Researchers Show How Sugarcane Produces More Sucrose

Genetically modified sugarcane that produces more sucrose has been developed by scientists from Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas in Brazil.

To investigate how ethylene works in sugarcane, Camila Cunha and colleagues sprayed sugarcane plants with ethephon (growth regulator) or aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), a ripening inhibitor before maturation. They measured the sucrose concentrations in the leaves and stems of sugarcane at the onset of ripening. Results showed that plants sprayed with ethephon had 60 percent more sucrose while those treated with AVG had 42 percent lower sucrose. The findings led the scientists to pinpoint the genes involved in the reaction of ethylene during ripening and those that regulate sucrose metabolism and accumulation.

With the results of the study, the researchers proposed a molecular model of how ethylene reacts with other hormones, which can lead to the development of most productive sugarcane varieties.

Read more details about the study from Nature Scientific Reports.