Starch Biosynthesis in the Developing Endosperms of Grasses and Cereals

Abstract

Abstract:The starch-rich endosperms of the Poaceae, which includes wild grasses and their domesticated descendents the cereals, have provided humankind and their livestock with the bulk of their daily calories since the dawn of civilization up to the present day. There are currently unprecedented pressures on global food supplies, largely resulting from population growth, loss of agricultural land that is linked to increased urbanization, and climate change. Since cereal yields essentially underpin world food and feed supply, it is critical that we understand the biological factors contributing to crop yields. In particular, it is important to understand the biochemical pathway that is involved in starch biosynthesis, since this pathway is the major yield determinant in the seeds of six out of the top seven crops grown worldwide. This review outlines the critical stages of growth and development of the endosperm tissue in the Poaceae, including discussion of carbon provision to the growing sink tissue. The main body of the review presents a current view of our understanding of storage starch biosynthesis, which occurs inside the amyloplasts of developing endosperms.

Effects of BEIIb-Deficiency on the Cluster Structure of Amylopectin and the Internal Structure of Starch Granules in Endosperm and Culm of Japonica-Type Rice

“…Effects of loss of BEIIb activity on the amylopectin fine structure and starch granular structures and physicochemical/functional properties have been examined in a variety of cereals. The BEIIb deficient mutants (often called ae mutants) and transformed lines have been extensively examined because they have mostly dull and often shriveled kernels which accumulate greatly modified starches such as higher amylose content, higher onset temperature for gelatinization, and higher resistant starch content (see reviews by Shannon et al, 2009;Regina et al, 2015;Tetlow and Emes, 2017;Nakamura, 2018). It is widely accepted that the distinct structure of ae amylopectin is responsible for the modification of starch granular structures in endosperms of maize (Brown et al, 1971;Li et al, 2007) and rice (Nishi et al, 2001;Tanaka et al, 2004;Nakata et al, 2017), and these phenomena were proved by using transformed lines in which the expression of BEII-type isozyme(s) was(were) silenced in endosperms of rice (Wei et al, 2010a,b;Butardo et al, 2011;Man et al, 2013;Sawada et al, 2018), wheat (Regina et al, 2005), and barley (Regina et al, 2010).…”

Comparing the Effectiveness of Three Different Biorefinery Processes at Recovering Bioactive Products from Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Byproduct

“…Caffeoyl and feruloyl arylesterase activities were slightly produced remaining quite constant during all the period of the SSF even if the presence of caffeic and ferulic acid derivatives is common and in high quantity in monocotyledon spp. seed bran (Tetlow and Emes 2017;Peanparkdee et al 2017).…”

Sugar Transporter Proteins (STPs) in Gramineae Crops: Comparative Analysis, Phylogeny, Evolution, and Expression Profiling

“…Many Gramineae crops (e.g., maize, rice, barley, millet, and sorghum) have high economic values, high-quality plant genomes, and well-characterized phylogeny [29]. In addition, Gramineae is an exceptional model system for the study of short-term evolutionary dynamics of one gene family and its consequences [30].…”