Starch is the major source of calories, accounting for approximately 70% of cereal grain. The contents and properties of starch play a key role in the determination of crop yield and quality. The ratio of amylose/amylopectin confers the different processing and nutritional quality of starch. Starch is synthesized by coordinating actions of several classes of enzymes, each of which has multiple isozymes with distinct properties. Therefore, it is still a challenge to fully understand the complex process of regulation of starch content. Recent work has revealed that transcriptional regulation is a critical way to affect starch contents, while the knockout or knockdown of synthetase encoding genes by chemical mutagenesis or genome editing can modify starch composition and structure.
This Research Topic will focus on two aspects of studies, including (1) the regulation of starch synthesis for improvement of starch yield, and (2) the modification of starch composition (the ratio of amylose to amylopectin) and structure, resulting in beneficial properties for human health. These studies will highlight advances in the understanding of the synthesis and modification of starch in crops as well as opportunities for future improvements to the properties of starch.
We invite researchers to contribute their original research/review articles that advance the knowledge and understanding in the following areas:
• Functional analysis of genes involved in starch biosynthesis in crops.
• Characterization of transcription factors and the mechanism of regulating starch biosynthesis.
• Over-expression of starch synthase encoding genes.
• Targeted modification of starch synthase encoding genes via genome editing, physical or chemical mutagenesis research.
• Starch structure and properties research in mutants lacking varied numbers of synthase encoding genes
Starch is the major source of calories, accounting for approximately 70% of cereal grain. The contents and properties of starch play a key role in the determination of crop yield and quality. The ratio of amylose/amylopectin confers the different processing and nutritional quality of starch. Starch is synthesized by coordinating actions of several classes of enzymes, each of which has multiple isozymes with distinct properties. Therefore, it is still a challenge to fully understand the complex process of regulation of starch content. Recent work has revealed that transcriptional regulation is a critical way to affect starch contents, while the knockout or knockdown of synthetase encoding genes by chemical mutagenesis or genome editing can modify starch composition and structure.
This Research Topic will focus on two aspects of studies, including (1) the regulation of starch synthesis for improvement of starch yield, and (2) the modification of starch composition (the ratio of amylose to amylopectin) and structure, resulting in beneficial properties for human health. These studies will highlight advances in the understanding of the synthesis and modification of starch in crops as well as opportunities for future improvements to the properties of starch.
We invite researchers to contribute their original research/review articles that advance the knowledge and understanding in the following areas:
• Functional analysis of genes involved in starch biosynthesis in crops.
• Characterization of transcription factors and the mechanism of regulating starch biosynthesis.
• Over-expression of starch synthase encoding genes.
• Targeted modification of starch synthase encoding genes via genome editing, physical or chemical mutagenesis research.
• Starch structure and properties research in mutants lacking varied numbers of synthase encoding genes
