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 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.
Highlights
Wheat is a major cereal crop that provides the world’s population with calories and protein
The production of endosperm starch granules and the physicochemical properties of starches may be affected by drought, affecting the consistency of final wheat products [109]. Both heat and drought stresses, which have a great influence on the grain filling period and anthesis, have a negative effect on starch synthesis in combination
Starch synthesis can be directed to amylose production by overexpressing the appropriate granule bound starch synthase (GBSS) (Waxy) allele to further increase amylose content (AC) [203,204] or inhibiting the expression of enzymes involved in amylopectin biosynthesis to increase the AC content [172,205,206]
Summary
Wheat is a major cereal crop that provides the world’s population with calories and protein. Wheat is mostly used as food, seeds, feed, and fuel. Wheat grain is composed of 13% water, ~70% carbohydrates, 7~15% proteins, and 1.5~2% lipids [2]. Wheat grains contain an important protein called gluten, which is needed in the basic structure to form a dough system for bread, cakes, cookies, cereals, pasta, and noodles. Among the different wheat species, Triticum aestivum is used to make bread and noodles, and T. durum for spaghetti and macaroni. T. monococcum, T. dicoccum, and T. spelta, customarily referred as einkorn, emmer, and spelt, respectively, are some of the ancient species used in grain berries, farro, and salads [3]
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