Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
a given geographic area and production system, and understanding the different
mechanisms underlying drought tolerance are the main focus areas among sorghum
researchers who target bioenergy traits.
Transgenic approaches to improve stem sugar accumulation have not been
attempted in sweet sorghum. However, differential expression of some genes
related to sucrose metabolism has been observed between sweet sorghum and
grain sorghum [
47
]. Further, mature internodes of sweet sorghum showed a lower
expression of sucrose transporters suggesting that sucrose accumulation may result
from lower transport of sucrose from sink tissues. These genes could serve as
important candidate genes for transforming sorghum to achieve better stem sugar
yields. However, genetic manipulation of some key enzymes involved in sucrose
metabolism did not bring about greater sucrose accumulation in the mature inter-
nodes of sugarcane, suggesting their inadequacy in overcoming the osmotic limits
of the sugar-storing vacuoles [
48
]. A microRNA miR169 was recently shown to be
involved in regulating sugar levels in sweet sorghum stems suggesting epigenetic
regulation of sucrose accumulation [
49
]. Similarly, a wide hybridization is another
useful approach to transfer biotic and abiotic stress tolerance conferring gene
transfer from tertiary gene pool
sps
to sweet sorghum cultivars exploiting
iap
(
i
nhibition of
a
lien
p
ollen) lines like T
3361, Nr481 [
50
].
Bioproducts of Sweet Sorghum
A profile of different biomass and grain-based bioproducts derived from sweet
sorghum is represented in Fig.
1.2
. The following section details these bioproducts.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search