Going deeper into drought tolerance in sugarcane: molecular analysis of root responses

• Grant number: 14/26521-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): May 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Menossi Teixeira
• Grantee: Giovanna Vieira Guidelli
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/18116-3 - Functional analysis of sugarcane genes modulated by drought in Arabidopsis thaliana plants, BE.EP.DD

Abstract

Sugarcane is a crop of global economic importance, acting as raw material especially in the manufacture of sugar and ethanol. Sugarcane crops are affected by various types of biotic and abiotic stresses, and drought is one of the main factors reducing sugarcane productivity. Roots play an important role in maintenance of plant functions under stress conditions, and their properties have great influence on plant response to water scarcity. However, knowledge on gene expression changes in plant roots subject to drought is still very restricted even in model plants. Therefore, the ongoing Master thesis project aims to analyze changes in root transcriptome of two sugarcane cultivars exposed to water deficit and to validate the protective role of some genes using transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. In this Ph.D. project the genes that will be validated in A. thaliana will be further evaluated using transgenic sugarcane plants. To this end, nuclear genetic transformation will be achieved employing an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated protocol, using leaf discs as explants. This project has the potential to produce cultivars with higher tolerance to drought. (AU)

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)

GUIDELLI, V, GIOVANNA; MATTIELLO, LUCIA; GALLINARI, RAFAEL H.; DE LUCCA, PAULO CEZAR; MENOSSI, MARCELO. pGVG: a new Gateway-compatible vector for transformation of sugarcane and other monocot crops. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, v. 41, n. 2, p. 450-454, APR-JUN 2018. (15/08659-7, 15/23789-4, 13/15576-5, 14/26521-0)

Academic Publications

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

GUIDELLI, Giovanna Vieira. Análise funcional de genes de cana-de-açúcar modulados por seca em raízes. 2018. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia Campinas, SP.