Functional characterization of SvWRKY34 and SvPRN1 in the model grass Setaria viridis (L.) P.Beauv.: analysis of lignin regulation mechanisms

• Grant number: 25/00956-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Pant Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Igor Cesarino
• Grantee: Fernanda de Oliveira Menezes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/06142-8 - Steering the shikimate/phenylpropanoid pathway: from gene function discovery to green factories, AP.BIOEN.JP2

Abstract

New biotechnological strategies aim to make the most of plant biomass for the production of various bioproducts and second-generation biofuels, thus reducing the need for non-renewable fossil resources and mitigating environmental impacts. The major bottleneck to processing this biomaterial is the presence of lignin in the secondary cell wall (SCW). Expensive and polluting protocols have been used to remove lignin. The molecular mechanisms involved in the various aspects of lignin deposition remain poorly characterized in C4 grasses, one of the most widely used plant groups for obtaining biomass. In this scenario, the transcriptional regulation of lignin deposition is a major target, and in grasses these mechanisms have still been little explored. In this project, we will characterize a transcription factor of the WRKY family (SvWRKY34) and a transcriptional co-regulator of the PIRIN family (SvPRN1) and their functions in the regulation of lignin deposition in the C4 model grass Setaria viridis. Transgenic lines overexpressing these two genes individually have been previously generated and will be used in this project. We will analyze the phenotypic and molecular effects resulting from the perturbation in terms of SCW and lignin deposition. Furthermore, we will use RNA sequencing and phenolic profiling to obtain a more holistic view of the metabolic and transcriptional changes caused by the genetic manipulation of these regulators. These data will be important to better understand the mechanisms of lignin deposition and regulation in grasses and use them for basic research and biotechnological applications.