Regulation of plant carbon metabolism by trehalose 6-phosphate

FIGUEROA, CARLOS M.

Córdoba

Congreso; XXXII Reunión Argentina y XVI Congreso Latinoamericano de Fisiología Vegetal; 2018

SAFV

Trehalose 6-phosphate (Tre6P) is a signal metabolite that regulatessucrose levels within an appropriate range. Sucrose is a major product ofphotosynthesis, the most common transport sugar and the main source of carbonand energy for sink organs, such as developing seeds. Thus, by regulatingsucrose levels, Tre6P exerts a profound influence on plant metabolism andgrowth. Our current understanding of Tre6P metabolism and signalling in plants,including the Tre6P-sucrose nexus concept, is based almost entirely on studiesof Arabidopsis. This knowledge might be directly translatable into improvementsof related eudicot species performing C3 photosynthesis, but not forthe globally most important crops, which are monocots belonging to the grassfamily. The metabolism and growth of these grasses are very different fromArabidopsis, especially for those species from the PACMAD clade that perform C4photosynthesis, such as maize, sorghum and sugarcane. We are now using Setaria viridis to better understandTre6P metabolism and compartmentation in C4 species. We envisagethat knowledge acquired from study of S.viridis will be readily translatable into improvement of the major C4crop species.