual changes in carbon availability. Its importance is demonstrated by the phenotype of starch-deficient mutants, which grow poorly or even die in short-day conditions. In heterotrophic storage organs such as potato tubers or developing seeds, starch serves as a longer-term carbon store, which is remobilized later in development to support phases of reproductive growth. Since sucrose supply to these tissues is fluctuating, regulatory mechanisms are required to stimulate starch synthesis when carbon availability increases.

Characterization, expression, enzyme activity, and functional analysis in starch metabolism are very important in order to fully understand their function and roles in the carbohydrate production in plants. In addition, the functions of genes and transcription factors have been studied in order to understand their roles and functions in the starch biosynthesis in plants. However, there are still a number of genes and transcription factors whose roles and functions are not yet clearly understood. Recently, there have been more chances to improve our understanding through advanced scientific tools such as GWAS, MABc, gene pyramiding, overexpression, knock-out, RNAi, and gene editing. This Special Issue of Plants will highlight the identification, function, roles, and relationships of genes and transcription factors in starch biosynthesis, and their interactions through the processes in starch synthesis pathway in plants.

Prof. Dr. Yong-Gu Cho
Prof. Dr. Kwon-Kyoo Kang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • storage carbohydrates
  • sucrose export
  • function of genes
  • transcription factors
  • biosynthetic enzymes
  • ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases
  • starch synthases
  • branching enzyme
  • granule bound starch synthases
  • starch synthesis
  • formation of starch granules
  • amylose and amylopectin synthesis
  • starch composition
  • grain quality
  • molecular design breeding

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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6 pages, 237 KiB  
Editorial
Functional Analysis of Starch Metabolism in Plants
by Yong-Gu Cho and Kwon-Kyoo Kang
Plants 2020, 9(9), 1152; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091152 - 06 Sep 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5398
Abstract
In plants, starch is synthesized in leaves during the day-time from fixed carbon through photosynthesis and is mobilized at night to support continued respiration, sucrose export, and growth in the dark. The main crops where starch is biosynthesized and stored are corn, rice, [...] Read more.
In plants, starch is synthesized in leaves during the day-time from fixed carbon through photosynthesis and is mobilized at night to support continued respiration, sucrose export, and growth in the dark. The main crops where starch is biosynthesized and stored are corn, rice, wheat, and potatoes, and they are mainly used as food resources for humankind. There are many genes that are involved in starch biosynthesis from cytosol to storage organs in plants. ADP-glucose, UDP- glucose, and glucose-6-phosphate are synthesized catalyzed by UDP-invertase, AGPase, hexokinase, and P- hexose-isomerase in cytosol. Starch composed of amylopectin and amylose is synthesized by starch synthase, granule bound starch synthase, starch-branching enzyme, debranching enzyme, and pullulanase, which is primarily responsible for starch production in storage organs. Recently, it has been uncovered that structural genes are controlled by proteins derived from other genes such as transcription factors. To obtain more precise information on starch metabolism, the functions of genes and transcription factors need to be studied to understand their roles and functions in starch biosynthesis in plants. However, the roles of genes related to starch biosynthesis are not yet clearly understood. The papers of this special issue contain reviews and research articles on these topics and will be a useful resource for researchers involved in the quality improvement of starch storage crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Analysis of Starch Metabolism in Plants)

