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A High-Throughput Gene Silencing Approach For Studying The Interaction Between Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne) And The Fungal Endophyte Neotyphodium Lolii, S. Felitti, P. Tian, D. Edwards, G. C. Spangenberg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and its fungal endophyte (Neotyphodium lolii) are known to establish a mutualistic association that impacts on the agronomic productivity of endophyte-infected ryegrass pastures. To study this interaction at the molecular level, a genomic resource consisting of 13,964 endophyte ESTs has been generated. However, the functions of a large proportion of these genes remain to be elucidated. Recent work has demonstrated the potential for RNA-mediated gene silencing to suppress gene expression in a sequence specific manner thus allowing for the subsequent analysis of gene function.

Isolation And Characterization Of Novel Btb Domain Protein Encoding Genes From Fungal Grass Endophytes, M. Ramsperger, S. A. Felitti, D. Edwards, G. C. Spangenberg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pasture grasses belonging to the Pooideae sub-family of the Poaceae family frequently host symbiotic fungal endophytes. These include the sexual Epichloë species and the anamorphic asexual Neotyphodium species, which are thought to have evolved from Epichloë species either by the direct loss of sexual reproduction or by interspecific hybridisation. The two key temperate pasture grasses, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) interact with the fungal endophytes N. coenophialum and N. lolii, respectively. Large insert genomic DNA libraries are valuable resources for the discovery and isolation of genes and their regulatory sequences, for …

Genetic Variation In The Perennial Ryegrass Fungal Endophyte Neotyphodium Lolii, E. Van Zijll De Jong, N. R. Bannan, A. V. Stewart, K. F. M. Reed, M. P. Dobrowolski, K. F. Smith, G. C. Spangenberg, J. W. Forster

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The common fungal endophytes (Neotyphodium species) of temperate pasture grasses are associated with improved tolerance to water and nutrient stress and resistance to insect pests, but are also the causal agents of animal toxicoses. Considerable variation exists among grass-endophyte associations for these beneficial and detrimental agronomic traits. The extent to which this variation may be attributed to the endophyte genotype, the host genotype or environmental interactions is currently unknown. The development of molecular genetic markers for endophytes based on simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci and the demonstration of the specific detection of endophytes in planta with these markers (van …

Metabolome Analysis Of The Interaction Between Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne) And The Fungal Endophyte Neotyphodium Lolii, P. Tian, S. Felitti, M. P. Dobrowolski, K. F. Smith, D. Edwards, R. Hall, J. Kopka, G. C. Spangenberg

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) frequently contain endophytic fungi (Neotyphodium lolii in perennial ryegrass and N. coenophialum in tall fescue). The presence of the endophyte has been shown to improve seedling vigour, persistence and drought tolerance in marginal environments as well as provide protection against some insect pests. Endophyte-infected grasses also produce a wide range of metabolites, including ergopeptine alkaloids, indole-isoprenoid lolitrems, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and pyrrolopyrazine alkaloids. In contrast to information on alkaloids and animal toxicosis, the beneficial physiological aspects of the endophyte/grass interactions have not been well characterised. The physiological …

Endophyte Effects On Antioxidants And Membrane Leakage In Tall Fescue During Drought, C. P. West, R. D. Carson, C. A. Guerber, B. De Los Reyes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Tall fescue [Festuca arundinacea (Schreb.)=Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbyshire] infected (E+) by its fungal endophyte [(Neotyphodium coenphialum Morgan-Jones & Gams.) Glenn, Bacon & Hanlin] often shows greater persistence during summer drought than endophyte-free (E-) plants (Malinowski et al., 2005). Survival of the apical meristem and growing zone of vegetative tillers likely involves biochemical adaptations whose benefits to the host are enhanced by endophyte presence. Antioxidant enzymes may scavenge free radicals during heat and drought, and thereby reduce membrane damage. Their roles in endophyte-mediated drought tolerance in tall fescue have not been tested. Our objective was to …

Nutritive Value Of Alopecurus Pratensis, Festuca Rubra, Arrhenatherum Elatius And Lolium Perenne Grown In The South Of Belgium, A. Nivyobizi, A. G. Deswysen, D. Dehareng, A. Peeters, Y. Larondelle

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Europe, recent strategies have aimed at encouraging farmers to use production techniques more efficient in preserving the environment and maintaining natural areas. Those strategies have encouraged the use of secondary grass species in forage production systems. However, the nutritive value of those grasses is not well known. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the energy and nitrogen values of Alopecurus pratensis (ALPR), Festuca rubra (FERU) and Arrhenatherum elatius (AREL) under moderate rates of nitrogen (N) application (60 kg N/ha per cut) and a hay-cutting regime (2 cuts/year: 25 May and 9 July). Lolium perenne cv. …

The Influence Of Management On Health Status Of Festuca Rubra In Mountain Meadows, B. Voženílková, F. Klimeš, J. Květ, Z. Mašková, B. Čermák, K. Suchý

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Snijders & Winkelhorst (1996) investigated swards in West Europe and showed that it was not the snow mould (Microdochium nivale) but other species of the genus Fusarium (F. cerealis (Cooke) Sacc., F. graminearum Schwabe, F. culmorum (Wm. G. Sm.) Sacc. and F. acuminatum Ellis & Everh.) that caused serious damage to grasslands where Lolium perenne L. and Festuca rubra L. were dominant components. In this study the spread and harmfulness of pathogeneous fungi involved in damage to and death of some species (Festuca rubra L., Holcus mollis L.) in grass swards was examined.

