Carbon metabolism in plants under different perspectives: searching alternatives for crop yield enhancement

• Grant number: 18/15576-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants - Phase 2
• Start date: May 01, 2019
• End date: July 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Danilo da Cruz Centeno
• Grantee: Danilo da Cruz Centeno
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Associated 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): 22/00244-6 - Uptake of RNAi precursors by Setaria leaves after exogenous application, BP.MS; 20/06560-1 - Effects of apocarotenoids on drought tolerance in grasses, BP.PD; 20/12362-8 - The role of fumarase in the C4 grass Setaria viridis, BP.DD; 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)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BERBERT, JULIANA M.; OLIVEIRA, KAREN A.; MARTIN, RAFAELA F.; CENTENO, DANILO C.. DESICCATION-REHYDRATION STRESS REVEALED BY SUGAR-METABOLITE-RESERVE MODEL. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, v. 29, n. 02, p. 413-431, JUN 2021. (14/17833-8, 18/15576-9)

RIBEIRO, ANA PAULA; VINECKY, FELIPE; DUARTE, KAROLINE ESTEFANI; SANTIAGO, THAIS RIBEIRO; DAS CHAGAS NOQUELI CASARI, RAPHAEL AUGUSTO; HELL, ALINE FORGATTI; DIAS BRITO DA CUNHA, BARBARA ANDRADE; MARTINS, POLYANA KELLY; CENTENO, DANILO DA CRUZ; DE OLIVEIRA MOLINARI, PATRICIA ABRAO; et al. Enhanced aluminum tolerance in sugarcane: evaluation of SbMATE overexpression and genome-wide identification of ALMTs in Saccharum spp.. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY, v. 21, n. 1, JUN 29 2021. (19/16226-4, 18/15576-9, 19/04878-7)

SANTOS, C. M.; ROMEIRO, D.; SILVA, J. P.; BASSO, M. F.; MOLINARI, H. B. C.; CENTENO, D. C.. An improved protocol for efficient transformation and regeneration of Setaria italica. Plant Cell Reports, v. 39, n. 4, p. 501-510, APR 2020. (12/23838-7, 18/15576-9)

HELL, ALINE F.; GASULLA, FRANCISCO; GONZALEZ-HOUCARDE, MARIA; PELEGRINO, MILENA T.; SEABRA, AMEDEA B.; DEL CAMPO, EVA M.; CASANO, LEONARDO M.; CENTENO, DANILO C.. Polyols-related gene expression is affected by cyclic desiccation in lichen microalgae. ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY, v. 185, MAY 2021. (18/15576-9, 18/08194-2)