Identification of transcripts associated with cell wall metabolism and development in the stem of sugarcane by Affymetrix GeneChip Sugarcane Genome Array expression profiling

Sugarcane is an important crop in tropical regions of the world, producing a very large biomass and accumulating large amounts of sucrose in the stem. In this study, we present the first report of transcript profiling using the GeneChip Sugarcane Genome Array. We have identified transcripts that are differentially expressed in the sugarcane stem during development by expression profiling using the array and total RNA derived from three disparate stem tissues (meristem, internodes 1-3, 8, and 20) from four replicates of the sugarcane variety Q 117 grown in the field. We have identified 119 transcripts that were highly differentially expressed with development and have characterised members of the cellulose synthase (CesA) and cellulose synthase-like (Csl) gene families, which displayed coordinated expression during stem development. In addition, we determined that many other transcripts involved in cell wall metabolism and lignification were also co-expressed with members of the CesA and Csl gene families, offering additional insights into the dynamics of primary and secondary cell wall synthesis in the developing sugarcane stem.