Life Sciences Commons^™

Genetically Engineer Protection Against Viruses And Fungi, John Fitchen, Roger N. Beachy

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The first examples of plant genetic engineering for disease resistance were for the control of virus diseases. Plants that were transformed with a gene to express the coat protein of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) were shown to have increased resistance to infection by TMV. This approach, referred to as coat protein-mediated resistance (CP-MR), has been applied to give protection against at least 35 different viruses, belonging to 12 virus groups in at least 13 plant species. Field trials of some of these examples have demonstrated that CP-MR can effectively protect plants under field conditions. Other viral genes have also been …

Potential Biological Control Agents For Nassella Neesiana (Poaceae) Invading Australian Native Grasslands, F. E. Anderson, M. L. Díaz, D. A. Mclaren

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The introduction and proliferation of exotic stipoid grasses over the past 100 years seriously threatens agricultural productivity and the integrity of Australia's indigenous flora and fauna, particularly its grasslands (McLaren et al., 1998). The full effect on biodiversity by the spread of these grasses is unknown but likely to be major (Hocking, 1998). Conventional control techniques have not stopped the invasion adequately, so it is a priority to find control options to achieve an effective management strategy. A biological control project against Nassella trichotoma and N. neesiana was initiated in 1999 in Argentina. We report on the most recent …

Functional Characterization Of A Putative Alternative Oxidase In Sporisorium Reilianum F. Sp. Zeae., Emma A Lamb

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Sporisorium reilianum is a pathogenic basidiomycete fungus with two formae speciales, each capable of infecting corn (SRZ) or sorghum (SRS), respectively. This fungus is also a dimorphic variety, meaning it can switch between its haploid, yeast-like sporidia and diploid teliospore stages over the course of its life cycle (Schirawski). When S. reilianum is found in a haploid state and conditions are favorable, it will mate with a compatible non-self mating type to begin filamentous growth and proliferation in the plant host (Zhao). S. relianum, like most fungi, utilizes the four classical components of the electron transport chain to produce …

Identification Of Cytospora Species Isolated From Canker In Peach Trees In South Carolina, Stephen T. Baker

All Theses

In 2016, a survey was conducted into the causes of twig blight on peach (Prunus persica) in five orchards across South Carolina. From this survey, isolates from the fungal genus of Cytospora (Sordariomycetes, Diaporthales) were reported on peach, for the first time, within the state. Cytospora species are known to cause oozing cankers on a wide range of woody hosts leading to dieback, loss of limbs, and reduction in yield, prompting concern for important economic crops. Past methods of identification of Cytospora species have been confounded by indistinguishable morphology, overlapping host preference among species, and genetic sequencing …

Isolation Of Foliar Fungi From Roseau Cane (Phragmites Australis) In Coastal Louisiana, David M. Galo Espinal

LSU Master's Theses

Roseau cane (Phragmites australis) is a wild plant with an extensive root system that is useful in areas vulnerable to soil erosion. In Louisiana, this plant plays an important role protecting the coastal infrastructure of the lower Mississippi River delta (MRD). Currently, P. australis growing in the MRD is being affected by a die-off, which has been associated with several biotic and abiotic factors.

Plant pathogenic fungi is a biotic factor that negatively affect plant growth. Therefore, foliar fungi were isolated from plants growing in one die-off affected area (MRD) and two non-affected areas (Pecan Island and Manchac) …

Influence Of Decay Fungi On Selected Anatomical Properties Of Aningeria Robusta A. Chev. Wood, Olayiwola Olaleye Ajala, Funke Grace Adebawo, Emmanuel Adekanye Adelusi, Olaoluwa Adeniyi Adegoke

