
Open access
Date
2016-11Type
- Journal Article
Citations
Cited 22 times in
Web of Science
Cited 24 times in
Scopus
ETH Bibliography
yes
Altmetrics
Abstract
Starch, as the major nutritional component of our staple crops and a feedstock for industry, is a vital plant product. It is composed of glucose polymers that form massive semi-crystalline granules. Its precise structure and composition determine its functionality and thus applications; however, there is no versatile model system allowing the relationships between the biosynthetic apparatus, glucan structure and properties to be explored. Here, we expressed the core Arabidopsis starch-biosynthesis pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae purged of its endogenous glycogen-metabolic enzymes. Systematic variation of the set of biosynthetic enzymes illustrated how each affects glucan structure and solubility. Expression of the complete set resulted in dense, insoluble granules with a starch-like semi-crystalline organization, demonstrating that this system indeed simulates starch biosynthesis. Thus, the yeast system has the potential to accelerate starch research and help create a holistic understanding of starch granule biosynthesis, providing a basis for the targeted biotechnological improvement of crops. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000123250Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
eLifeVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
eLife Sciences PublicationsOrganisational unit
03707 - Zeeman, Samuel C. / Zeeman, Samuel C.
03857 - Mezzenga, Raffaele / Mezzenga, Raffaele
Funding
163503 - Designing starch – harnessing carbohydrate polymer synthesis in plants (SNF)
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Show all metadata
Citations
Cited 22 times in
Web of Science
Cited 24 times in
Scopus
ETH Bibliography
yes
Altmetrics