Oxidative stress response in sugarcane

Characterization of leaf transcriptome, development and utilization of unigenes-derived microsatellite markers in sugarcane (Saccharum sp. hybrid)

Sugarcane (Saccharum species hybrid) is the major source of sugar (> 80% sugar) in the world and is cultivated in more than 115 countries. It has recently gained attention as a source of biofuel (ethanol). Due to genomic complexity, the development of new genomic resources is imperative in understanding the gene regulation and function, and to fine tune the genetic improvement of sugarcane. In this study, a cDNA library was constructed from mature leaves so as to develop ESTs resources which were further compared with nucleotide and protein databases to explore the functional identity of sugarcane genes. The non-redundant ESTs (unigenes) were categorized into 18 metabolic functions. The major categories were bioenergetics and photosynthesis (4%), cell metabolism (5%), development related protein (3%), membrane-related, mobile genetic elements (5%), signal transduction (2%), DNA (1%), RNA (1%) and protein (2%) metabolism, other metabolic processes (3%), transcription factors (1%), transport (4%) and proteins related to stress/defense (4%). From 540 unique ESTs, 212 simple sequence repeats were identified, of which 206 were from 463 singlets and six were mined from 77 contig sequences. A total of 540 unique EST sequences were used for SSR search of which 97 (17.9%) contained specified SSR motifs, generating 212 unique SSRs. The genes characterized in this study and the EST-derived microsatellite markers identified from the cDNA library will enrich genomic resources for association- and linkage-mapping studies in sugarcane.

Defense-related proteins involved in sugarcane responses to biotic stress

Sugarcane is one of the most important agricultural crops in the world. However, pathogen infection and herbivore attack cause constant losses in yield. Plants respond to pathogen infection by inducing the expression of several protein types, such as glucanases, chitinases, thaumatins, peptidase inhibitors, defensins, catalases and glycoproteins. Proteins induced by pathogenesis are directly or indirectly involved in plant defense, leading to pathogen death or inducing other plant defense responses. Several of these proteins are induced in sugarcane by different pathogens or insects and have antifungal or insecticidal activity. In this review, defense-related proteins in sugarcane are described, with their putative mechanisms of action, pathogen targets and biotechnological perspectives.

Water stress reveals differential antioxidant responses of tolerant and non-tolerant sugarcane genotypes

The biochemical responses of the enzymatic antioxidant system of a drought-tolerant cultivar (IACSP 94-2094) and a commercial cultivar in Brazil (IACSP 95-5000) grown under two levels of soil water restriction (70% and 30% Soil Available Water Content) were investigated. IACSP 94-2094 exhibited one additional active superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD VI) isoenzyme in comparison to IACSP 95-5000, possibly contributing to the heightened response of IACSP 94-2094 to the induced stress. The total glutathione reductase (GR) activity increased substantially in IACSP 94-2094 under conditions of severe water stress; however, the appearance of a new GR isoenzyme and the disappearance of another isoenzyme were found not to be related to the stress response because the cultivars from both treatment groups (control and water restrictions) exhibited identical changes. Catalase (CAT) activity seems to have a more direct role in H2O2 detoxification under water stress condition and the shift in isoenzymes in the tolerant cultivar might have contributed to this response, which may be dependent upon the location where the excessive H2O2 is being produced under stress. The improved performance of IACSP 94-2094 under drought stress was associated with a more efficient antioxidant system response, particularly under conditions of mild stress.

Physiological implications of metabolite biosynthesis for net assimilation and heat-stress tolerance of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) sprouts

Global increase in ambient temperature is a critical factor for plant growth. In order to study the changes in growth over short intervals, various primary and secondary metabolites, and their relationships with thermotolerance, 1-month-old sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) sprouts were grown under control conditions (28 degrees C) or under heat-stress conditions (40 degrees C), and measurements were made at six 12-h intervals. Heat stress greatly reduced dry matter and leaf area of sprouts initially but only nominally later on. Changes in the rates of relative growth and net assimilation were greater than relative leaf expansion, indicating an adverse effect of heat on assimilation of nutrients and CO(2) in producing dry matter. Although reduction in leaf water potential was an immediate response to heat, this effect was offset by early synthesis of free proline, glycinebetaine and soluble sugars (primary metabolites). Among secondary metabolites, anthocyanin synthesis was similar to primary metabolites; carotenoids and soluble phenolics accumulated later while chlorophyll remained unaffected. Relationships of growth attributes and metabolite levels, not seen in the controls, were evident under heat stress. In summary, observed changes in metabolite levels were spread over time and space and were crucial in improving net assimilation and heat tolerance of sugarcane.

Possible involvement of some secondary metabolites in salt tolerance of sugarcane

Accumulation of toxic ions in plant tissues modulates the levels of primary and secondary metabolites, which may be related to salinity tolerance. In this study two sugarcane clones, CP-4333 (tolerant) and HSF-240 (sensitive), were exposed to salinity levels at the formative stage, and evaluated three times at 10-day intervals. Although net rate of photosynthesis (Pn), leaf area, length and dry weight of shoots were decreased in both clones, the CP-4333 showed less reduction compared to HSF-240. Both clones displayed a general tendency to accumulate Na+ and Cl- and little K+, though CP-4333 accumulated less Na+ and more K+ compared to HSF-240, and thus showed a higher K+:Na+ ratio. The carotenoid (CAR) content remained steady, while total chlorophyll (CHL) was slightly reduced in the tolerant clone and significantly reduced in HSF-240. In contrast, soluble phenolics (PHE), anthocyanins (ANT) and flavones (FLA) levels were 2.5, 2.8 and 3.0 times greater in CP-4333 in comparison with HSF-240. The decrease in Pn and most secondary metabolites demonstrated by the sensitive clone, but not evidenced in the tolerant clones, suggest that the presence of those metabolites is related to increased salt tolerance of sugarcane. The increased synthesis of PHE, ANT and FLA seems to protect sugarcane from ion-induced oxidative stress, probably due to a common structural skeleton, the phenyl group, of those metabolites. CAR, as components of the light harvesting center (LHC) and biosynthesized in chloroplasts, may confer resistance to this organelle. The PHE, ANT and FLA synthesized in the cytosol may protect cells from ion-induced oxidative damage by binding the ions and thereby showing reduced toxicity on cytoplasmic structures.