Journal of Bioresource Management

Due to population explosion, the forest of Nigeria like most tropical forest is over exploited for choice traditional species. Therefore, need to investigate species that can substitute the species arise. Five trees of Aningeria robusta were harvested from Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria. Bolts of 50cm length were obtained at the base, middle and the top; radial strips also obtained for innerwood, middlewood and outerwood. Ten test specimens of dimension 12mm x 15mm x 25mm were obtained per zone. N-hexane heartwood extracts of a 30 year old Gliricidia sepium diluted with kerosene using volume by volume method into 0%, 25%, …

Spore Dispersal Of Slime Molds And Higher Fungi Via Animal Vectors, Courtney Trimble

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Myxomycetes and dictyostelids are Amoebozoans that are cosmopolitan inhabitants of a variety of habitats, particularly forest environments. Both groups reproduce using spores which are primarily dispersed via wind in myxomycetes but this characteristic poses a problem for dictyostelids. The spores of dictyostelids are incased in a mucilaginous matrix that makes wind ineffective except in exceptional cases. It has been suggested that animals such as birds may play an important yet understudied role in the dispersal of these organisms. This study investigated how animals could potentially serve as vectors for spore dispersal of dictyostelids and myxomycetes with some limited data obtained …

Lichens And Biofilms: Common Collective Growth Imparts Similar Developmental Strategies, Erin C. Carr, Steven D. Harris, Joshua R. Herr, Wayne Riekhof

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Lichens are traditionally defined as a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. This union forms a unique structure called the thallus, which attaches to surfaces such as rocks and tree bark. Recent reports challenge the view that lichens are comprised of one fungus and one photobiont, and instead suggest that they are a consortium of microbes. Much of lichen biology remains unknown as most of our knowledge of lichens is limited to morphological characteristics with little to no functional analysis of lichen genes. However, lichens and biofilms share many similar physiological traits which when compared may assist in …

Assessment Of Grain Safety In Developing Nations, Jose R. Mendoza

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Grains are the most widely consumed foods worldwide, with maize (Zea mays) being frequently consumed in developing countries where it feeds approximately 900 million people under the poverty line of 2 USD per day. While grain handling practices are acceptable in most developed nations, many developing nations still face challenges such as inadequate field management, drying, and storage. Faulty grain handling along with unavoidably humid climates result in recurrent fungal growth and spoilage, which compromises both the end-quality and safety of the harvest. This becomes particularly problematic where there is little awareness about health risks associated with poor …

Dissecting The Cellular Control Of Septin Organization In A Global Cereal Killer, Nawaraj Dulal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice blast disease, caused by the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, destroys sufficient rice each year to feed 60 million people, and is a serious threat to global food security. A wheat-adapted lineage of M. oryzae now poses threat to global wheat production. Rice blast disease is currently controlled using limited fungicides, and the emergence of fungicide resistance within M. oryzae populations is a growing concern. There is a pressing need to identify new classes of fungicides to control the disease, which requires better understanding of the basic biology of the pathogen. To establish disease, M. oryzae forms a specialized dome …

Genetic And Biochemical Characterization Of Ergot Alkaloid Synthesizing Fungi And Their Symbionts, Matthew Duane Maust

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Ergot alkaloids are fungal tryptophan derived toxins which affect mammalian circulation and neurotransmission. These compounds are biosynthesized by a conserved genetic pathway, known as the ergot alkaloid synthesis (EAS) pathway by fungi belonging to the ascomycete families Trichocomaceae and Clavicipitaceae. Several Ipomoea species and related plants in the morning glory family harbor vertically transmitted symbiotic fungi in the genus Periglandula, also members of Clavicipitaceae, that produce ergot alkaloids. Metabolomic analysis of seeds identified a previously uncharacterized glycoside form of the pharmaceutically important ergot alkaloid, ergonovine. Several species belonging to the fungal genus Metarhizium have recently been shown to have the …

Response Of Sorghum Enhanced In Monolignol Biosynthesis To Stalk Rot Pathogens, Deanna L. Funnell-Harris, Scott E. Sattler, Patrick M. O'Neill, Tammy Gries, Hannah M. Tetreault, Thomas E. Clemente