Increasing The Productive Potential Of Permanent Grasslands From The Forest Steppe Area Of Romania, V. Vintu, C. Samuil, T. Iacob, St. Postolache

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Romania permanent grasslands represent 32 % of the total agricultural area, stretching over 4,872 million hectares, out of which 340,000 ha are located in the forest steppe area, on less productive soils, which explains their inadequate botanical composition and low quality and yields (Vintu, 2003). One of the main measures taken to increase the productivity of grasslands is through fertilisation (Birch, 1999). This paper presents the results obtained during 2000-2004 on the effect of organic fertiliser on degraded grasslands made up of Festuca valesiaca L.

Productivity Of Sahiwal And Friesian–Sahiwal Crossbreds In Marginal Grasslands Of Kenya, W. B. Muhuyi, F. B. Lukibisi, S. N. Ole Sinkeet

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dual-purpose cattle can be used to exploit the production potential of semi-arid grasslands of Kenya for milk and meat production. Although the Sahiwal is adapted to these grasslands, its productivity is low. In order to increase milk and meat productivity, the Sahiwal has been crossed with the Friesian to produce Friesian-Sahiwal crossbreds (McDowell et al., 1996) adapted to the tropical environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the productivity of Sahiwal and Friesian-Sahiwal crossbreds.

The Influence Of Harvest Period And Fertilisation On The Yield Of Some Mixed Grass And Leguminous Species Under The Forest Steppe Conditions Of North-East Romania, V. Vintu, C. Samuil, T. Iacob, St. Postolache

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the forest steppe area of North-east Romania, temporary grasslands represent an important source of high quality fodder but they have a short period of exploitation, associated with some changes in the floristic composition (Vintu, 2003). Fertiliser application and harvest period have an important role in maintaining high productivity (Hopkins, 1991). The aim of this paper is to determine the influence of harvest period and fertilization on the yield of some grass and leguminous species in the forest steppe conditions of North-east Romania.

Yield And Mineral Concentration Changes In Maize And Italian Ryegrass Cropping Systems, Sachiko Idota, Yasuyuki Ishii

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Mineral balance between plants and soil to which fertilizer has been applied is important in sustainable agriculture. Cropping systems are chosen based on considerations of crop yield, soil physical and chemical properties and climatic conditions. Thus, the sustainability of a forage cropping system should only be assessed after continuous cultivation has been practiced for several years. Forage crop production is employed in the rice paddies of Japan during summer. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the yield and mineral concentration of forage crops cultivated in hard-textured soils for 4 years.

Adult Asthma Associated With Roadway Density And Housing In Rural Appalachia: The Mountain Air Project (Map)., W Jay Christian, John Flunker, Beverly May, Susan Westneat, Wayne T Sanderson, Nancy Schoenberg, Steven R Browning

UK CARES Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Appalachian Kentucky is a rural area with a high prevalence of asthma among adults. The relative contribution of environmental exposures in the etiology of adult asthma in these populations has been understudied.

OBJECTIVE: This manuscript describes the aims, study design, methods, and characteristics of participants for the Mountain Air Project (MAP), and focuses on associations between small area environmental exposures, including roadways and mining operations, and lifetime and current asthma in adults.

METHODS: A cohort of residents, aged 21 and older, in two Kentucky counties, was enrolled in a community-based, cross-sectional study. Stratified cluster sampling was used to select …

The Association Between Comorbidities And Self-Care Of Heart Failure: A Cross-Sectional Study, Kyoung Suk Lee, Debra K. Moser, Kathleen Dracup

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background Because heart failure (HF) is a debilitating chronic cardiac condition and increases with age, most patients with HF experience a broad range of coexisting chronic morbidities. Comorbidities present challenges for patients with HF to successfully perform self-care, but it is unknown what types and number of comorbidities influence HF patients’ self-care. The purpose of this study was to explore whether the number of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular conditions are associated with HF self-care.

