Influence of ShSHN1 gene overexpression on the structure and function of the metabolic network of transgenic Vertix2 energy cane plants

• Grant number: 22/04143-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2022
• End date: April 01, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Claudia Barros Monteiro Vitorello
• Grantee: Renato Gustavo Hoffmann Bombardelli
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/15599-7 - Shining a Light on Sugarcane and Energy-Cane Metabolic Networks: Insights into ShSHN1 Gene Overexpression, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Sugarcane is a source of ethanol production, as a biofuel, sugar production, and other by-products such as bioelectricity. With the advancement of technology and the potential for using bagasse to produce cellulosic ethanol (second generation, 2G), the focus of some improvement programs has been the development of the so-called energy cane. These genotypes have up to three times higher biomass production than conventional sugarcane and were obtained by crossing modern varieties with Saccharum spontaneum. However, the production of 2G ethanol is dependent on the availability of cell wall components such as cellulose and hemicellulose for fermenting microorganisms. This availability can be restricted by lignin, making industrial processing difficult. A partnership between Centro de Cana (IAC) and the company GranBio resulted in the production of energy cane Vertix2 genetically modified to overexpress the transcription factor ShSHN1 (Shine), which influences the production and composition of lignin. The current project aims to compare the transcriptional profile of transformed and wild type Vertix2 energy cane plants using biological network methodologies (Rody et al., 2021) to track possible changes in plant metabolism with emphasis on transcription factors. Sugarcane and rice plants transformed with the same gene and previously obtained RNAseq data will be incorporated into the network to identify shared molecular events relevant to understanding potential metabolic modulations.