Work

Transcriptional networks shaping malting quality in barley: From grain development to brewing performance

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) is a cornerstone of the malting and brewing industry, yet the molecular regulation of its key quality traits remains incompletely understood. While the biochemical mechanisms governing starch metabolism, storage protein turnover, β-glucan remodeling, and hydrolytic enzyme activity are well characterized, the transcriptional networks orchestrating these processes during grain development and germination remain less defined. This review hypothesises that transcription factors (TFs) serve as central regulatory hubs, integrating hormonal signals with metabolic pathways to modulate malting quality. Advances in functional genomics, transcriptomics, and network biology increasingly support this model, highlighting the roles of MYB (e.g., GAMYB), DOF, bZIP, NAC, WRKY, and AP2/ERF TFs in regulating starch biosynthesis, endosperm protein dynamics, cell wall degradation, and enzyme induction, particularly under gibberellin–abscisic acid crosstalk. Multi-omics integration, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and natural allelic variation have identified key regulatory modules associated with malt extract yield, fermentability, free amino nitrogen, and wort viscosity. These insights offer promising targets for genome editing, predictive breeding, and synthetic modulation of malting pathways. By linking TF biology to critical brewing performance traits, this review presents a mechanistic framework for leveraging these findings to develop climate-resilient barley cultivars with consistent and enhanced malting quality, paving the way for innovations in malting science. • TF networks regulate starch mobilization and β-glucan breakdown, shaping malting efficiency. • Regulatory hubs identified as key drivers of malt extract yield and overall fermentability. • Hormone-responsive TF modules orchestrate germination timing and enzyme induction dynamics • Genome editing targets revealed to enhance malting quality and brewing performance outcomes.

Source: Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences

DOI: 10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100348

Authors: Bahman Panahi, Rasmieh Hamid, Zahra Ghorbanzadeh, Saber Golkari, Mehmet Yildirim, Feba Jacob

Institutions: Agricultural Research & Education Organization, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran, Dicle University, Kerala Agricultural University

Language: English

Topic: Wheat and Barley Genetics and Pathology

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,320