Life Sciences Commons^™

Metabolic Engineering Of Oilseed Crops To Produce High Levels Of Novel Acetyl Glyceride Oils With Reduced Viscosity, Freezing Point And Calorific Value, Jinjie Liu, Adam Rice, Kathleen Mcglew, Vincent Shaw, Hyunwoo Park, Thomas E. Clemente, Mike Pollard, John Ohlrogge, Timothy P. Durrett

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Seed oils have proved recalcitrant to modification for the production of industrially useful lipids. Here, we demonstrate the successful metabolic engineering and subsequent field production of an oilseed crop with the highest accumulation of unusual oil achieved so far in transgenic plants. Previously, expression of the Euonymus alatus diacylglycerol acetyltransferase (EaDAcT) gene in wild-type Arabidopsis seeds resulted in the accumulation of 45 mol% of unusual 3-acetyl-1,2- diacyl-sn-glycerols (acetyl-TAGs) in the seed oil (Durrett et al., 2010 PNAS 107:9464). Expression of EaDAcT in dgat1 mutants compromised in their ability to synthesize regular triacylglycerols increased acetyl-TAGs to 65 mol%. Camelina and soybean …

First Report Of Goss's Bacterial Leaf Blight And Wilt Of Corn Caused By Clavibacter Michiganensis Subsp. Nebraskensis In North Dakota, A. Friskop, K. Kinzer, M. Mcconnell, Z. Liu, K. A. Korus, A. Timmerman, T. Jackson

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

In August of 2011, the North Dakota State University Plant Diagnostic Lab received a hybrid corn (Zea mays) leaf sample from Burleigh County in southcentral North Dakota (ND). The leaf had long, irregular, water-soaked lesions consistent with Goss's leaf blight of corn. Using a light microscope at 10× magnification, bacterial streaming was observed from the excised edge of leaf tissue. A bacterial suspension was created, streaked onto a semi-selective CNS medium (1), and incubated at 22°C. Dark yellow-orange colonies appeared on the medium after 5 days. Single colonies were subcultured onto additional CNS media. To verify the identity …

Functional Genomics And Microbiome Profiling Of The Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora Glabripennis) Reveal Insights Into The Digestive Physiology And Nutritional Ecology Of Wood Feeding Beetles, Erin D. Scully, Scott M. Geib, John E. Carlson, Ming Tien, Duane Mckenna, Kelli Hoover

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Wood-feeding beetles harbor an ecologically rich and taxonomically diverse assemblage of gut microbes that appear to promote survival in woody tissue, which is devoid of nitrogen and essential nutrients. Nevertheless, the contributions of these apparent symbionts to digestive physiology and nutritional ecology remain uncharacterized in most beetle lineages.

Results: Through parallel transcriptome profiling of beetle- and microbial- derived mRNAs, we demonstrate that the midgut microbiome of the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), a member of the beetle family Cerambycidae, is enriched in biosynthetic pathways for the synthesis of essential amino acids, vitamins, and sterols. Consequently, the midgut …

Comprehensive Characterization And Rna-Seq Profiling Of The Hd-Zip Transcription Factor Family In Soybean (Glycine Max) During Dehydration And Salt Stress, Vikas Belamkar, Nathan T. Weeks, Arvind K. Bharti, Andrew Farmer, Michelle A. Graham, Steven B. Cannon

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background:

The homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factor family is one of the largest plant specific superfamilies, and includes genes with roles in modulation of plant growth and response to environmental stresses. Many HD-Zip genes are characterized in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), and members of the family are being investigated for abiotic stress responses in rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays), poplar (Populus trichocarpa) and cucumber (Cucmis sativus). Findings in these species suggest HD-Zip genes as high priority candidates for crop improvement.

Results:

In this study we have identified members of …

Genetic And Aggressiveness Variation Among Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum Dry Bean Isolates From Brazil Fields, Willian Luis Antonio Zancan, James R. Steadman, Rebecca Higgins, Rachana Jhala, Jose Da Cruz Machado

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, infection of bean fields, has increased in Brazil. Fungicides application is the control strategy used due to lack of cultivars with complete disease resistance. To guide the use of isolates in resistance screening 25 S. sclerotiorum isolates from Brazilian dry bean fields were characterized using microsatellite markers, mycelial compatibility groups (MCGs) and aggressiveness. Microsatellite primer pairs were used to identify polymorphisms among the S. sclerotiorum isolates and MCGs were determined from interaction of all isolates grown side by-side. Aggressiveness was derived from a straw test where fungal mycelium was placed over a cut bean stem and rated for …

An Eriophyid Mite-Transmitted Plant Virus Contains Eight Genomic Rna Segments With Unusual Heterogeneity In The Nucleocapsid Protein, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Anthony J. Mcmechan, Everlyne N. Wosula, Stephen N. Wegulo, Robert A. Graybosch, Roy French, Gary L. Hein

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Eriophyid mite-transmitted, multipartite, negative-sense RNA plant viruses with membrane-bound spherical virions are classified in the genus Emaravirus. We report here that the eriophyid mite-transmitted Wheat mosaic virus (WMoV), an Emaravirus, contains eight genomic RNA segments, the most in a known negative-sense RNA plant virus. Remarkably, two RNA 3 consensus sequences, encoding the nucleocapsid protein, were found with 12.5% sequence divergence, while no heterogeneity was observed in the consensus sequences of additional genomic RNA segments. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, glycoprotein precursor, nucleocapsid, and P4 proteins of WMoV exhibited limited sequence homology with the orthologous proteins of other emaraviruses, while …

Biosafety: Evaluation And Regulation Of Genetically Modified (Gm) Crops In The United States, Richard E. Goodman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

This review of the safety assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops is focused primarily on the process and progress in the United States (US). It reviews the development of the safety evaluation process from the Asilomar conference in 1975 considering issues relevant to recombinant DNA technology, to discussions between the US government, academic and industrial scientists between 1984 and 1994 when the first GM crops were being field tested and evaluated commercial release for food and feed production. International guidelines were also reviewed for consistency with the US system. The overall process includes consideration of information relating to history of …

Overexpression Of Patatin-Related Phospholipase Aiiiβ Altered The Content And Composition Of Sphingolipids In Arabidopsis, Maoyin Li, Jennifer E. Markham, Xuemin Wang

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

In plants, fatty acids are primarily synthesized in plastids and then transported to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for synthesis of most of the complex membrane lipids, including glycerolipids and sphingolipids. The first step of sphingolipid synthesis, which uses a fatty acid and a serine as substrates, is critical for sphingolipid homeostasis; its disruption leads to an altered plant growth. Phospholipase As have been implicated in the trafficking of fatty acids from plastids to the ER. Previously, we found that overexpression of a patatin-related phospholipase, pPLAIIIβ, resulted in a smaller plant size and altered anisotropic cell expansion. Here, we determined the …

The Trehalose Pathway In Maize: Conservation And Gene Regulation In Response To The Diurnal Cycle And Extended Darkness, Clémence Henry, Samuel W. Bledsoe, Allison Siekman, Alec Kollman, Brian M. Waters, Regina Feil, Mark Stitt, L. Mark Lagrimini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Energy resources in plants are managed in continuously changing environments, such as changes occurring during the day/night cycle. Shading is an environmental disruption that decreases photosynthesis, compromises energy status, and impacts on crop productivity. The trehalose pathway plays a central but not well-defined role in maintaining energy balance. Here, we characterized the maize trehalose pathway genes and deciphered the impacts of the diurnal cycle and disruption of the day/night cycle on trehalose pathway gene expression and sugar metabolism. The maize genome encodes 14 trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) genes, 11 trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) genes, and one trehalase gene. Transcript abundance of most …

Msh1-Induced Non-Genetic Variation Provides A Source Of Phenotypic Diversity In Sorghum Bicolor, Roberto De La Rosa Santamaria, Mon-Ray Shao, Guomei Wang, David O. Nino-Liu, Hardik Kundariya, Yashitola Wamboldt, Ismail M. Dweikat, Sally Ann Mackenzie

