Molecular biology of starch metabolism

Starch is the main form of carbon reserve in plants. The importance of starch is not only due to the high amount in which it is produced and to its universal distribution, but also for having an enormous commercial importance. Starch and sugars play crucial roles in the bioenergetic and metabolism of plants, playing regulatory roles as well. In the context of our interest in the central carbon metabolism in A. thaliana, our group works in the study of the molecular mechanisms controlling starch and sugar biosynthesis, and in the interaction of these mechanisms among them and with developmental processes. We are characterizing the expression of genes involved in these processes, the phenotype of mutants in different genes and the activity of the codified enzymes. Besides, we are studying the relationship between carbon metabolism and flowering time by analysing how flowering is affected in different mutants in starch and sugar metabolism.