Structural, physicochemical, and pasting properties of starches from potato plants with repressed r1-gene

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect on starch molecular and physicochemical properties of down regulation of the R1 protein in potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Dianella) tubers. Most prominent is a 90% suppression of the phosphate content in the isolated potato tuber starch. The amylopectin chain length distribution profile as determined by HPAEC/PAD was not affected, but the amylose content was increased in the most down-regulated plants. The pasting properties of the transgenic starch revealed a pronounced decrease in peak viscosity and increased setback viscosity as measured using a rapid Visco analyzer. The starch gels displayed an increased hardness and stickiness with a maximum at 1.7 nmol of Glc-6P mg(-1) of starch compared to the control lines. At very low phosphate levels (1.4 nmol of Glc-6P mg(-1) of starch), the gel hardness was decreased as a result of increased gel brittleness. The increase in gel brittleness is believed to be an effect of an increased proportion of free amylopectin blocklets in the starch as determined by SEC/RI. The possible links between the structural and physicochemical parameters are discussed.