Characterization of the circadian clock and its impact on sugarcane metabolism

Author(s)

Luíza Lane de Barros Dantas

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ)
• Defense date: 2017-04-10

Examining board members

Carlos Takeshi Hotta; Igor Cesarino; Eduardo Moraes Rego Reis; Cassius Vinicius Stevani; Marcelo Menossi Teixeira

• Advisor: Carlos Takeshi Hotta

Abstract

The circadian clock is a self-sustaining molecular mechanism that generates rhythms. It perceives the environmental conditions and connects this pathway with its central oscillator, generating daily and seasonal rhythms of physiological responses. In plants, the circadian clock is associated with major metabolic and physiological pathways. In sugarcane, an economically important grass, previous studies showed that the circadian clock has the largest influence on plants seen so far under circadian conditions. This work aims to understand how the central oscillator of the circadian clock works in field-grown sugarcane. Thus, the transcriptome from different sugarcane organs; the expression of alternative isoforms and multiple alleles of circadian clock genes; and the effect of mutual shading in the field on the circadian clock function were analyzed. The results suggest that there is a functional and synchronized circadian clock in the different sugarcane organs. The transcripts regulated synergistically by the circadian clock and the variable environment are related to metabolic, physiological, genetic or epigenetic pathways, all important to sugarcane productivity. Mutual shading observed in the field seems to change the phase of expression of the sugarcane circadian clock. Besides, alternative splicing events have been reported for circadian clock genes under low temperature conditions and multiple alleles of circadian clock genes are expressed and their expression is likely to be seasonally regulated. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/08897-4 - Characterization of the sugarcane circadian clock and its impact on the metabolism
• Grantee: Luíza Lane de Barros Dantas
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate