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Dr Ali Elnaeim Elbasheir Ali (left) and Prof Ndiko Ludidi (right) are co-authors of a new study on sorghum, which provides valuable insights into sorghum adaptation at the molecular level, and serves as a foundation for further exploration and new questions.

Researchers from and affiliated with the DSTI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) have published a new study, providing valuable resources for developing sorghum varieties that can withstand drought and heat better, by targeting key proteins and pathways involved in drought and heat responses.

The study, ‘Proteomic dataset of sorghum leaf and root responses to single and combined drought and heat stress’, was recently published in Nature’s “Scientific Data”. Among the co-authors are CoE-FS’s Innovation and Technology co-lead and Dean of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at the University of Mpumalanga, Professor Ndiko Ludidi, and CoE-FS grantee and University of the Western Cape (UWC) lecturer, Dr Ali Elnaeim Elbasheir Ali.

This study, which compared the protein expression profiles in the leaves and roots of two contrasting sorghum genotypes under single and combined effects of drought and heat stress, is crucial in addressing the growing challenges posed by climate change, particularly in regions like South Africa, where drought and heat stress are major threats to agriculture.

Sorghum is a staple food for over 500 million people in over 30 countries. It is also an important source of animal feed and biofuel, and is the fifth most important cereal grain in the world, after rice, wheat, corn, and barley.

“By identifying proteins that play a key role in sorghum responses to drought, heat, and combined stresses, the study can help identify specific targets for breeding and engineering sorghum varieties with better tolerance,” said Dr Ali.

“And this improvement is particularly important to ensure global food security and nutrition.”

Key findings

The research team identified key proteins, pathways and biological processes associated with sorghum tolerance to drought, heat, and combined stresses. Notably, they identified unique changes in protein expression, induced by the combined effects of drought and heat stress, which were distinct from those observed under individual stresses. This finding, Dr Ali explained, underscores the complexity of plant responses to multiple stressors, indicating that the combined stress induces specific molecular mechanisms not activated by individual stresses.

Additionally, the responses in leaves and roots were distinct, highlighting the specialised roles of these tissues in plant adaptations to environmental stresses.

“These findings provide valuable insights into sorghum adaptation at the molecular level, and serve as a foundation for further exploration and new questions,” he said.

Supporting food security

The study has significant implications for climate-resilient agriculture in South Africa.

In South Africa, besides being an important source of animal feed and biofuel, sorghum is consumed as sorghum meal (Mabele), a stiff porridge similar to pap, making it an essential food source for many communities.

“Our findings provide valuable resources for developing sorghum varieties which can withstand drought and heat better by targeting key proteins and pathways involved in drought and heat responses.

“This tolerance improvement can ensure stable yields and support food security in the region,” said Dr Ali, who is based in the Department of Biotechnology at UWC, the CoE-FS’s host institution.

Collaborative, multidisciplinary approach

This work was a collaborative effort involving researchers from multiple institutions with expertise in plant physiology, proteomics, and bioinformatics. Working alongside Dr Ali and Professor Ndiko were Professor Robert Sharp, Dr Laura Greeley and Professor Scott Peck from the University of Missouri; and Professor David Tabb from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France.

“This multidisciplinary approach ensured a comprehensive understanding of sorghum responses to single and combined drought and heat stress,” said Dr Ali.

For the research team, the next steps include integrating the proteomics dataset with transcriptomics and metabolomics data to identify key molecular targets for engineering sorghum varieties with enhanced tolerance to drought and heat stress. Their dataset, said Dr Ali, can also facilitate further collaborative, comparative projects to explore stress-response mechanisms in other crops.

The study can be viewed and downloaded here.