title: Starch as a determinant of plant fitness under abiotic stress.
abstract: Contents 943 I. 943 II. 944 III. 945 IV. 945 V. 948 VI. 949 950 References 950 SUMMARY: Abiotic stresses, such as drought, high salinity and extreme temperatures, pose one of the most important constraints to plant growth and productivity in many regions of the world. A number of investigations have shown that plants, including several important crops, remobilize their starch reserve to release energy, sugars and derived metabolites to help mitigate the stress. This is an essential process for plant fitness with important implications for plant productivity under challenging environmental conditions. In this Tansley insight, we evaluate the current literature on starch metabolism in response to abiotic stresses, and discuss the key enzymes involved and how they are regulated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zürich, 8008, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6260-1448
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thalmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zürich, 8008, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9686-1216
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santelia
mesh_terms: D056084:Genetic Fitness; D008954:Models, Biological; D010944:Plants / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D013213:Starch
keywords: abiotic stress; abscisic acid (ABA); alpha-amylase; beta-amylase; starch; sugars