Starch Metabolism and Stress Response in Plants
Summary
Starch serves as the primary carbohydrate reserve in plant cells, accumulating within chloroplasts during periods of active photosynthesis and undergoing regulated degradation to sustain metabolism in the absence of light. Biosynthesis is driven by a concert of enzymes such as ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and starch synthases, while degradation involves debranching enzymes and hydrolases, notably β-amylases, which liberate maltose from granule surfaces. Under abiotic stress—cold, drought or salinity—plants reconfigure starch turnover to yield soluble sugars that act both as osmoprotectants and as metabolic substrates for repair and defence. This adjustment is orchestrated by hormonal cues, sugar-sensing pathways and stress-responsive transcription factors, integrating chloroplast and nuclear programmes. Enhanced mobilisation of starch reserves fuels reactive oxygen species detoxification and maintains energy homeostasis. Understanding these processes has profound implications for crop resilience: by fine-tuning enzymes or regulatory components, it becomes possible to engineer plants that better withstand climatic extremes while optimising yield and resource use.
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Starch Metabolism and Stress Response in Plants publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in starch metabolism and stress response in plants across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
β-amylase: An enzyme that hydrolyses starch polymers into maltose units by cleaving α-1,4 glycosidic bonds from the non-reducing end.
Chloroplast starch granule (cpSG): Insoluble, semi-crystalline structures formed within chloroplasts that store transitory starch during the light period.
Transient starch: Starch synthesised in chloroplasts each day and degraded at night to supply carbon and energy.
Transcription factor: A protein that binds specific DNA sequences to regulate gene expression in response to developmental or environmental signals.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Highly reactive molecules derived from oxygen that can damage cellular components but also function as signalling intermediates.
References
- Fluorescein staining of chloroplast starch granules in living plants. Plant Physiology (2023).
- Genome-Wide Investigation of BAM Gene Family in Annona atemoya: Evolution and Expression Network Profiles during Fruit Ripening. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- VaWRKY65 contributes to cold tolerance through dual regulation of soluble sugar accumulation and reactive oxygen species scavenging in Vitis amurensis. Horticulture Research (2025).
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