Synchronization of developmental, molecular and metabolic aspects of source–sink interactions

Fernie, Alisdair R.; Bachem, Christian W.B.; Helariutta, Yrjö; Neuhaus, H. Ekkehard; Prat, Salomé; Ruan, Yong‐Ling; Stitt, Mark; Sweetlove, Lee J.; Tegeder, Mechthild; Wahl, Vanessa; Sonnewald, Sophia; Sonnewald, Uwe

doi:10.1038/s41477-020-0590-x

Cited by 132 publications

(138 citation statements)

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“…Today, current knowledge combined with increasing sophistication in both mathematical modelling and multi‐gene targeting strategies now allows us to deploy novel strategies for improving source to sink relations in cassava to increase cassava root yield. Combinatorial approaches to tackle multiple metabolic processes simultaneously and the integration of developmental and metabolic processes into novel concepts of source–sink relations have recently been discussed (Sonnewald and Fernie, 2018; Fernie et al ., 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cassava Source–Sink project: opportunities and challenges for crop improvement by metabolic engineering

et al. 2020

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Summary Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is one of the important staple foods in Sub‐Saharan Africa. It produces starchy storage roots that provide food and income for several hundred million people, mainly in tropical agriculture zones. Increasing cassava storage root and starch yield is one of the major breeding targets with respect to securing the future food supply for the growing population of Sub‐Saharan Africa. The Cassava Source–Sink (CASS) project aims to increase cassava storage root and starch yield by strategically integrating approaches from different disciplines. We present our perspective and progress on cassava as an applied research organism and provide insight into the CASS strategy, which can serve as a blueprint for the improvement of other root and tuber crops. Extensive profiling of different field‐grown cassava genotypes generates information for leaf, phloem, and root metabolic and physiological processes that are relevant for biotechnological improvements. A multi‐national pipeline for genetic engineering of cassava plants covers all steps from gene discovery, cloning, transformation, molecular and biochemical characterization, confined field trials, and phenotyping of the seasonal dynamics of shoot traits under field conditions. Together, the CASS project generates comprehensive data to facilitate conventional breeding strategies for high‐yielding cassava genotypes. It also builds the foundation for genome‐scale metabolic modelling aiming to predict targets and bottlenecks in metabolic pathways. This information is used to engineer cassava genotypes with improved source–sink relations and increased yield potential.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cassava Source–Sink project: opportunities and challenges for crop improvement by metabolic engineering

et al. 2020

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“…Numerous studies have shown that partitioning and allocation of C and N assimilates play an essential role in crop yield. Considering that source-sink partitioning is determined by the synchronization of a highly complex signaling network that also embraces developmental processes 12 , there is a substantial interest in the engineering of key metabolic processes for increased C and N flow. Several published studies have determined that high availability of C sources leads to higher C accumulation on the sink 57,58 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The yield of the harvested organs of crop plants is influenced by both developmental and metabolic processes [1][2][3][4] . While the green revolution was underpinned by the former 5 , major international projects to generate future high yielding crops such as the C4 rice project 6,7 , RIPE [8][9][10] , project and CASS 11,12 are increasingly focused on the latter. Indeed, there is ample evidence that the net capacity for assimilation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and their subsequent metabolism into the main cellular biomass polymers is a major determinant of crop yield [13][14][15][16] .…”

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Multi-gene metabolic engineering of tomato plants results in increased fruit yield up to 23%

Vallarino

Kubiszewski-Jakubiak

Ruf

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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The capacity to assimilate carbon and nitrogen, to transport the resultant sugars and amino acids to sink tissues, and to convert the incoming sugars and amino acids into storage compounds in the sink tissues, are key determinants of crop yield. Given that all of these processes have the potential to co-limit growth, multiple genetic interventions in source and sink tissues, plus transport processes may be necessary to reach the full yield potential of a crop. We used biolistic combinatorial co-transformation (up to 20 transgenes) for increasing C and N flows with the purpose of increasing tomato fruit yield. We observed an increased fruit yield of up to 23%. To better explore the reconfiguration of metabolic networks in these transformants, we generated a dataset encompassing physiological parameters, gene expression and metabolite profiling on plants grown under glasshouse or polytunnel conditions. A Sparse Partial Least Squares regression model was able to explain the combination of genes that contributed to increased fruit yield. This combinatorial study of multiple transgenes targeting primary metabolism thus offers opportunities to probe the genetic basis of metabolic and phenotypic variation, providing insight into the difficulties in choosing the correct combination of targets for engineering increased fruit yield.

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“…5B). Sugar transport between source and sink tissues has been extensively studied, and it is mainly facilitated by the translocation of sucrose molecules [26]. Several experiments have shown that by manipulating the expression level of enzymes involved in starch synthesis, the sucrose and glucose contents of tubers can be strongly in uenced [27][28][29][30][31][32].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolite Analysis of Tubers and Leaves of Two Potato Cultivars and Their Grafts

Odgerel

Bánfalvi

2020

Preprint

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Background: Grafting experiments have shown that photoperiod-dependent induction of tuberisation in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is controlled by multiple overlapping signals, including mobile proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs and phytohormones. The interaction of vegetative organs and tubers at metabolite level, however, has not been studied in detail in potato.Results: Grafting experiments were carried out to unravel the influence of vegetative organs on the primary polar metabolite content of potato tubers and the effect of tuberisation on the metabolite content of leaves. Two potato cultivars, Hópehely (HP) and White Lady (WL), were homo- and hetero-grafted, and the effects of grafting were investigated in comparison to non-grafted controls. Non-targeted metabolite analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that the major difference between HP and WL tubers is in sucrose concentration. The sucrose level was higher in HP than in WL tubers and was not changed by grafting, suggesting that the sucrose concentration of tubers is genetically determined. The galactinol level was 8-fold higher in the WL leaves than in the HP leaves and, unlike the sucrose concentration of tubers, was altered by grafting. A positive correlation between the growth rate of the leaves and the time of tuber initiation was detected. The time of tuber initiation was delayed in the WL rootstocks by HP scions and shortened in the HP rootstocks by WL scions, supporting the previous finding that tuberisation is triggered by source-derived mobile signals.Conclusions: We identified the major polar metabolites in leaves and tubers of two commercial potato cultivars and tested the effect of grafting on the metabolite compositions in both organs. We found significant differences in metabolite concentrations of the two cultivars. The grafting did not change substantially the metabolite levels either in leaves or tubers with the exception of galactinol, the concentration of which was slightly influenced in leaves by rootstocks.

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Synchronization of developmental, molecular and metabolic aspects of source–sink interactions

Cited by 132 publications

References 180 publications

The Cassava Source–Sink project: opportunities and challenges for crop improvement by metabolic engineering

The Cassava Source–Sink project: opportunities and challenges for crop improvement by metabolic engineering

Multi-gene metabolic engineering of tomato plants results in increased fruit yield up to 23%

Metabolite Analysis of Tubers and Leaves of Two Potato Cultivars and Their Grafts

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