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

MutS Homolog 1 (MSH1) encodes a plant-specific protein that functions in mitochondria and chloroplasts. We showed previously that disruption or suppression of the MSH1 gene results in a process of developmental reprogramming that is heritable and non-genetic in subsequent generations. In Arabidopsis, this developmental reprogramming process is accompanied by striking changes in gene expression of organellar and stress response genes. This developmentally reprogrammed state, when used in crossing, results in a range of variation for plant growth potential. Here we investigate the implications of MSH1 modulation in a crop species. We found that MSH1-mediated phenotypic variation in Sorghum bicolor …

Contrasting Metabolism In Perenniating Structures Of Upland And Lowland Switchgrass Plants Late In The Growing Season, Nathan Palmer, Aaron J. Saathoff, Christian M. Tobias, Paul Twigg, Yuannan Xia, Kenneth P. Vogel, Soundararajan Madhavan, Scott E. Sattler, Gautam Sarath

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is being developed as a bioenergy crop for many temperate regions of the world. One way to increase biomass yields is to move southern adapted lowland cultivars to more northern latitudes. However, many southerly adapted switchgrass germplasm can suffer significant winter kill in northerly climes.

Materials and Methods: Here, we have applied next-generation sequencing in combination with biochemical analyses to query the metabolism of crowns and rhizomes obtained from two contrasting switchgrass cultivars. Crowns and rhizomes from field-grown lowland (cv Kanlow) and upland (cv Summer) switchgrass cultivars were collected from three randomly selected post-flowering …

Bot Canker Pathogens Could Complicate The Management Of Phytophthora Black Pod Of Cocoa, Idowu Jaiyeola, Rufus J. Akinrinlola, Gbodope S. Ige, Oluwatimilehin O. Omoleye, Abiola Oyedele, Bayode J. Odunayo, Omotayo J. Emehin, Marcus O. Bello, Anthony O. Adesemoye

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Black pod is a major hindrance to cocoa production in Nigeria. It is caused by three different Phytophthora species with Phytophthora megakarya as the most important species in Nigeria and West African subregion. Phytophthora spp. may enhance infections by opportunistic pathogens such as members of the Botryosphaeriacea that cause branch and trunk cankers in many woody plants across the world. Botryosphaeriacea has not been reported in cocoa nor in any woody plants in Nigeria to our knowledge. In the cocoa belt of Nigeria, research and understanding on cocoa black pod and Phytophthora is limited partly because of delayed or no …

Pattern And Rate Of Decline Of A Population Of Carolina Hemlock (Tsuga Caroliniana Engelm.) In North Carolina, Foster Levy, Elaine S. Walker

ETSU Faculty Works

We monitored a population of Carolina Hemlocks in northwestern North Carolina for four years to examine the rate and pattern of decline in response to infestation by Adelges tsugae (Hemlock Woolly Adelgid). Our yearly census of hemlock condition and severity of the adelgid infestation included trees of all sizes. We estimated declines in condition as the portions of the leaf canopy that were lost. Initially, infestation occurred throughout the population but was severe in only a small cluster of individuals. Within 1 year, the area of severe infestation increased in size to encompass 48% of the population. In another region …

A Coordinated Effort To Manage Soybean Rust In North America: A Success Story In Soybean Disease Monitoring, E. J. Sikora, T. W. Allen, K. A. Wise, G. Bergstrom, C. A. Bradley, J. Bond, D. Brown-Rytlewski, M. Chilvers, J. Damicone, E. Dewolf, Ohio State University Dorrance, N. Dufault, P. Esker, T. R. Faske, L. Giesler, N. Goldberg, J. Golod, I. R. G. Gomez, C. Grau, A. Grybauskas, G. Franc, R. Hammerschmidt, G. L. Hartman, R. A. Henn, D. Hershman, C. Hollier, T. Isakeit, S. Isard, B. Jacobsen, D. Jardine, R. Kemerait, S. Koenning, M. Langham, D. Malvick, S. Markell, J. J. Marois, S. Monfort, D. S. Mueller, J. Mueller, R. Mulrooney, M. Newman, L. Osborne, G. B. Padgett, B. E. Ruden, J. Rupe, R. Schneider, H. Schwartz, G. Shaner, S. Singh, E. Stromberg, L. Sweets, A. Tenuta, S. Vaiciunas, X. B. Yang, H. Young-Kelly, J. Zidek