Research

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14 pages, 3393 KiB  
Article
bHLH Transcription Factor NtMYC2a Regulates Carbohydrate Metabolism during the Pollen Development of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. TN90)
by Shiquan Bian, Tian Tian, Yongqiang Ding, Ning Yan, Chunkai Wang, Ning Fang, Yanhua Liu, Zhongfeng Zhang and Hongbo Zhang
Plants 2022, 11(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11010017 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2920
Abstract
Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor MYC2 regulates plant growth and development in many aspects through the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway, while the role of MYC2 in plant carbohydrate metabolism has not been reported. Here, we generated NtMYC2a-overexpressing (NtMYC2a-OE) and [...] Read more.
Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor MYC2 regulates plant growth and development in many aspects through the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway, while the role of MYC2 in plant carbohydrate metabolism has not been reported. Here, we generated NtMYC2a-overexpressing (NtMYC2a-OE) and RNA-interference-mediated knockdown (NtMYC2a-RI) transgenic plants of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. TN90) to investigate the role of NtMYC2a in carbohydrate metabolism and pollen development. Results showed that NtMYC2a regulates the starch accumulation and the starch-sugar conversion of floral organs, especially in pollen. The RT-qPCR analysis showed that the expression of starch-metabolic-related genes, AGPs, SS2 and BAM1, were regulated by NtMYC2a in the pollen grain, anther wall and ovary of tobacco plants. The process of pollen maturation was accelerated in NtMYC2a-OE plants and was delayed in NtMYC2a-RI plants, but the manipulation of NtMYC2a expression did not abolish the pollen fertility of the transgenic plants. Intriguingly, overexpression of NtMYC2a also enhanced the soluble carbohydrate accumulation in tobacco ovaries. Overall, our results demonstrated that the bHLH transcription factor NtMYC2a plays an important role in regulating the carbohydrate metabolism during pollen maturation in tobacco. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Analysis of Starch Metabolism in Plants)
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15 pages, 2458 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification and Genetic Variations of the Starch Synthase Gene Family in Rice
by Hongjia Zhang, Seong-Gyu Jang, San Mar Lar, Ah-Rim Lee, Fang-Yuan Cao, Jeonghwan Seo and Soon-Wook Kwon
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1154; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061154 - 06 Jun 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3602
Abstract
Starch is a major ingredient in rice, and the amylose content of starch significantly impacts rice quality. OsSS (starch synthase) is a gene family related to the synthesis of amylose and amylopectin, and 10 members have been reported. In the present study, a [...] Read more.
Starch is a major ingredient in rice, and the amylose content of starch significantly impacts rice quality. OsSS (starch synthase) is a gene family related to the synthesis of amylose and amylopectin, and 10 members have been reported. In the present study, a synteny analysis of a novel family member belonging to the OsSSIV subfamily that contained a starch synthase catalytic domain showed that three segmental duplications and multiple duplications were identified in rice and other species. Expression data showed that the OsSS gene family is involved in diverse expression patterns. The prediction of miRNA targets suggested that OsSS are possibly widely regulated by miRNA functions, with miR156s targeted to OsSSII-3, especially. Haplotype analysis exhibited the relationship between amylose content and diverse genotypes. These results give new insight and a theoretical basis for the improved amylose content and eating quality of rice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Analysis of Starch Metabolism in Plants)
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18 pages, 3131 KiB  
Article
Breeding of High Cooking and Eating Quality in Rice by Marker-Assisted Backcrossing (MABc) Using KASP Markers
by Me-Sun Kim, Ju-Young Yang, Ju-Kyung Yu, Yi Lee, Yong-Jin Park, Kwon-Kyoo Kang and Yong-Gu Cho
Plants 2021, 10(4), 804; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040804 - 19 Apr 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3430
Abstract
The primary goals of rice breeding programs are grain quality and yield potential improvement. With the high demand for rice varieties of premium cooking and eating quality, we developed low-amylose content breeding lines crossed with Samgwang and Milkyqueen through the marker-assisted backcross (MABc) [...] Read more.
The primary goals of rice breeding programs are grain quality and yield potential improvement. With the high demand for rice varieties of premium cooking and eating quality, we developed low-amylose content breeding lines crossed with Samgwang and Milkyqueen through the marker-assisted backcross (MABc) breeding program. Trait markers of the SSIIIa gene referring to low-amylose content were identified through an SNP mapping activity, and the markers were applied to select favorable lines for a foreground selection. To rapidly recover the genetic background of Samgwang (recurrent parent genome, RPG), 386 genome-wide markers were used to select BC1F1 and BC2F1 individuals. Seven BC2F1 lines with targeted traits were selected, and the genetic background recovery range varied within 97.4–99.1% of RPG. The amylose content of the selected BC2F2 grains ranged from 12.4–16.8%. We demonstrated the MABc using a trait and genome-wide markers, allowing us to efficiently select lines of a target trait and reduce the breeding cycle effectively. In addition, the BC2F2 lines confirmed by molecular markers in this study can be utilized as parental lines for subsequent breeding programs of high-quality rice for cooking and eating. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Analysis of Starch Metabolism in Plants)
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Review

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9 pages, 6782 KiB  
Review
Corn Starch: Quality and Quantity Improvement for Industrial Uses
by Ju-Kyung Yu and Yong-Sun Moon
Plants 2022, 11(1), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11010092 - 28 Dec 2021
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 7088
Abstract
Corn starch serves as food, feed, and a raw material for industrial use. Starch makes up most of the biomass of the corn hybrid and is the most important and main yield component in corn breeding programs. Starch is composed of two polymers, [...] Read more.
Corn starch serves as food, feed, and a raw material for industrial use. Starch makes up most of the biomass of the corn hybrid and is the most important and main yield component in corn breeding programs. Starch is composed of two polymers, branched amylopectin and linear amylose, which normally constitute about 75% and 25% of the corn starch, respectively. Breeding for corn starch quality has become economically beneficial because of the development of niche markets for specialty grains. In addition, due to the increased demands of biofuel production, corn ethanol production is receiving more attention. Consequently, improving starch quantity has become one of the most important breeding objectives. This review will summarize the use of corn starch, and the genetics and breeding of grain quality and quantity for industrial applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Analysis of Starch Metabolism in Plants)
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23 pages, 1592 KiB  
Review
Understanding Wheat Starch Metabolism in Properties, Environmental Stress Condition, and Molecular Approaches for Value-Added Utilization
by Kyung-Hee Kim and Jae-Yoon Kim
Plants 2021, 10(11), 2282; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112282 - 25 Oct 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5009
Abstract
Wheat starch is one of the most important components in wheat grain and is extensively used as the main source in bread, noodles, and cookies. The wheat endosperm is composed of about 70% starch, so differences in the quality and quantity of starch [...] Read more.
Wheat starch is one of the most important components in wheat grain and is extensively used as the main source in bread, noodles, and cookies. The wheat endosperm is composed of about 70% starch, so differences in the quality and quantity of starch affect the flour processing characteristics. Investigations on starch composition, structure, morphology, molecular markers, and transformations are providing new and efficient techniques that can improve the quality of bread wheat. Additionally, wheat starch composition and quality are varied due to genetics and environmental factors. Starch is more sensitive to heat and drought stress compared to storage proteins. These stresses also have a great influence on the grain filling period and anthesis, and, consequently, a negative effect on starch synthesis. Sucrose metabolizing and starch synthesis enzymes are suppressed under heat and drought stress during the grain filling period. Therefore, it is important to illustrate starch and sucrose mechanisms during plant responses in the grain filling period. In recent years, most of these quality traits have been investigated through genetic modification studies. This is an attractive approach to improve functional properties in wheat starch. The new information collected from hybrid and transgenic plants is expected to help develop novel starch for understanding wheat starch biosynthesis and commercial use. Wheat transformation research using plant genetic engineering technology is the main purpose of continuously controlling and analyzing the properties of wheat starch. The aim of this paper is to review the structure, biosynthesis mechanism, quality, and response to heat and drought stress of wheat starch. Additionally, molecular markers and transformation studies are reviewed to elucidate starch quality in wheat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Analysis of Starch Metabolism in Plants)
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