Transformation of Brachypodium distachyon with reporters of sugarcane circadian clock

• Grant number: 12/18122-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2012
• End date: October 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Takeshi Hotta
• Grantee: Amanda Gomes dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/00818-8 - Development of alternative biological models for the study of sugarcane regulatory networks, AP.BIOEN.JP

Abstract

The aim of this project is to establish a transformation protocol for Brachypodium distachyon in order to use it as an alternative model for sugarcane. Research on biological models is important because they provide useful information about organisms whose research is challenging and difficulties for lab research. In order to transform Brachypodium, immature embryos will be used to obtain embriogenic calli with potential to regenerate into new plants. The embryonic calli will be transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens (GV3101), which will integrate LUC (LUCIFERASE) under the control of the promoters of BdCCA1 (CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1) and BdTOC1 (TIME OF CHLORORPHYLL A/B BINDING PROTEIN EXPRESSION), genes that control the circadian clock. The circadian clock modulates most of the biological processes in plants. LUC will allow us to monitor to the circadian clock activity in Brachypodium distachyon in a minimally invasive way. The development of transformation techniques in Brachypodium distachyon and a better understanding of its circadian clock will increase the array of tools available to study sugarcane.