Recombinant cellulase accumulation in the leaves of mature, vegetatively propagated transgenic sugarcane.

The cost of enzymes that hydrolyse lignocellulosic substrates to fermentable sugars needs to be reduced to make cellulosic ethanol a cost-competitive liquid transport fuel. Sugarcane is a perennial crop and the successful integration of cellulase transgenes into the sugarcane production system requires that transgene expression is stable in the ratoon. Herein, we compared the accumulation of recombinant fungal cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I), fungal cellobiohydrolase II (CBH II), and bacterial endoglucanase (EG) in the leaves of mature, initial transgenic sugarcane plants and their mature ratoon. Mature ratoon events containing equivalent or elevated levels of active CBH I, CBH II, and EG in the leaves were identified. Further, we have demonstrated that recombinant fungal CBH I and CBH II can resist proteolysis during sugarcane leaf senescence, while bacterial EG cannot. These results demonstrate the stability of cellulase enzyme transgene expression in transgenic sugarcane and the utility of sugarcane as a biofactory crop for production of cellulases.

An improved chemically inducible gene switch that functions in the monocotyledonous plant sugar cane.

Chemically inducible gene switches can provide precise control over gene expression, enabling more specific analyses of gene function and expanding the plant biotechnology toolkit beyond traditional constitutive expression systems. The alc gene expression system is one of the most promising chemically inducible gene switches in plants because of its potential in both fundamental research and commercial biotechnology applications. However, there are no published reports demonstrating that this versatile gene switch is functional in transgenic monocotyledonous plants, which include some of the most important agricultural crops. We found that the original alc gene switch was ineffective in the monocotyledonous plant sugar cane, and describe a modified alc system that is functional in this globally significant crop. A promoter consisting of tandem copies of the ethanol receptor inverted repeat binding site, in combination with a minimal promoter sequence, was sufficient to give enhanced sensitivity and significantly higher levels of ethanol inducible gene expression. A longer CaMV 35S minimal promoter than was used in the original alc gene switch also substantially improved ethanol inducibility. Treating the roots with ethanol effectively induced the modified alc system in sugar cane leaves and stem, while an aerial spray was relatively ineffective. The extension of this chemically inducible gene expression system to sugar cane opens the door to new opportunities for basic research and crop biotechnology.

Isolation and functional characterisation of banana phytoene synthase genes as potential cisgenes.

Carotenoids occur in all photosynthetic organisms where they protect photosystems from auto-oxidation, participate in photosynthetic energy transfer and are secondary metabolites. Of the more than 600 known plant carotenoids, few can be converted into vitamin A by humans and so these pro-vitamin A carotenoids (pVAC) are important in human nutrition. Phytoene synthase (PSY) is a key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of pVACs and plays a central role in regulating pVAC accumulation in the edible portion of crop plants. Banana is a major commercial crop and serves as a staple crop for more than 30 million people. There is natural variation in fruit pVAC content across different banana cultivars, but this is not well understood. Therefore, we isolated PSY genes from banana cultivars with relatively high (cv. Asupina) and low (cv. Cavendish) pVAC content. We provide evidence that PSY in banana is encoded by two paralogs (PSY1 and PSY2), each with a similar gene structure to homologous genes in other monocots. Further, we demonstrate that PSY2 is more highly expressed in fruit pulp compared to leaf. Functional analysis of PSY1 and PSY2 in rice callus and E. coli demonstrates that both genes encode functional enzymes, and that Asupina PSYs have approximately twice the enzymatic activity of the corresponding Cavendish PSYs. These results suggest that differences in PSY enzyme activity contribute significantly to the differences in Asupina and Cavendish fruit pVAC content. Importantly, Asupina PSY genes could potentially be used to generate new cisgenic or intragenic banana cultivars with enhanced pVAC content.

Developmental and hormonal regulation of direct shoot organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. interspecific hybrids) leaf culture.

Rapid and efficient in vitro regeneration methods that minimise somaclonal variation are critical for the genetic transformation and mass propagation of commercial varieties. Using a transverse thin cell layer culture system, we have identified some of the developmental and physiological constraints that limit high-frequency regeneration in sugarcane leaf tissue. Tissue polarity and consequently the orientation of the explant in culture, size and developmental phase of explant, and auxin concentration play a significant role in determining the organogenic potential of leaf tissue in culture. Both adventitious shoot production and somatic embryogenesis occurred on the proximal cut surface of the explant, and a regeneration gradient, decreasing gradually from the basal to the distal end, exists in the leaf roll. Importantly, auxin, when added to the culture medium, reduced this spatial developmental constraint, as well as the effect of genotype on plant regeneration. Transverse sections (1-2 mm thick) obtained from young leaf spindle rolls and orienting explants with its distal end facing the medium (directly in contact with medium) are critical for maximum regeneration. Shoot regeneration was observed as early as 3 weeks on MS medium supplemented with alpha-naphthalenencetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzyladenine, while somatic embryogenesis or both adventitious shoot organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis occurred on medium with NAA and chlorophenoxyacetic acid. Twenty shoots or more could be generated from a single transverse section explant. These shoots regenerated roots and successfully established after transplanted to pots. Large numbers of plantlets can be regenerated directly and rapidly using this system. SmartSett, the registered name for this process and the plants produced, will have significant practical applications for the mass propagation of new cultivars and in genetic modification programs. The SmartSett system has already been used commercially to produce substantial numbers of plants of orange rust-resistant and new cultivars in Australia.