Starch metabolism in green microalgae. Starch metabolism in green microalgae. The metabolites and simplified representative pathways in microalgal starch metabolism are shown in black, and enzymes are shown in red. Glucans are added to the water soluble polysaccharide (WSP) by α-1,4 glycosidic linkages (WSP1) until a branching enzyme highly branches the ends (WSP2). Some of these branches are trimmed (WSP3), and this process is repeated until a starch granule is formed. Phosphorolytic [Starch-(P)n] and hydrolytic degradation pathways are shown. αAMY, α-amylase; AGPase, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase; βAMY, β-amylases; BE, branching enzymes; DBE, debranching enzymes; DPE, disproportionating enzyme (1 and 2) α-1,4 glucanotransferase; Glc, glucose; GWD, glucan-water dikinases; ISA, isoamylases; MEX1, maltose transporter; MOS, malto-oligosaccharides; PGM, plastidial phosphoglucomutase; P, phosphate; Pi, inorganic phosphate; PPi, pyrophosphate; SP, starch phosphorylases; SS, starch synthases. Randor Radakovits et al. Eukaryotic Cell 2010; doi:10.1128/EC.00364-09