Description and functional analysis of the transcriptome from malting barley

The present study aimed to establish an early model of the malting barley transcriptome, which describes the expression of genes and their ontologies, identify the period during malting with the largest dynamic shift in gene expression for future investigation, and to determine the expression patterns of all starch degrading enzyme genes relevant to the malting and brewing industry. Large dynamic increases in gene expression occurred early in malting with differential expressed genes enriched for cell wall and starch hydrolases amongst many malting related categories. Twenty-five of forty starch degrading enzyme genes were differentially expressed in the malting barley transcriptome including eleven alpha-amylase genes, six beta-amylase genes, three alpha-glucosidase genes, and all five starch debranching enzyme genes. Four new or novel alpha-amylase genes, one beta-amylase gene (Bmy3), three alpha-glucosidase genes, and two isoamylase genes had appreciable expression that requires further exploration into their potential relevance to the malting and brewing industry.

Automated summary

The study established an early model of the malting barley transcriptome, identified the period with the largest dynamic shift in gene expression during malting, and determined the expression patterns of starch degrading enzyme genes relevant to the malting and brewing industry. Large dynamic increases in gene expression occurred early in malting, with differentially expressed genes enriched for cell wall and starch hydrolases among other malting related categories.