Discovery of chloroplast degradation induced by disrupted starch metabolism

May 13, 2026

Maltose hyperaccumulation activates plant autophagy

Researchers at RIKEN CSRS discovered the chloroplast degradation triggered by disrupted starch metabolism in plants.

In this study, the joint research group used their own plant cell imaging technology to investigate the conditions that activate chloroplast degradation. The researchers demonstrated that maltose hyperaccumulation, resulting from impaired starch metabolism, leads to aberrant chloroplast swelling, which in turn activates chlorophagy, an autophagy pathway responsible for  the degradation of chloroplasts.

The findings of this study are expected to help deepen understanding of the chloroplast degradation machinery, which is closely involved in plant stress responses and nutrient recycling systems, and develop technologies to improve crop stress tolerance and nutrient use efficiency.

 

Original article

Plant Physiology　doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiag271

S. Nakamura, M. Wakazaki, M. Sato, K. Toyooka, A. J. Nagano, H. Ishida, S. Hagihara, M. Izumi,

"Chloroplast stress caused by maltose hyperaccumulation activates chlorophagy via the core autophagy machinery".

Contact

Sakuya Nakamura; Research Scientist
Masanori Izumi; Senior Research Scientist
Shinya Hagihara; Team Director
Molecular Bioregulation Research Team

Kiminori Toyooka; Senior Technical Scientist
Mass Spectrometry and Microscopy Unit