Abstract
Heterologous overexpression of Arabidopsis cellulase 1 (Atcel1) results in enhanced yield, early maturity, and increased biomass in dicotyledonous species like poplar and eucalyptus but has not been demonstrated in monocots. We produced transgenic Setaria viridis accession A10.1 plants overexpressing a monocotyledonous codon optimized (MCO) Atcel1. Agronomic characterization of the transgenic events showed that heterologous overexpression of MCOAtcel1 caused enhanced grain yield, shoot biomass, and accelerated maturation rate in the model grass species S. viridis under growth chamber conditions. The agronomic trait differences observed were consistent with previous reports in dicots but are here described in a monocot species and associated with increased seed yield. Overexpression of Atcel1 in S. viridis was shown to increase the number of panicles and seeds by 24–30%, enhance overall grain yield by up to 26%, and lead to a shoot dry biomass increase of 16–19%. Overexpression also reduced time to plant maturation and senescence by 12.5%. Our findings in S. viridis suggest that manipulation of Atcel1 has potential for developing early-maturing and higher-yielding monocotyledonous biomass crops suitable for climate-smart agriculture.
Highlights
By 2050 the human population is estimated to reach 9.15 billion, with food production having to increase by 60% to meet demand (Long et al, 2015)
Atcel1 belongs to the GH9B sub-family and is thought to be involved in cell wall loosening that drives anisotropic cell enlargement, a central process regulating the kinetics of plant growth and development (Buchanan et al, 2012; Lipchinsky, 2013)
Transgenic overexpression of Sicel1 did not confer a distinct phenotype in S. viridis
Summary
By 2050 the human population is estimated to reach 9.15 billion, with food production having to increase by 60% to meet demand (Long et al, 2015). These goals must be met in the face of challenges presented by a changing climate. Achieving global food security requires the development of staple crop cultivars with superior yield potential and stress adaptation. Maturity is a desirable trait as it reduces potential for exposure to post-anthesis biotic and abiotic stresses, thereby providing farmers with greater flexibility when faced with uncertain growing conditions (Vadez et al, 2012)
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