Metabolic shifts in provitamin A-rich cassava roots
Researchers from the Chair of Biochemistry, together with partners from the CASS research network, investigated the question of why provitamin A-rich cassava roots (“yellow cassava”) have a reduced starch content. The results have now been published in The Plant Journal (Gutschker et al., 2024). It has been known for some time that storage roots, which are rich in provitamin A, often store lower amounts of starch than their white (provitamin A-poor) relatives. Until recently, the reasons for this were obscure. Using a comparative transcriptome and metabolome study, Gutschker et al. have now been able to identify a possible reason for this. They examined 49 African cassava varieties and were able to show that provitamin A accumulation causes a shift in metabolism towards cell wall synthesis. As a result, metabolites are removed from starch synthesis, which leads to reduced starch production. These surprising findings can now be used to breed cassava varieties that are rich in provitamin A and starch.