Biochemical characterization and identification of differentially expressed candidate genes in salt stressed sugarcane.

Sugarcane productivity is worldwide subjected to increasing environmental constraints, predominantly to drought and salinity owing to their high magnitude of impact and wide distribution. The present study provides insights into the knowledge of sugarcane responses at germination, tillering and respective recovery stages to high salinity at physio-biochemical and molecular level. Our results indicated that there was a negative relationship between catalase, and peroxidase activity with lipid peroxidation and SOD activity. Increase in MDA and SOD levels at the earlier stages of stress and later increase in CAT and POD levels on prolonged stress was evidenced. Thus they can be used as indicators of stress for sugarcane plants facing unfavourable environmental conditions. At molecular level, we have identified 137 salinity tolerant candidate cDNAs from sugarcane by cDNA-SSH, representing 20% of which are novel sugarcane genes. These unique sequences, never reported elsewhere to be stress related and might provide further understanding on perception, response and adaptations mechanisms of the non-model plant like sugarcane to salinity stress and will be potential candidates for manipulating salt tolerant trait.