Methods Secondary data analysis was performed with 590 patients with HF. The number of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular conditions was calculated using the list of conditions in the …

Pollen-Mediated Gene Flow From Genetically Modified Herbicide Resistant Creeping Bentgrass, L. S. Watrud, E. H. Lee, A. Fairbrother, C. Burdick, J. R. Reichman, M. Bollman, M. Storm, G. King, P. K. Van De Water

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Approximately 162 ha of multiple experimental fields of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) genetically modified for resistance to Roundup ®herbicide, were planted in central Oregon in 2002. When the fields flowered for the first time in the summer of 2003, a unique opportunity was presented to evaluate methods to monitor potential pollen-mediated gene flow from the experimental GM crop fields to compatible sentinel and resident plants that were located in surrounding, primarily non-agronomic areas.

Assessing The Risk Posed By Transgenic Virus-Resistant Trifolium Repens To Native Grasslands In Southeast Australia, R. C. Godfree, P. W. G. Chu, A. G. Young

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Australia, comprehensive environmental risk assessments must be performed on transgenic plants (GMOs) prior to their commercial release. A key element is the determination of whether the release of a particular GMO poses any weediness threat to the environment or other agricultural systems, which can occur by means of direct invasion or by introgression of transgenes into wild populations of the same or closely related species. For transgenic pasture plants this question could be of added importance because many of these species have been selected for traits encouraging long-term persistence and competitiveness in complex plant communities (Godfree et al., …

Belowground Meristem Populations As Regulators Of Grassland Dynamics, Harmony J. Dalgleish, D. C. Hartnett

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Studies of plant populations are critical for linking organism to ecosystem-level phenomena and for understanding mechanisms driving responses to global change. In perennial grasslands, the below-ground population of meristems (the bud bank) plays a fundamental role in local plant population recruitment, persistence and dynamics. We explore two aspects of the bud bank in North American grasslands. It has been hypothesized that low variability in arid biomes is explained by meristem limitation, which constrains responses to pulses of high resource availability. Our research tests this hypothesis by comparing bud-bank populations across six sites in the United States that vary 3-fold in …

The Impact Of Vegetation Structure And Spatial Heterogeneity On Invertebrate Biodiversity Within Upland Landscapes, L. Cole, M. L. Pollock, D. Robertson, J. P. Holland, D. I. Mccraken

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock grazing influences vegetation structure and composition at both the patch and wider landscape scale (Milne et al., 1998), and this may have effects on upland invertebrate communities, which in turn influence bird abundance and distribution (Fuller & Gough, 1999; Cole et al., 2002). Of particular importance are open grasslands and wet flushes where invertebrates are abundant and more accessible to birds. However, there have been few studies of invertebrates associated with upland habitats, and most of these have focused on heather moorland, blanket bog, or very fine-scaled structure within grasslands (Dennis et al. 1997; 1998; 2001). This …

Global Dna Adenine Methylation In Caenorhabditis Elegans After Multigenerational Exposure To Silver Nanoparticles And Silver Nitrate, Anye Wamucho, Jason M. Unrine, John May, Olga V. Tsyusko

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Multigenerational and transgenerational reproductive toxicity in a model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been shown previously after exposure to silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and silver ions (AgNO3 ). However, there is a limited understanding on the transfer mechanism of the increased reproductive sensitivity to subsequent generations. This study examines changes in DNA methylation at epigenetic mark N6-methyl-20 -deoxyadenosine (6mdA) after multigenerational exposure of C. elegans to pristine and transformed-via-sulfidation Ag-NPs and AgNO₃ . Levels of 6mdA were measured as 6mdA/dA ratios prior to C. elegans exposure (F₀) after two generations of exposure (F₂) and two generations of …

Towards A Comparative Map Of White Clover (Trifolium Repens) And Barrel Medic (Medicago Truncatula), M. Febrer, G. Jenkins, M. T. Abberton, D. Milbourne

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grassland is of pivotal importance to the Irish agricultural industry. This dependence of grass is reflected in the large proportion of land area under grass, approx. 80% of the total land acreage in Ireland. The presence of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in grassland significantly improves the overall nutritional value of the forage by increasing the relative amounts of nitrogen present. Genetic improvement of white clover through breeding of varieties should increase the productivity of grasslands. Advances in plant biotechnology offer the possibility of developing tools that will radically enhance our ability to breed improved plant varieties. The objective …

Role Of The Banyuls(Ban) Gene From Arabidopsis Thaliana In Transgenic Alfalfa Expression Of Anthocyanins And Proanthocyanidins, S. M. Hesamzadeh Hejazi, Sergio Arcioni, F. Paolocci

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Condensed tannins (CTs) are flavonoid oligomers, many of which have beneficial effects on animal (bloat safe) and human health. The BAN gene encodes anthocyanidin reductase (ANR), an enzyme proposed to convert anthocyanidins to their corresponding 2,3-cis-flavan-3-ols (Xie et al., 2003). Ectopic expression of BAN in Alfalfa transgenic foliage results in accumulation of CTs. Thus, it has been assumed that the BAN gene also acts in starter units for the condensation of tannins in Alfalfa.