Amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism in sugarcane are coordinated to maintain energetic balance during drought

Authors: DINIZ, AUGUSTO - Universidad De Sao Paulo; SILVA, DANIELLE - Universidade De Sao Paulo; LEMBKE, CAROLINA - Universidade De Sao Paulo; COSTA, MAXIMILLER - Universidade De Sao Paulo; TEN-CATEN, FELIPE - Universidade De Sao Paulo; LI, FORREST - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; VILELA, ROMEL - Universidade Federal De Alagoas; MENOSSI, MARCELO - State University Of Campinas; ENDRES, LAURICIO - Universidade Federal De Alagoas; Ware, Doreen; SOUZA, GLAUCIA - Universidade De Sao Paulo

Submitted to: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/10/2020
Publication Date: 12/30/2020
Citation: Diniz, A.L., Silva, D.I., Lembke, C.G., Costa, M.D., Ten-Caten, F., Li, F., Vilela, R.D., Menossi, M., Endres, L., Ware, D., Souza, G.M. 2020. Amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism in sugarcane are coordinated to maintain energetic balance during drought. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 21:9124. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21239124.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21239124

Interpretive Summary: Sugarcane economic importance goes beyond the production of sugar and biofuels. Interest in studying this crop has increased due to the renewed perception that it can be used for a variety of processes, such as polymers production by bioprocessing. However, environmental conditions, such as temperature and water availability, greatly affect the potential crop yield. Here we present a comprehensive overview of sugarcane drought and recovery responses in leaves and roots and is the first in combining physiological, gene expression, and genomic data. Finally, our results lead to a step forward and may contribute towards the development of drought-tolerant sugarcane plants.

Technical Abstract: The ability to expand crop plantations without irrigation is a major goal of efforts to increase agriculture sustainability. To achieve this end, we need to understand the mechanisms that govern plant growth responses under drought conditions. In this study, we combined physiological, transcriptomic, and genomic data to provide a comprehensive picture of drought and recovery responses in the leaves and roots of sugarcane. In transcriptomic profiling, oligoarrays and RNA-seq identified 2,898 (out of 21,902) and 46,062 (out of 373,869) transcripts as differentially expressed. Co-expression analysis revealed modules enriched in photosynthesis, small molecule metabolism, alpha–amino acid metabolism, trehalose biosynthesis, serine family amino acid metabolism, and carbohydrate transport. Together, our findings reveal that carbohydrate metabolism is coordinated with degradation of amino acids to provide carbon skeletons to the tricarboxylic acid cycle. This coordination may help to maintain energetic balance during drought stress adaptation, facilitating recovery after the stress is alleviated.