Metabolic profiles of six African cultivars of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) highlight bottlenecks of root yield
Obata T, Klemens PA, Rosado-Souza L, Schlereth A, Gisel A, Stavolone L, Zierer W, Morales N, Mueller LA, Zeeman SC, Ludewig F, Stitt M, Sonnewald U, Neuhaus HE, Fernie AR (2020)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2020
Journal
DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14693
Abstract
Cassava is an important staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa, due to its high productivity even on nutrient poor soils. The metabolic characteristics underlying this high productivity are poorly understood including the mode of photosynthesis, reasons for the high rate of photosynthesis, the extent of source/sink limitation, the impact of environment, and the extent of variation between cultivars. Six commercial African cassava cultivars were grown in a greenhouse in Erlangen, Germany, and in the field in Ibadan, Nigeria. Source leaves, sink leaves, stems and storage roots were harvested during storage root bulking and analyzed for sugars, organic acids, amino acids, phosphorylated intermediates, minerals, starch, protein, activities of enzymes in central metabolism and yield traits. High ratios of RuBisCO:phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity support a C3 mode of photosynthesis. The high rate of photosynthesis is likely to be attributed to high activities of enzymes in the Calvin–Benson cycle and pathways for sucrose and starch synthesis. Nevertheless, source limitation is indicated because root yield traits correlated with metabolic traits in leaves rather than in the stem or storage roots. This situation was especially so in greenhouse-grown plants, where irradiance will have been low. In the field, plants produced more storage roots. This was associated with higher AGPase activity and lower sucrose in the roots, indicating that feedforward loops enhanced sink capacity in the high light and low nitrogen environment in the field. Overall, these results indicated that carbon assimilation rate, the K battery, root starch synthesis, trehalose, and chlorogenic acid accumulation are potential target traits for genetic improvement.
Authors with CRIS profile
Involved external institutions
Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie / Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology
Germany (DE)
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Nigeria (NG)
Boyce Thompson Institute
United States (USA) (US)
Technische Universität Kaiserslautern
Germany (DE)
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) / National Research Council of Italy
Italy (IT)
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ) / Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich
Switzerland (CH)
Germany (DE)
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Nigeria (NG)
Boyce Thompson Institute
United States (USA) (US)
Technische Universität Kaiserslautern
Germany (DE)
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) / National Research Council of Italy
Italy (IT)
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ) / Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich
Switzerland (CH)
How to cite
APA:
Obata, T., Klemens, P.A., Rosado-Souza, L., Schlereth, A., Gisel, A., Stavolone, L.,... Fernie, A.R. (2020). Metabolic profiles of six African cultivars of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) highlight bottlenecks of root yield. Plant Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.14693
MLA:
Obata, Toshihiro, et al. "Metabolic profiles of six African cultivars of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) highlight bottlenecks of root yield." Plant Journal (2020).
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