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

To increase phenylpropanoid constituents and energy content in the versatile C4 grass sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench), sorghum genes for protiens related to monolignol biosynthesis were overexpressed: SbMyb60 (transcriptional activator), SbPAL (phenylalanine ammonia ase), Bmr2 (4-coumarate: CoA ligase), and SbC3H (coumaroyl shikimate 3-hydroxylase). Overexpression lines were evaluted for responses to stalk pahtogens under greenhouse and field conditions. Greenhouse-grown plants were inoculated with Fusarium thapsinum (Fusarium stalk rot) and Macrophomia phaseolina (charocal rot), which cause yield-reducing diseases. F. thapsinum-inoculated overexpression plants had mean lesion lengths not significantly different than wild-type, except for significantly smaller lesions on two of three SbMyb60 and …

Reactive Oxygen Species Metabolism And Plant-Fungal Interactions, Lauren M. Segal, Richard A. Wilson

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Fungal interactions with plants can involve specific morphogenetic developments to access host cells, the suppression of plant defenses, and the establishment of a feeding lifestyle that nourishes the colonizer often—but not always—at the expense of the host. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism is central to the infection process, and the stage-specific production and/or neutralization of ROS is critical to the success of the colonization process. ROS metabolism during infection is dynamic—sometimes seemingly contradictory—and involves endogenous and exogenous sources. Yet, intriguingly, molecular decision-making involved in the spatio-temporal control of ROS metabolism is largely unknown. When also considering that ROS demands are …

Swainsonine Biosynthesis Genes In Diverse Symbiotic And Pathogenic Fungi, Daniel Cook, Bruno G. G. Donzelli, Rebecca Creamer, Deana L. Baucom, Dale R. Gardner, Juan Pan, Neil Moore, Stuart B. Krasnoff, Jerzy W. Jaromczyk, Christopher L. Schardl

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Swainsonine—a cytotoxic fungal alkaloid and a potential cancer therapy drug—is produced by the insect pathogen and plant symbiont Metarhizium robertsii, the clover pathogen Slafractonia leguminicola, locoweed symbionts belonging to Alternaria sect. Undifilum, and a recently discovered morning glory symbiont belonging to order Chaetothyriales. Genome sequence analyses revealed that these fungi share orthologous gene clusters, designated “SWN,” which included a multifunctional swnKgene comprising predicted adenylylation and acyltransferase domains with their associated thiolation domains, a β-ketoacyl synthase domain, and two reductase domains. The role of swnK was demonstrated by inactivating it in M. robertsii through homologous …

Hydraulic Mechanisms Of Fungal-Induced Dieback In A Keystone Chaparral Species During Unprecedented Drought In California, Natalie M. Aguirre, Marissa E. Ochoa, Helen I. Holmlund, Frank E. Ewers, Stephen D. Davis

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Between 2012-2016, southern California experienced unprecedented drought that caused dieback in Malosma laurina, a keystone species of chaparral shrub communities. Dieback was especially severe in coastal exposures of the Santa Monica Mountains, leading to whole plant mortality exceeding 50% at some sites. We hypothesized that the endophytic fungus causing the dieback, Botryosphaeria dothidea, was successful in invading the xylem tissue of M. laurina because of protracted water stress, carbon starvation, or a combination of the two. We tested these possibilities in a controlled pot experiment by comparing three treatments, each inoculated with the fungus: (1) irrigated controls (2) …

Recommendations Of Generic Names In Diaporthales Competing For Protection Or Use, Amy Y. Rossman, Gerard C. Adams, Paul F. Cannon, Lisa A. Castlebury, Pedro W. Crous, Marieka Gryzenhout, Walter M. Jaklitsch, Luis C. Mejia, Dmitar Stoykov, Dhanushka Udayanga, Hermann Voglmayr, Donald M. Walker

