Phosphorylation of the starch granule

Abstract

The presence of starch phosphate monoesters in native starch, especially in tuberous storage starch types, has for many years been known to impart unique and valuable functional assets of importance for food and materials applications. The quest of delineating the incorporation of phosphate groups in storage starch of crops, the general misconception over many years that starch phosphorylation is a “metabolic mistake” or a “side reaction”, was disproved when the starch phosphorylatorwas discovered some 15 years ago. Over the recent years, additional data have evolved to demonstrate that phosphorylation of starch granules in plants is a built-in metabolic feature that is essential for well-functioning starch metabolism. This chapter will embrace the ubiquitous presence of starch phosphorylation in plants and its impact on plant metabolism and starch functionality and very recent studies demonstrating its tremendous impact on crop performance and future prospects for starch bioengineering and polysaccharide innovation.