A system biology framework of sugarcane interacting components under biotic and abiotic stresses

• Grant number: 23/02779-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Agreement: CNPq
• Principal Investigator: Claudia Barros Monteiro Vitorello
• Grantee: Claudia Barros Monteiro Vitorello
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/03962-7 - Biological networks to unravel interacting components in sugarcane pathosystems, AP.R
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/12174-5 - A system biology framework of sugarcane interacting components under biotic and abiotic stresses, BP.JD

Abstract

In Brazil, sugarcane producing areas have covered the most varied environments, ranging from the mostfavorable to the marginal ones. Understanding how plants-microorganisms interact is of fundamental importancein the search for more sustainable agriculture at lower costs. According to soil type and genotypes, plants canselect microorganisms to improve nutrient uptake, growth, and resistance to pathogens. Sugarcane smut is a reemergentdisease that can lead to severe production and quality losses. We hypothesized that recruiting a variantmicrobiome contributes to the differences in the adaptability to low fertility soils and smut resistance insugarcane. We propose to investigate the composition and diversity of the microbiome associated with twosugarcane varieties with contrasting responses to smut disease and adaptation to soils with low fertilityavailability. In addition, we aim to describe how the native community of microorganisms influences the immuneresponses of sugarcane to the presence of S. scitamineum. We expect to identify groups of microorganisms ineach condition and how they affect the development and defense of sugarcane. Data and pathways obtained byour plant-microbiome interaction approach under biotic and abiotic stresses will be incorporated into our biologicalnetwork, providing resources for future studies aimed at genetic manipulation, breeding strategies, andmanagement practices for sugarcane. (AU)