TSK gel permeation chromatography of non-granular starches, amylopectin chain-length distributions measured by HPAEC-PAD, and DSC characteristics ofstarches of maize endosperms possessing different alleles at the amylose-extender (ae) loci were studied. GPC of non-granular starches through Toyopearl columns showed that elution profiles for 5 ae mutants, Oh43 inbred line ae (standard ae), aeRWB-2 and ae-RWB-3, and W23xL317 hybrid line ae-PP and ae-Bol 561, were similar to a commercial ae starch, Hylon VII and different from Hylon ae starch and normal maize starches. The elution profile for W23xL317 ae-emll was similar to Hylon and different from Hylon and normal maize starches. HPAEC-PAD of isoamylase-debranched starches showed that the 5 ae mutants were uniquely ae type similar to Hylon VII and different from Hylon V. W23xL137 ae-emll had the amylopectin chain-length distribution similar to Hylon . Gelatinization temperatures (Tp) of the ae starches measured by a Setaram Micro DSC III were high compared with the normal counterpart starches except for Oh43 ae-RWB-1 starch. Oh43 ae-RWB-1 starch had structure and thermal characteristics similar to the normal maize starch.