How the photosynthetic metabolism in the bark impacts the growth of a tree. The evaluation of the Proteome

• Grant number: 24/19105-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Forestry
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Alberto Labate
• Grantee: João Pedro Carvalho
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/01012-9 - Biology of xylogenesis, methane production and emission by eucalypt, AP.TEM

Abstract

The Brazilian forestry sector stands out for its economic, social and environmental importance, with species of the genus Eucalyptus representing the most widely planted tree in the country. The rapid growth of eucalyptus raises questions about its physiology, biochemistry and genetic control during xylogenesis. Thus, studies on secondary growth are essential to obtain more productive trees. Recent research has indicated that cortical photosynthesis may play a crucial role in respiratory metabolism, supplying oxygen to the tissues of the cambial region. In this sense, a greater understanding of how bark metabolism and cambial region act during wood formation is essential for advancing the understanding of the rapid growth of eucalyptus. To this end, this project proposes the analysis of the protein set (proteome) of the bark and cambial region of Eucalyptus grandis plants approximately one year old, collected during two contrasting seasonal periods: summer (period with greater growth and water availability) and winter (period with lower growth and water availability). This project aims to identify key proteins involved in secondary growth, with an emphasis on proteins related to cortical photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Shotgun proteomics will be performed on a timsTof Pro equipment (Bruker Daltonics), the raw data will be processed with the aid of the MaxQuant program, and the univariate and multivariate statistical analyses will be performed in the online program MetaboAnalyst. The results obtained will contribute to the knowledge of eucalyptus biology, as well as being associated with other analyses applied to the same biological material, which also include the Thematic Project (2021/01012-9).