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Existing crop monitoring programs determine the incidence and distribution of plant diseases and pathogens and assess the damage caused within a crop production region. These programs have traditionally used observed or predicted disease and pathogen data and environmental information to prescribe management practices that minimize crop loss (3,69). Monitoring programs are especially important for crops with broad geographic distribution or for diseases that can cause rapid and great economic losses. Successful monitoring programs have been developed for several plant diseases, including downy mildew of cucurbits, Fusarium head blight of wheat, potato late blight, and rusts of cereal crops (13,36,51,80).

Nitrogen Deposition Contributes To Soil Acidification In Tropical Ecosystems, Xiankai Lu, Qinggong Mao, Frank S. Gilliam, Yiqi Luo, Jiangming Mo

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Elevated anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition has greatly altered terrestrial ecosystem functioning, threatening ecosystem health via acidification and eutrophication in temperate and boreal forests across the northern hemisphere. However, response of forest soil acidification to N deposition has been less studied in humid tropics compared to other forest types. This study was designed to explore impacts of long-term N deposition on soil acidification processes in tropical forests. We have established a long-term N deposition experiment in an N-rich lowland tropical forest of Southern China since 2002 with N addition as NH₄NO₃ of 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg …

Surface-Soil Properties Of Alder Balds With Respect To Grassy And Rhododendron Balds On Roan Mountain, North Carolina—Tennessee, James T. Donaldson, Zachary C. Dinkins, Foster Levy, Arpita Nandi

ETSU Faculty Works

We analyzed soils in Alder Bald, Grassy Bald, and Rhododendron Bald communities on Roan Mountain to infer the influence of vegetation on soil and to help guide management strategies. In all vegetation types, soils were acid (pH = 4–5) sandy loams. We found vegetation-associated differences for organic content, cation exchange capacity, acidity, two plant macronutrients (K, Mg), and three cations (Fe, Na, Zn). We predicted that nitrogen compounds would be highest in the Alder Bald because Alnus viridis ssp. crispa (Green Alder) can harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Organic content was highest at the alder-bald sites, ammonium was similar among vegetation types, …

Synthesis Of The Effect Of Fire On Lesser Prairie‐Chickens, Eric Thacker, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

In this synthesis, we reviewed the scientific literature pertaining to the effects of fire on lesser prairie‐chickens and their habitat. Overall, research is generally lacking that directly assesses relationships among fire, both as a regime and a discrete event, to its effect on lesser prairie‐chicken behavior and habitat value. Yet, research has quantified the effects of fire on vegetation throughout the distribution of the lesser prairie‐chicken, which has been linked to known metrics of habitat value and broad landscape‐level habitat requirements.

To summarize the literature, lesser prairie‐chickens require broad landscapes of fire‐dependent grass‐shrub vegetation. Changes in the eco‐evolutionary fire regime …

Stacking Of A Stearoyl-Acp Thioesterase With A Dual-Silenced Palmitoyl-Acp Thioesterase And Δ12 Fatty Acid Desaturase In Transgenic Soybean, Hyunwoo Park, George L. Graef, Yixiang Xu, Patrick Tenopir, Thomas E. Clemente

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) is valued for both its protein and oil, whose seed is composed of 40% and 20% of each component, respectively. Given its high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid and linolenic acid, soybean oil oxidative stability is relatively poor. Historically food processors have employed a partial hydrogenation process to soybean oil as a means to improve both the oxidative stability and functionality in end-use applications. However, the hydrogenation process leads to the formation of trans-fats, which are associated with negative cardiovascular health. As a means to circumvent the need for the hydrogenation process, genetic …

