Functional characterization of the Sugarcane drought-responsive 1 and 2 genes

• Grant number: 23/05093-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Menossi Teixeira
• Grantee: Nicholas Camargo Zani
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Company: Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Embrapa Sede
• Associated research grant: 22/04006-2 - Center for Plant Molecular Breeding (CeM²P), AP.PCPE

Abstract

Drought is the primary cause of productivity losses in sugarcane cultivation, and its impact is expected to worsen due to global climate change. Experiments with sugarcane plants under water deficit conditions have identified genes potentially associated with drought tolerance. Two of these genes, Scdr1 and Scdr2 (sugarcane drought-responsive 1 and 2), have been shown to significantly improve tolerance to drought and salt stresses when overexpressed separately in tobacco. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these phenotypes remain unknown, as both genes lack functional and molecular characterizations in monocots, especially in their species of origin. Considering this, this project proposes to evaluate the effects of the simultaneous overexpression of the Scdr1 and Scdr2 genes in transgenic sugarcane plants under normal and water deficit conditions, focusing on drought and oxidative stress tolerance phenotypes. Furthermore, we propose to investigate their functions through transcriptome analysis to identify known and novel genes differentially expressed in response to water deficit and the overexpression of Scdr1 and Scdr2. Additionally, we aim to investigate the protein interaction partners and subcellular localization of the ScDR1 and ScDR2 proteins. Altogether, these analyses will provide a comprehensive understanding of the transcriptomic landscape as well as the genetic and molecular pathways affected by these genes. This work will not only identify new targets for improving drought tolerance but also generate a sugarcane cultivar with enhanced drought tolerance traits. (AU)