Starch characteristics distinguish malt from non-malt barley and can be modulated via SBEIIb promoter editing
- 1Zhongyuan Institute, Zhejiang University , ,
- 2Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University , ,
- 3Institute of Crop and Nuclear Technology Utilization, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences , ,
Abstract
Barley is classified as malt or non-malt barley according to its end use, yet the role of starch characteristics in determining malt quality remains poorly understood. In this study, we systematically compared starch content, composition, granule structure, and thermal properties between six malt and six non-malt barley varieties. Compared with non-malt barley, malt barley exhibited significantly higher total starch (TS) content, a lower amylose/amylopectin (Am/Ap) ratio, and a larger area of large starch granules (LSGs), features that may collectively enhance the contact surface for hydrolytic enzymes during mashing. Thermal property analysis further revealed a narrower gelatinization temperature range (R) in malt barley, indicating more synchronized and potentially more efficient starch gelatinization. Based on these distinct starch traits, we employed novel CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of the SBEIIb promoter to generate novel barley accessions. The resulting promoter-editing SBEIIb mutants showed a significantly reduced Am/Ap ratio, closely mimicking the altered starch profile potentially relevant to malt quality related traits of elite malt barley varieties, without affecting total starch content or grain morphology. Mechanistically, this compositional shift was associated with altered starch-associated genes expression, demonstrating that targeted promoter modification is a promising strategy for malt barley improvement while avoiding the pleiotropic defects commonly caused by coding-region knockouts. These findings reveal fundamental differences in starch properties between malt and non-malt barley and provide both genetic resources and a feasible breeding strategy for developing superior malt barley cultivars.
Related
- Single-nucleotide genome editing uncovers the biological impact of rs16944 in the IL1B promoter
- Promoter editing of OsGTL1 improves instantaneous water use efficiency via targeted stomatal reduction in rice
- Percussive manipulations distinguish object play in capuchin and patas monkeys
- Dynamic Responses to an Inflammatory Challenge Distinguish Metabolic Health Across Lean and Obese Individuals
- Mitochondrial and metabolic plasticity distinguish stem cells from progenitors in the male germline
BibTeX
@article{li2026starch,
title = {{Starch characteristics distinguish malt from non-malt barley and can be modulated via SBEIIb promoter editing}},
author = {Mengdi Li and Peixin He and Kangfeng Cai and Jie Yao and Danyin Huang and Guoping Zhang and Lingzhen Ye},
journal = {Frontiers in plant science},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1958138},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13662047},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Starch characteristics distinguish malt from non-malt barley and can be modulated via SBEIIb promoter editing
AU - Mengdi Li
AU - Peixin He
AU - Kangfeng Cai
AU - Jie Yao
AU - Danyin Huang
AU - Guoping Zhang
AU - Lingzhen Ye
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Frontiers in plant science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1958138
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13662047
AB - Barley is classified as malt or non-malt barley according to its end use, yet the role of starch characteristics in determining malt quality remains poorly understood. In this study, we systematically compared starch content, composition, granule structure, and thermal properties between six malt and six non-malt barley varieties. Compared with non-malt barley, malt barley exhibited significantly higher total starch (TS) content, a lower amylose/amylopectin (Am/Ap) ratio, and a larger area of large starch granules (LSGs), features that may collectively enhance the contact surface for hydrolytic enzymes during mashing. Thermal property analysis further revealed a narrower gelatinization temperature range (R) in malt barley, indicating more synchronized and potentially more efficient starch gelatinization. Based on these distinct starch traits, we employed novel CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of the SBEIIb promoter to generate novel barley accessions. The resulting promoter-editing SBEIIb mutants showed a significantly reduced Am/Ap ratio, closely mimicking the altered starch profile potentially relevant to malt quality related traits of elite malt barley varieties, without affecting total starch content or grain morphology. Mechanistically, this compositional shift was associated with altered starch-associated genes expression, demonstrating that targeted promoter modification is a promising strategy for malt barley improvement while avoiding the pleiotropic defects commonly caused by coding-region knockouts. These findings reveal fundamental differences in starch properties between malt and non-malt barley and provide both genetic resources and a feasible breeding strategy for developing superior malt barley cultivars.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -