Identification of signal transduction components of the sugarcane genome

• Grant number: 00/07425-7
• Support Opportunities: Genome Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2000
• End date: March 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Glaucia Mendes Souza
• Grantee: Glaucia Mendes Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant(s): 06/01122-9 - Genes associated to sucrose content, AP.PAPI

Abstract

The goal of this project is to identify ESTs for signal transduction components in the sugarcane genome. The analyses will be collaboration between Dr. Glaucia Mendes Souza and Dr. Aline Maria da Silva’s laboratories, where research in several aspects of signal transduction of growth and development is currently underway. Special attention will be given to conserved modules found to be regulators of developmental processes in other systems (receptors, G-proteins, cyclases, kinases, phosphatases, lipid metabolism components, Ca2+ metabolism components, proteases and peptidases, to mention a few). In particular, the databank will be analyzed for the presence of pathways where similarities to confirmed signal transduction elements in the Arabdopsis and rice genomes are found. It has been estimated that 54% of higher plant genes can be assigned some degree of function by comparing them to known genes. On the basis of sequence analysis, it has been inferred that 13% of Arabdopsis genes are involved in transcription or signal transduction. Although annotation alone will not provide ultimate confirmation of the participation of a particular gene in a process it lays the ground where functional genomics can be built on. (AU)

Filed patent(s) as a result of this research project