Development of the Waxy Wheat Starch Granule in the Endosperm, and Difference of Internal Structure between Wheat Waxy Starch and Other Waxy Cereal Starches

Waxy wheat lines were cultivated. The surface of the grains at 6 days after anthesis was wrinkled, and the diameter of the starch granules in the endosperm was rather small, however, afterwards the grains became smooth and the diameter of the starch granules in the endosperm was increased until 37 days after anthesis. Staining of the developing starch granules with a solution of 1.5 M KI and 0.4 M I2 showed that the granules of all starches changed to a ghost-like appearance, which consisted of two parts with different colors; a red-brown central part and a slightly pinkish surrounding part. However, the area of the slightly pinkish surrounding part in the whole ghost-like granule was small in the endosperm of wrinkled grains and gradually increased after the surface of the grain became smooth. Waxy barley, rice, maize, proso millet and foxtail millet starch also changed to ghost-like structure in a solution of 1.5 M KI and 0.4 M I2 , showing the internal structure of each granules. However, the ghost-like granules of these waxy starches showed only a simple single structure.