Functional analysis of drought-related genes from sugarcane

Abstract

The expansion of sugarcane cultivation certainly will need to explore regions where drought is a serious problem for plants, such as the Cerrado in the Midwest region. Even in the São Paulo State, periods with low rainfall are usual, reducing sugarcane productivity. Studies on gene expression show that hundreds of genes are differentially expressed in response to drought in sugarcane. The functional characterization of these genes is essential to identify which genes play a major role. The objective of this proposal is to evaluate the role of 174 genes whose expression is related to the response to drought in sugarcane. To this end we propose to implement a platform for functional genomics using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model plant. The complete coding regions of 174 genes from sugarcane will be amplified and cloned into vectors using the Gateway technology. Arabidopsis plants will be transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring a library of the 174 genes. T1 transformants will be selected using the herbicide BASTA. T2 seeds will be assayed for drought tolerance. The T-DNA from tolerant plants will be sequenced to identify the transgene. Further studies will assess the impacts of the transgene in various aspects of plant physiology. This study has the potential to produce various patent applications and for the advance of the knowledge on the genes that are involved in drought tolerance in sugarcane. The functional genomics platform that will be implemented will open new venues to study other biological problems, expanding the scope of this proposal. (AU)