Abstract
All plant cells synthesize and degrade starch in determined stage of their development. There are, however, important differences related to its use. In leaves, starch is produced and accumulated at day while it is degraded at night to provide carbon maintaining cellular processes. This means that the pathway regulation is integrated to the whole plant metabolism. Starch degradation is a process that depends on the starch granule structure, the action of several enzymes and the association of these to the starch granule. Recent research reveals that starch degradation in leaves is significantly different from starch endosperm breakdown and these new data have led to build a particular model of this pathway. Studies with mutants and transgenic plants suggest that β-amylase has a major role in the hydrolysis of the accumulated starch in leaves, while the participation of α-amylase is probably species-dependent. Additionally, in this paper is suggested that starch granule characteristics are especially important in regulating the starch interaction between granule and proteins involved in starch metabolism.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.