No abstract

Proline accumulates in a variety of plant species in response to stresses such as drought, salinity and extreme temperatures. Although its role in plant osmotolerance remains controversial, proline is thought to contribute to osmotic adjustment, detoxification of reactive oxygen species and protection of membrane integrity. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of stress‐inducible proline production on osmotic adjustment, chlorophyll fluorescence and oxidative stress protection in transgenic sugarcane transformed with a heterologous P5CS gene. In well‐watered conditions, free proline, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, Fv/Fm ratios and chlorophyll contents (Chls) in transgenic sugarcane were not statistically different from non‐transformed control plants. After 9 days without irrigation, proline content in transgenic events was on the average 2.5‐fold higher than in controls. However, no osmotic adjustment was observed in plants overproducing proline during the water‐deficit period. The photochemical efficiency of PSII observed was higher (65%) in the transgenic events at the end of the water‐deficit experiment. The effects of proline on lipid peroxidation as MDA levels and on the decline of Chl in paraquat‐treated leaf discs along the drought period suggest that proline protected the plants against the oxidative stress caused by the water deficit. The overall capacity of transgenic plants to tolerate water‐deficit stress could be assessed by the significantly higher biomass yields 12 days after withholding water. These results suggest that stress‐inducible proline accumulation in transgenic sugarcane plants under water‐deficit stress acts as a component of antioxidative defense system rather than as an osmotic adjustment mediator.

SummaryIn the near future, grasses must provide most of the biomass for the production of renewable fuels. However, grass cell walls are characterized by a large quantity of hydroxycinnamic acids such as ferulic and p-coumaric acids, which are thought to reduce the biomass saccharification. Ferulic acid (FA) binds to lignin, polysaccharides and structural proteins of grass cell walls cross-linking these components. A controlled reduction of FA level or of FA cross-linkages in plants of industrial interest can improve the production of cellulosic ethanol. Here, we review the biosynthesis and roles of FA in cell wall architecture and in grass biomass recalcitrance to enzyme hydrolysis.

Summary Feruloylation of arabinoxylan (AX) in grass cell walls is a key determinant of recalcitrance to enzyme attack, making it a target for improvement of grass crops, and of interest in grass evolution. Definitive evidence on the genes responsible is lacking so we studied a candidate gene that we identified within the BAHD acyl‐CoA transferase family.We used RNA interference (RNAi) silencing of orthologs in the model grasses Setaria viridis (SvBAHD01) and Brachypodium distachyon (BdBAHD01) and determined effects on AX feruloylation.Silencing of SvBAHD01 in Setaria resulted in a c. 60% decrease in AX feruloylation in stems consistently across four generations. Silencing of BdBAHD01 in Brachypodium stems decreased feruloylation much less, possibly due to higher expression of functionally redundant genes. Setaria SvBAHD01 RNAi plants showed: no decrease in total lignin, approximately doubled arabinose acylated by p‐coumarate, changes in two‐dimensional NMR spectra of unfractionated cell walls consistent with biochemical estimates, no effect on total biomass production and an increase in biomass saccharification efficiency of 40–60%.We provide the first strong evidence for a key role of the BAHD01 gene in AX feruloylation and demonstrate that it is a promising target for improvement of grass crops for biofuel, biorefining and animal nutrition applications.

Rhythms produced by the endogenous circadian clock play a critical role in allowing plants to respond and adapt to the environment. While there is a well-established regulatory link between the circadian clock and responses to abiotic stress in model plants, little is known of the circadian system in crop species like soybean. This study examines how drought impacts diurnal oscillation of both drought responsive and circadian clock genes in soybean. Drought stress induced marked changes in gene expression of several circadian clock-like components, such as LCL1-, GmELF4- and PRR-like genes, which had reduced expression in stressed plants. The same conditions produced a phase advance of expression for the GmTOC1-like, GmLUX-like and GmPRR7-like genes. Similarly, the rhythmic expression pattern of the soybean drought-responsive genes DREB-, bZIP-, GOLS-, RAB18- and Remorin-like changed significantly after plant exposure to drought. In silico analysis of promoter regions of these genes revealed the presence of cis-elements associated both with stress and circadian clock regulation. Furthermore, some soybean genes with upstream ABRE elements were responsive to abscisic acid treatment. Our results indicate that some connection between the drought response and the circadian clock may exist in soybean since (i) drought stress affects gene expression of circadian clock components and (ii) several stress responsive genes display diurnal oscillation in soybeans.