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

In advancing to one name for fungi, this paper treats generic names competing for use in the order Diaporthales (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes) and makes a recommendation for the use or protection of one generic name among synonymous names that may be either sexually or asexually typified. A table is presented that summarizes these recommendations. Among the genera most commonly encountered in this order, Cytospora is recommended over Valsa and Diaporthe over Phomopsis. New combinations are introduced for the oldest epithet of important species in the recommended genus. These include Amphiporthe tiliae, Coryneum lanciforme, Cytospora brevispora, C. ceratosperma, C. …

Quality Changes In Hermetically Stored Corn Caused By Fungi And Sitophilus Zeamais, Nda-Agyima Addae-Mensah K

Open Access Theses

Hermetic storage has been shown to be effective in controlling insect pests and maintaining grain quality of dry grains at 13% moisture and below. However, the feasibility and use of hermetic storage for grains at intermediate mid-moisture levels under the influence of the sub-Saharan African weather conditions is relatively unknown. Hermetic storage experiments were conducted on grade 1 "6297 and 6333 VT RIB" hybrid corn under controlled temperature conditions at 10 degrees centigrade and 25 degrees centigrade at target approximate moisture content levels of 11, 15, 18 and 21% wet basis for a total storage period of 6 months. Corn …

Plant Ecophysiology Of Mycorrhizal Fungi, Gregory Keith Bartley Jr.

Gregory Keith Bartley Jr.

No abstract provided.

The Future Of Southern Agriculture, Gregory Keith Bartley Jr.

Gregory Keith Bartley Jr.

The increasing demand for the supply of energy in the south heavily impacts the allocation of water for use in agriculture. With such a high percentage of the south's freshwater going towards energy production, little can make its way into food, feed, and fiber. Because the need for this exponential energy production in the south is currently greater than its agricultural importance, southern farmers are left to endure heavy irrigation restrictions. The solution to this problem can manifest itself in one of two ways. Southern states can either implement strategies that can reduce plant water consumption without reducing yield, or …

The Genome Of Nectria Haematococca: Contribution Of Supernumerary Chromosomes To Gene Expansion, Jeffrey J. Coleman, Steve D. Rounsley, Marianela Rodriguez-Carres, Alan Kuo, Catherine C. Wasmann, Jane Grimwood, Jeremy Schmutz, Masatoki Taga, Gerard J. White, Shiguo Zhou, David C. Schwartz, Michael Freitag, Li-Jun Ma, Etienne G. J. Danchin, Bernard Henrissat, Pedro M. Coutinho, David R. Nelson, Dave Straney, Carolyn A. Napoli, Bridget M. Barker, Michael Gribskov, Martijn Rep, Scott Kroken, István Molnár, Christopher Rensing, John C. Kennell, Jorge Zamora, Mark L. Farman, Eric U. Selker, Asaf Salamov, Harris Shapiro, Jasmyn Pangilinan, Erika Lindquist, Casey Lamers, Igor V. Grigoriev, David M. Geiser, Sarah F. Covert, Esteban Temporini, Hans D. Vanetten

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

The ascomycetous fungus Nectria haematococca, (asexual name Fusarium solani), is a member of a group of >50 species known as the "Fusarium solani species complex". Members of this complex have diverse biological properties including the ability to cause disease on >100 genera of plants and opportunistic infections in humans. The current research analyzed the most extensively studied member of this complex, N. haematococca mating population VI (MPVI). Several genes controlling the ability of individual isolates of this species to colonize specific habitats are located on supernumerary chromosomes. Optical mapping revealed that the sequenced isolate has 17 chromosomes ranging from 530 …

Microbial Content Of Abattoir Wastewater And Its Contaminated Soil In Lagos, Nigeria, A. O. Adesemoye, B. O. Opere, S. C. O. Makinde

