Fig. 3

Oxidative phosphorelation metabolic pathway. This represents one of the 14 metabolic pathways identified in this study and is associated with the production of respiratory energy in mitochondria, a power house of the cell. Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (EC: 1.9.3.1; Additional file 6), the enzyme encoded by sorghum gene cox1 was identified to be involved in the catalytic reaction of the final step of protein complex (complex IV) in the electron transport chain. In addition, inorganic diphosphatase (EC: 3.6.1.1; Additional file 6) was identified to be involved in the electron transport system by catalysing the conversion of diphosphate into monophosphate. This enzyme controls the amount of inorganic phosphate (Pi) that should be coupled with adenosine dinucleotide phosphate (ADP) in the last step of oxidative phosphorylation, a phenomenon thought to be involved in counteracting an imbalance of reactive oxygen species caused by drought stress