University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Transcriptomic analysis of sugar accumulation in sorghum

Beuchat, Gabriel

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121409

Description

Title
Transcriptomic analysis of sugar accumulation in sorghum
Author(s)
Beuchat, Gabriel
Issue Date
2023-07-19
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Chen, Liqing
Committee Member(s)
  • Studer, Anthony
  • Ainsworth, Elizabeth
  • Brooks, Matt
  • Chen, Jin
Department of Study
Plant Biology
Discipline
Plant Biology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
  • Sorghum
  • Transcriptomics
  • Source-Sink
  • Decapitation
Abstract
Sorghum has many properties that make it a promising potential biofuel stock. It also has a large range of sugar yields from the stem depending on the line and application. A major differentiator between high sugar sweet sorghum and low stem sugar grain sorghum is a nonfunctional allele for the NAC074A transcription factor at the Dry locus. However, even sweet sorghums can store more sugar in the stem after decapitation, which implies that the maximum potential has not yet been reached. We performed a decapitation treatment on a pair of near isogenic lines differentiated at the D-locus to investigate the transcriptomic response to increased sugar accumulation, and we identified differentially expressed genes related to programmed cell death, as well as a bHLH093 homolog involved upstream of gibberellin signaling. In addition, we detected enriched motifs associated with ethylene response, which may indicate a role in programmed cell death, and an induction of the hexose transporter SWEET1A, which may suggest an increase in the apoplasmic unloading at sink tissues. These genes that operate independently of the NAC074A mechanism provide a solid foundation for future study, as well as potential engineering targets.
Graduation Semester
2023-08
Type of Resource
Thesis
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2023 Gabriel Beuchat

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