Carbon Metabolism and Plant Stress

C.M. FIGUEROA; A.A. IGLESIAS; F.E. PODESTÁ

Handbook of Plant and Crop Stress, 3rd ed

CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group

Lugar: Boca Raton; Año: 2011; p. 447 - 463

Carbohydrates are the most abundant compounds in living organisms. However, their importancedoes not purely rely in abundance, as they play key roles in cell functionality. In plants, carbohydrates  are utilized for the synthesis of various structural components, and they are used to transport carbon and energy between tissues. The central role of carbohydrates in the energetic metabolism is highlighted in the glycolytic and the oxidative pentose-P pathways. However, these pathways have another important role, as they serve as source of intermediates for the synthesis of a large number of cellular components, such as lipids, nucleic acids, organic acids, and proteins. Also, carbohydrates are fundamental components of structural molecules like cellulose, the most abundant biomolecule. In addition, sugars can be combined with other compounds, like lipids or proteins, to produce glycolipids and glycoproteins, which play key roles related with cell structure and function . On the other hand, carbohydrates are the major reserve and mobilization constituents in plants, where they can be found as starch, sucrose, fructans, and polyols .