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Microbial content of wastewater in two abattoirs and the impact on microbial population of receiving soil was studied in Agege and Ojo Local Government Areas in Lagos State, Nigeria. Wastewater samples were collected from each of the abattoirs over three months period and examined for microbial content. Soil samples contaminated with the wastewaters were also collected and analyzed for microbial content as compared to soil without wastewater contamination in the neighborhood (control). Some physico-chemical parameters of the samples such as total dissolved solid, chemical oxygen demand, etc., were examined. The wastewater samples from both abattoirs were highly contaminated; Agege abattoir …

Crop Updates 2003 - Cereals, Graham Crosbie, Robert Loughman, Collin Wellings, Greg Shea, Simon Mckirdy, Neil C. Turner, Brenda Shackley, Wal Anderson, Darshan Sharma, Mohammad Amjad, Steve Penny Jr, Melanie Kupsch, Anne Smith, Veronika Reck, Pam Burgess, Glenda Smith, Elizabeth Tierney, Peter Burges, Moin Salam, Megan Collins, Art Diggle, Blakely Paynter, Roslyn Jetter, Kevin Young, Jocelyn Ball, Natasha Littlewood, Lucy Anderton, Irene Waters, Tim Setter, Jeff Russell, Reg Lance, Chengdao Li, Sue Broughton, Michael Jones, Grace Zawko, Keith Gregg, Stephen Loss, Frank Ripper, Ryan Guthrie, Daniel Bell, Patrick Gethin, Narelle Hill, Laurence Caeslake, Vivien Vanstone, Sean Kelly, Helen Hunter, Christopher R. Newman

Crop Updates

This session covers twenty one papers from different authors:

PLENARY

1. Recognising and responding to new market opportunities in the grains industry, Graham Crosbie, Manager, Grain Products Research, Crop Breeding, Plant Industries, Department of Agriculture

2. Stripe rust – where to now for the WA wheat industry? Robert Loughman¹, Colin Wellings² and Greg Shea¹¹Department of Agriculture, ²University of Sydney Plant Breeding Institute, Cobbitty (on secondment from NSW Agriculture)

3. Benefits of a Grains Biosecurity Plan, Dr Simon McKirdy, Plant Health Australia, Mr Greg Shea, Department of Agriculture

4. Can we improve …

Signaling Via Camp In Fungi: Interconnections With Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathways, James Kronstad, Adriana De Maria, Deanna L. Funnell, R. David Laidlaw, Nancy Lee, Mário Moniz De Sá, Marilee Ramesh

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The cAMP signal transduction pathway controls a wide variety of processes in fungi. For example, considerable progress has been made in describing the involvement of cAMP pathway components in the control of morphogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Ustilago maydis, and Magnaporthe grisea. These morphological processes include the establishment of filamentous growth in S. cerevisiae and U. maydis, and the differentiation of an appressorial infection structure in M. grisea. The discovery that appressorium formation requires cAMP signaling provides an immediate connection to fungal virulence. This connection may have broader implications among fungal pathogens because recent work indicates that …

Date Of Planting Studies Of Winter Wheat And Winter Barley In Relation To Root And Crown Rot Grain Yields And Quality, C. R. Fenster, M. G. Boosalis, J. L. Weihing

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

This study was undertaken to determine the nature of root and crown rot of wheat and to ascertain the proper time to plant winter wheat so as to conserve moisture, minimize root and crown rot and thereby maximize yield. Studies conducted for 15 years at several locations in western Nebraska reveal that planting date is a significant factor for higher yields, particularly in certain years.

A Study Of Puccinia Graminis And Cronartium Ribicola, Duane W. Hughes

Graduate Student Research Papers

It was the purpose of this study (1) to review the literary history of rusts in the United States and in the Northwest in particular, ( 2) to learn where rusts generally are found geographically, (3) to gain further information regarding the etiology of wheat rust (Puccinia graminis tritici), of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) and to become enlightened on other rusts, (4) to learn ways of controlling the two rusts, black stem rust of wheat and white pine blister rust, and to gain an appreciation of the economic importance of rust prevention.