Overexpression of genes related to polyols synthesis in Setaria
| Grant number: | 18/15576-9 |
| Support type: | Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants- Phase 2 |
| Duration: | May 01, 2019 - April 30, 2024 |
| Field of knowledge: | Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy |
| Principal Investigator: | Danilo da Cruz Centeno |
| Grantee: | Danilo da Cruz Centeno |
| Home Institution: | Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil |
| Assoc. researchers: | César Augusto João Ribeiro ; Hana Paula Masuda |
| Associated research grant: | 12/23838-7 - Change in carbon balance in grasses in order to increase sugar production, AP.BIOEN.JP |
| Associated scholarship(s): | 19/16226-4 - Overexpression of genes related to polyols synthesis in Setaria, BP.PD |
Abstract
Grasses play a crucial role on human and animal feed and, recently, have received special attention to the biofuels production. In this way, two aspects point as a lack to be fulfilled aiming the mitigation of anthropic effects together with the increase in energy demands: i) biomass accumulation based on genetic engineering; ii) global warming and its impact on plant productivity as a result of greenhouse gas emission. The use of model species to study grasses? with C4 photosynthetic metabolism has been the focus of our research group. The alterations on the expression of enzymes involved on the cell respiratory metabolism has implicated on decreased growth rate in Setaria species, however, the reason remain unknown. Thus, to investigate the role of respiratory metabolism in C4 plants, a first strategy will be focused on the detailed evaluation of transgenic events of Setaria italica and S. viridis plants already available in T1 generation in our laboratory, as a sequence of the first Young Researcher Project. A second strategy will be directed to the evaluation of the use of the same genes applied for the transgenes but with an exogenous application of RNAi precursors, in order to study their potential use as bioherbicides. A third approach will focus on the mitigation of the global warming effects, as seasonal water deficit, by analysis of expression of genes that synthesize protective molecules associated to the increase of drought tolerance expression, such as polyols. We aim with these three strategies the optimization of plant growth and carbon accumulation in plants with agronomical interest. (AU)