A structural perspective on α-glucan catabolism in oxygenic phototrophs

Starch and glycogen are the main α-glucan storage polymers in oxygenic photoautotrophs, ensuring metabolic continuity during day/night cycles and environmental stress. Their mobilization requires a suite of catabolic enzymes whose activities are tightly regulated to balance carbon storage with energy demands. Recent structural studies have provided key mechanistic insights into how these enzymes recognize their substrates, transition between active and inactive states, and respond to cellular signals. In this review, we summarize advances in the structural biology of starch and glycogen degradation in plant chloroplasts and cyanobacteria. We highlight the architectural features that determine substrate specificity and examine how regulatory elements, such as redox switches, proteolytic events, and protein-protein interactions modulate enzyme activity. These structural and mechanistic insights inform how oxygenic phototrophs manage carbon storage to ensure survival under fluctuating environmental conditions.