The Development Of Polyamines Throughout Brassica Rapa Over Its Lifecycle, Matthew Ryan Sullivan, Jon Larsen, Subhash C. Minocha

Student Research Projects

Polyamines are naturally produced chemicals in plants involved in growth, development and stress response. The primary objective of my study is to create a profile of changes in the entire life of the plant, in every organ at all stages of development from seed germination to seed formation. We have analyzed polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine in all parts of Brassica rapa, a small, rapid growing plant. Parallel to the polyamines, we will also study changes in the activities of the polyamine biosynthetic enzymes and the expression of their genes in different organs at different times. In the next stage …

Antimicrobial And Antiinsectan Phenolic Metabolites Of Dalea Searlsiae, Gil Belofsky, Mario Aronica, Eric Foss, Jane Diamond, Felipe Santana, Jacob Darley, Patrick F. Dowd, Christina M. Coleman, Daneel Ferreira

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Continued interest in the chemistry of Dalea spp. led to investigation of Dalea searlsiae, a plant native to areas of the western United States. Methanol extractions of D. searlsiae roots and subsequent chromatographic fractionation afforded the new prenylated and geranylated flavanones malheurans A–D (1–4) and known flavanones (5 and 6). Known rotenoids (7 and 8) and isoflavones (9 and 10) were isolated from aerial portions. Structure determination of pure compounds was accomplished primarily by extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy. The absolute configurations of compounds 1–5, 7 …

Inositol Transport And Catabolism In Sinorhizobium Meliloti, Ee Leng Choong, Mary Thwaites, Silvia Rossbach

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Atmospheric nitrogen is in a form that is unavailable to plants. Nevertheless, there are nitrogen fixing bacteria that can be found either free-living or in association with plants. Sinorhizobium meliloti is a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium that infects legume plants such as alfalfa and induces specialized organs known as root nodules. In the nodule, the bacteria will fix the atmospheric nitrogen for use by the host plant, and in return, the plants supply the bacteria with carbon sources. Specialized carbon sources such as inositols may play a role in determining bacterial composition of the rhizosphere. The focus of this study is …

Characterization Of Microorganisms From Alfalfa Seeds Inoculants, Benedicte Diatta, Kalianna Kennoy, Silvia Rossbach

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Atmospheric nitrogen fixation can be accomplished by free living microorganisms or by symbiosis between legume plants and rhizobia. The symbiosis between the alfalfa plant and Sinorhizobium meliloti is one example of the symbiotic relationship between legume plants and rhizobia. During the symbiosis, the rhizobia fix nitrogen for the plant and the plant in return provides carbohydrates for the bacteria. In order to maximize the plant’s yield in agriculture, recent technologies used include seed inoculants. Seed inoculation methods rely on coating the seeds with plant-growth promoting bacteria. Besides nitrogen-fixing bacteria, the seeds may also be coated with microorganisms aiding in mineral …

[Sabbatical Report], Lawrence Alan Alice

Sabbatical Reports

My goals as proposed were to: 1) increase resolution and support for a chloroplast DNA phylogeny by acquiring more sequence data, 2) generate a robust nuclear DNA phylogeny by sequencing several single-copy genes, 3) use flow cytometry to estimate DNA quantity per cell (i.e., ploidy level) in R. ursinus and NCGR specimens of unknown ploidy level, 4) identify highly variable DNA microsatellite (or simple-sequence repeats) regions to assess genetic diversity in R. bartonianus and test species boundaries, and 5) prepare and submit manuscripts if sufficient data have been generated.

Salt Marsh Values In A Changing World: Examining Sea Level Rise On Tidal Marshes With A Surface Elevation Table, Sarah Martina Tierney

Student Research Projects

Rising seas are threatening coastal communities and putting added pressures on the natural environment. Sea level rise rates are increasing on a global scale (from 1.7 to 3.2 mm/yr). Salt marshes are not only intertidal habitats acutely influenced by sea levels, but they also provide key ecosystem services such as: buffers against storm surges, habitat for wildlife, carbon dioxide storage, and pollutant filtration. In New England, salt marshes have built at a rate of 1 to 2 mm annually over the past 4,000 years, which has kept pace with sea level rise. However, we do not know if salt marshes …

Qtl Architecture Of Reproductive Fitness Characters In Brassica Rapa, Jennifer M. Dechaine, Marcus T. Brock, Cynthia Weinig

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Background

Reproductive output is critical to both agronomists seeking to increase seed yield and to evolutionary biologists interested in understanding natural selection. We examine the genetic architecture of diverse reproductive fitness traits in recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed from a crop (seed oil) × wild-like (rapid cycling) genotype of Brassica rapa in field and greenhouse environments.

Results

Several fitness traits showed strong correlations and QTL-colocalization across environments (days to bolting, fruit length and seed color). Total fruit number was uncorrelated across environments and most QTL affecting this trait were correspondingly environment-specific. Most fitness components were positively correlated, consistent with life-history …

A Preliminary Study Of The Role Of Nickel In Enhancing Flowering Of The Nickel Hyperaccumulating Plant Alyssum Inflatum Nyár. (Brassicaceae), R. Ghasemi, Z. Zare Chavoshi, R.S. Boyd, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Alyssum inflatum is a native of serpentine soils and is able to hyperaccumulate nickel (Ni), but the importance of Ni to reproduction in the species is unknown. We investigated if reproductive fitness is enhanced by Ni in the growth medium, and included a treatment involving a relatively high level of Mg to provide a comparison with elevated levels of another metal. Seedlings were grown in a modified Hoagland solution culture in an inert medium of Perlite and were treated with Ni (100 μM), a high concentration of Mg (5 mM), or under control conditions (solution culture without Ni or the …

First Report Of The Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne Enterolobii Parasitizing Watermelon From Veracruz, Mexico, A. Ramírez-Suárez, L. Rosas-Hernández, S. Alcasio-Rangel, Guillermo Pérez Valenzuela, T. O. Powers

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

In early April 2012, a sampling of watermelon crop Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai, 1916 cv. Sunsugar took place as part of the National System of Epidemiological Phytosanitary Surveillance (SINAVEF-MEX). This sampling was conducted at Riachuelos locality, Tecolutla, Veracruz, located at the geographic coordinates: 20.42008° N and 96.9627° W, within 50 meters of the Gulf of Mexico. Plants showed yellowing, stunting, and high levels of infection expressed by extensive galling on the roots. These symptoms were reproduced in the greenhouse on watermelon cv. Sunsugar. Egg masses were extracted to obtain juveniles (J2). Female necks and perineal patterns were mounted …

2013 Annual Report Of Uvm Extension And The Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station, Uvm Extension And Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station

Annual Reports

2013 Annual report of outreach and research from UVM Extension and Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station.

Two Honeysuckles: A Tale Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

There are about 180 species of Lonicera (honeysuckles) widely distributed in the north temperate zone. These are mostly shrubby plants, but in Virginia, we have two species that are woody vines (lianas). These two lianous honeysuckles should be familiar to all Virginia Native Plant Society members. One is this year’s VNPS Wildflower of the Year, Lonicera sempervirens (coral honeysuckle), and the other is Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle), widely and deservedly reviled as one of our most aggressive invasive exotic species. Together, these two plants make an odd pair, a sort of botanical Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. What is it, …

The C-Terminus Of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Coat Protein Is Involved In Differential Infection Of Wheat And Maize Through Host-Specific Long-Distance Transport, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Roy French

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Viral determinants and mechanisms involved in extension of host range of monocot-infecting viruses are poorly understood. Viral coat proteins (CP) serve many functions in almost every aspect of the virus life cycle. The role of the Cterminal region of Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) CP in virus biology was examined by mutating six negatively charged aspartic acid residues at positions 216, 289, 290, 326, 333, and 334. All of these amino acid residues are dispensable for virion assembly, and aspartic acid residues at positions 216, 333, and 334 are expendable for normal infection of wheat and maize. However, mutants D …