Understanding the lysine metabolism in quality protein maize (QPM) and in genetic modified barley

• Grant number: 11/21123-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2012
• End date: February 26, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Antunes de Azevedo
• Grantee: Daiana Schmidt
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The idea for this project arises from the need to continue the studies through years of development in our laboratory, which generated great amount of information about lysine's metabolism in cereals. During these years, we tried to maintain a natural sequence of organization of research activities, but of course leaving gaps and unanswered questions and generating new hypotheses, some of which will be the focus of this project. The interest in studying amino acids metabolism is due to the fact that cereals contains low nutritional quality caused by a deficiency of essential amino acids (mainly lysine) found in the seeds, specifically in the endosperm. The main objectives of this project are: 1) to characterize the key enzymes in the control of lysine metabolism in lineages of high quality protein maize (QPM), these lineages are classified as high-lysine, in order to understand what possible biochemical changes led to the increase of essential amino acids in these materials; 2) evaluate the possible effects caused by the transgene in genetic modified barley for high lysine (suppression of protein fraction of low nutritional quality, C-hordein), through proteomics and molecular analysis. Our research group has experience in this area, and in previous studies carried out similar studies characterized wild and mutant maize, as well as in other species of the cereal´s group such as rice and sorghum. The main goal is to get more data on the lysine metabolism, which would help to determine the success or failure and/or accelerate the process of genetic engineering to obtain cereals grains of high nutritional quality.

Scientific publications

(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)

SOUZA, LUCAS A.; PIOTTO, FERNANDO A.; DOURADO, MANUELLA N.; SCHMIDT, DAIANA; FRANCO, MONICA R.; BOARETTO, LUIS F.; TEZOTTO, TIAGO; FERREIRA, RENATO R.; AZEVEDO, RICARDO A.. Physiological and biochemical responses of Dolichos lablab L. to cadmium support its potential as a cadmium phytoremediator. Journal of Soils and Sediments, v. 17, n. 5, p. 1413-1426, MAY 2017. (11/21123-8, 09/54676-0)

SCHMIDT, DAIANA; GAZIOLA, SALETE APARECIDA; BOARETTO, LUIS FELIPE; AZEVEDO, RICARDO ANTUNES. Proteomic analysis of mature barley grains from C-hordein antisense lines. Phytochemistry, v. 125, p. 14-26, MAY 2016. (11/21123-8)

SCHMIDT, DAIANA; RIZZI, VANESSA; GAZIOLA, SALETE A.; MEDICI, LEONARDO O.; VINCZE, EVA; KOZAK, MARCIN; LEA, PETER J.; AZEVEDO, RICARDO A.. Lysine metabolism in antisense C-hordein barley grains. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, v. 87, p. 73-83, FEB 2015. (11/21123-8, 04/16039-4)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SCHMIDT, Daiana. Multi-method research strategy for understanding changes in barley grain protein composition and its relation to improved nutritional quality. 2015. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC) Piracicaba.