Improving Starch‐Related Traits in Potato Crops: Achievements and Future Challenges

Abstract

Potato is one of the most important starch crops in the world and is used as a staple food for more than one billion people worldwide. Starch is the main storage compound in potato tubers and is of considerable value in food and non-food applications. The starch biosynthesis pathway is the principal biochemical pathway in plants. Potato starch bioengineering can be considered complicated and has been an extensive subject of study over the past three decades. Tetraploid inheritance is the most conspicuous feature linked with potato breeding. Genetic map construction and linkage mapping have contributed greatly to potato breeding, and association studies have further enhanced our knowledge to carry out optimized and comprehensive breeding programes. This review begins with the introduction of the starch structure with respect to functionality, the starch biosynthesis pathway and related genes/enzymes participating in the pathway. Then, the advances that have been made during the past years in the study of genetic basis of starchrelated traits by linkage and association mapping are summarized. Molecular breeding via transgenic engineering of starch biosynthesis-related genes to modify starch properties is also reviewed. Finally, future challenges and new directions for improving starch quality in potato and the implication of new genome editing tools to produce the next generation starches are proposed. A better understanding of these factors is necessary to conduct molecular breeding programes in potato to improve starch quality.

eQTL mapping of the 12S globulin cruciferin gene PGCRURSE5 as a novel candidate associated with starch content in potato tubers

“…Among numerous characteristics that are subject to selection in potato breeding, tuber starch content (TSC) is one of the most agronomically important. The starch content of potato tubers ranges from 10 to 25% of the tuber fresh weight 7 , and starch biosynthesis and breakdown in potato tubers are fairly well characterized metabolic networks 8 , 9 . Linkage mapping of QTL for specific gravity or TSC has been performed in numerous experimental populations of diploid potatoes 10 – 12 in addition to association studies 8 , 13 .…”

“…starch metabolism content and quality 7,16 . All higher plant AGPases, including potato, are heterotetramers composed of two large and two small subunits 17 .…”

Synthesis and Characterization of Corn Starch Phthalate by a Semidry Method

“…Starch is one of the most abundant polysaccharides in nature, and can be easily separated from plant seeds or tubers such as rice, corn, potato, and cassava. The native starches are granules in appearance with different sizes depending on plant sources . There are generally two macromolecular components, amylose and amylopectin in starch granules.…”

“…The native starches are granules in appearance with different sizes depending on plant sources. [1] There are generally two macromolecular components, amylose and amylopectin in starch granules. Amylose is a predominantly linear polysaccharide with α-(1 !…”

Valorisation of potato wastes

“…Valorisation of this by‐product could be of interest to the potato industry (Koduvayur Habeebullah et al , ; Chaves Morillo et al , ; Priedniece et al , ). Another massive wastes from the potato industry are the flesh remaining (75% of initial product mass) from the starch extraction and the wastewaters (Bzducha‐Wróbel et al , ; Ahmed et al , ). According to a recent market report ‘Potato Starch Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2019–2024' (https://www.potatopro.com/news/2019/growth-global-potato-starch-market), the global potato starch market reached a volume of 3.7 million tons in 2018 and is expected to grow to 4.4 million tons by 2024.…”