Variations in carbon flux allocation among cassava (Manihot esculenta) cultivars arise from balanced competition between starch accumulation and structural component development.

ABSTRACT: Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) storage roots exhibit significant variation in starch content among cultivars, yet the metabolic and molecular mechanisms governing carbon allocation between storage and structural components remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated carbon partitioning in two cassava cultivars with distinct starch phenotypes: high-starch FX01 and low-starch SC16. Using ¹³C isotope labeling coupled with metabolomic analysis, we traced the pathway of carbohydrates through primary and secondary metabolism. The results revealed that SC16 exhibits enhanced photosynthetic capacity and elevated soluble sugar content in storage roots, whereas FX01 demonstrates superior starch synthesis due to its efficient glucose and fructose phosphorylation. Conversely, SC16 e

SUBMITTER: Li M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12916840 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature