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Plant Biology

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Analysis Of The Accase Mutation Profile Of Italian Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne Ssp. Multiflorum) Accessions Resistant To Accase Inhibitors, Thomas Stark Jan 2009

Analysis Of The Accase Mutation Profile Of Italian Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne Ssp. Multiflorum) Accessions Resistant To Accase Inhibitors, Thomas Stark

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum (Italian ryegrass) resistant to ACCase inhibiting herbicides has been reported in many wheat producing counties across Arkansas. Resistance is believed to be the result of point mutations creating amino acid substitutions in the CT domain of the plastidic ACCase gene. This study explores the occurrence of mutations in the ACCase gene of ryegrass populations. Plant material was collected and DNA was extracted from 10 Arkansas ryegrass populations. Six of the populations were known to be resistant to the ACCase inhibitor diclofop-methyl, while the remaining four populations were known to be susceptible to diclofop-methyl. Two highly conserved …


Chitosanase May Enhance Anti-Fungal Defense Responses In Transgenic Tobacco, Bill L. Hendrix Jan 2003

Chitosanase May Enhance Anti-Fungal Defense Responses In Transgenic Tobacco, Bill L. Hendrix

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Fungicides are expensive, dangerous, and can be harmful to the environment, but they are often necessary for profitable farming operations. New technologies may soon allow farmers to replace these chemicals with genetically engineered plants producing antifungal enzymes that degrade fungal cell walls. To explore this option, a Paenbacillus chitosanase gene was cloned, sequenced, and modified for plant expression. The modified gene was delivered to tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L cv. Xanthine) leaf disks via Agrobacterium tumenfaciens-mediated transformation. The putative GMOs were tested for transgene integration, transcription, and translation. Confirmed transformants were then screened for enhanced responses to a Rhizoctonia solani cell …


The Role Of Natural Calcium Oxalate Crystals In Plant Defense Against Chewing Insects, Sarah J. Doege Jan 2003

The Role Of Natural Calcium Oxalate Crystals In Plant Defense Against Chewing Insects, Sarah J. Doege

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Calcium oxalate is the most abundant insoluble mineral found in plants and it is common among many plant families. Calcium oxalate crystals in plants can appear as irregular rectangles, spiked balls, or needles. The formidable appearance of these crystals has lead to speculation that they might serve as a form of pest control by deterring chewing insects. We utilized mutant plant lines to assess the effects of plant calcium oxalate crystals on the survival and feeding habits of chewing insects. We have taken advantage of calcium oxalate-deficient (cod) mutants of the barrel medic, Medicago truncatula Calcium oxalate crystals accumulate in …


Characterization Of Wound-Inducible Genes Encoding Enzymes For Terpenoid Biosynthesis In Medicago Truncatula, Mandy M. Cox Jan 2002

Characterization Of Wound-Inducible Genes Encoding Enzymes For Terpenoid Biosynthesis In Medicago Truncatula, Mandy M. Cox

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

In addition to having numerous applications as food flavorings and pharmaceuticals, terpenoids are an important class of defensive compounds that can accumulate in plants after pathogen infection or injury by insects. Sequences of DNA encoding putative terpene synthases and an oxidosqualene synthase, isolated from insect-damaged Medicago truncatula leaves, were selected from an expressed sequence tag (EST) database. The eDNA clones were used as radiolabeled probes to analyze gene expression in leaves treated with factors known to trigger a defense response in plants. Transcript levels for all of the genes examined increased in response to artificial wounding, insect herbivory, and methyl …