ScGAI is a key regulator of culm development in sugarcane

Author(s)

Tavares, Rafael Garcia ^{[1, 2]} ; Lakshmanan, Prakash ^[2] ; Peiter, Edgar ^[3] ; O'Connell, Anthony ^[2] ; Caldana, Camila ^{[4, 5]} ; Vicentini, Renato ^[6] ; Soares, Jose Sergio ^[1] ; Menossi, Marcelo ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Genet Evolut & Bioagents, Funct Genome Lab, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] SRA, Brisbane, Qld - Australia

^[3] Martin Luther Univ Halle Wittenberg, Fac Nat Sci 3, Plant Nutr Lab, Inst Agr & Nutr Sci, Halle, Saale - Germany

^[4] Brazilian Ctr Res Energy & Mat CTBE, Brazilian Bioethanol Sci & Technol Lab, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[5] CTBE, Max Planck Partner Grp, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Genet Evolut & Bioagents, Syst Biol Lab, Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Experimental Botany; v. 69, n. 16, p. 3823-3837, JUL 20 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 6

Abstract

Sugarcane contributes more than 70% of sugar production and is the second largest feedstock for ethanol production globally. Since sugar accumulates in sugarcane culms, culm biomass and sucrose content are the most commercially important traits. Despite extensive breeding, progress in both cane yield and sugar content remains very slow in most countries. We hypothesize that manipulating the genetic elements controlling culm growth will alter source-sink regulation and help break down the yield barriers. In this study, we investigate the role of sugarcane ScGAI, an ortholog of SLR1/D8/RHT1/GAI, on culm development and source-sink regulation through a combination of molecular techniques and transgenic strategies. We show that ScGAI is a key molecular regulator of culm growth and development. Changing ScGAI activity created substantial culm growth and carbon allocation changes for structural molecules and storage. ScGAI regulates spatio-temporal growth of sugarcane culm and leaf by interacting with ScPIF3/PIF4 and ethylene signaling elements ScEIN3/ScEIL1, and its action appears to be regulated by SUMOylation in leaf but not in the culm. Collectively, the remarkable culm growth variation observed suggests that ScGAI could be used as an effective molecular breeding target for breaking the slow yield gain in sugarcane. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/06877-9 - DELLA, the gene of green revolution. Caracterization and analysis of your function in sucrose accumulation and source-sink regulation in sugarcane
• Grantee: Rafael Garcia Tavares
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 13/15576-5 - Molecular approaches to study the relationship between ethylene and sugarcane ripening
• Grantee: Marcelo Menossi Teixeira
• Support type: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/15458-5 - Della, the gene of green revolution: characterization and analysis of its function in sucrose accumulation and source-sink regulation in sugarcane
• Grantee: Rafael Garcia Tavares
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate