Plant Biology Commons^™

Corn Yield Loss Estimates Due To Diseases In The United States And Ontario, Canada From 2012 To 2015, Daren S. Mueller, Kiersten A. Wise, Adam J. Sisson, Tom W. Allen, Gary C. Bergstrom, D. Bruce Bosley, Carl A. Bradley, Kirk D. Broders, Emmanuel Byamukama, Martin I. Chilvers, Alyssa Collins, Travis R. Faske, Andrew J. Friskop, Ron W. Heiniger, Clayton A. Hollier, David C. Hooker, Tom Isakeit, Tamra A. Jackson-Ziems, Douglas J. Jardine, Heather M. Kelly, Kasia Kinzer, Steve R. Koenning, Dean K. Malvick, Marcia Mcmullen, Ron F. Meyer, Pierce A. Paul, Alison E. Robertson, Gregory W. Roth, Damon L. Smith, Connie A. Tande, Albert U. Tenuta, Paul Vincelli, Fred Warner

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Annual decreases in corn yield caused by diseases were estimated by surveying members of the Corn Disease Working Group in 22 corn-producing states in the United States and in Ontario, Canada, from 2012 through 2015. Estimated loss from each disease varied greatly by state and year. In general, foliar diseases such as northern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot, and Goss’s wilt commonly caused the largest estimated yield loss in the northern United States and Ontario during nondrought years. Fusarium stalk rot and plant-parasitic nematodes caused the most estimated loss in the southern-most United States. The estimated mean economic loss …

Deidamia Inscriptum (Lettered Sphinx Moth) Caterpillars Feeding On Oxydendrum Arboreum (Sourwood) And Their Predation By Black Bears In Northeast Tennessee, Foster Levy, David L. Wagner, Elaine S. Walker

ETSU Faculty Works

An outbreak of Deidamia inscriptum (Lettered Sphinx Moth) caterpillars was noted in northeast Tennessee where Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood) trees were defoliated. Nearly all published literature and online resources list only plants in the grape family (Vitaceae) as larval food plants. Food-plant preference trials using fresh leaves of 3 woody plant species showed that Deidamiacaterpillars from this region had a preference for Sourwood over Parthenocissus quinquefolia(Virginia Creeper), and rejected Acer rubrum (Red Maple), a non-host species. Ursus americanus(Black Bear) were feeding on the caterpillars as evidenced by bent and broken Sourwood saplings bearing claw marks and by abundant …

Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci For Resistance To Goss’S Bacterial Wilt And Leaf Blight In North American Maize By Joint Linkage Analysis, Amritpal Singh, Aaron P. Andersen, Tamra A. Jackson-Ziems, Aaron J. Lorenz

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Goss’s wilt and leaf blight is a bacterial disease of maize (Zea mays L.) caused by the Gram-positive bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis. Goss’s wilt has reemerged as an important disease in the western United States and is spreading to other areas. Although the reasons for this reemergence are not completely known, it is important to understand the genetic basis of resistance to Goss’s wilt. The objective of this study was to map the quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying resistance to Goss’s wilt. To achieve this objective, joint linkage and linkage mapping in 3 of the 25 nested …

Bacterial Leaf Streak Of Corn Confirmed In Nebraska, Other Corn Belt States August 26, 2016, Tamra Jackson-Ziems, Kevin A. Korus, Tony Adesemoye, Julie Van Meter

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Bacterial leaf streak disease of corn, caused by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum, has now been confirmed in Nebraska, as well as in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas. The disease had not been previously identified in the U.S., but had been reported on corn in South Africa. Surveys are currently underway across the Corn Belt to identify the disease distribution. Initial observations and survey results suggest that it may be widely distributed throughout the Corn Belt. Unusual symptoms were first reported on corn samples received by the University of Nebraska Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic. Over the last two years, the …

Transcriptome Response Of Cassava Leaves Under Natural Shade, Zehong Ding, Yang Zhang, Yi Xiao, Fangfang Liu, Minghui Wang, Xinguang Zhu, Peng Liu, Qi Sun, Wenquan Wang, Ming Peng, Tom Brutnell, Pinghua Li

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Cassava is an important staple crop in tropical and sub-tropical areas. As a common farming practice, cassava is usually cultivated intercropping with other crops and subjected to various degrees of shading, which causes reduced productivity. Herein, a comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed on a series of developmental cassava leaves under both full sunlight and natural shade conditions. Gene expression profiles of these two conditions exhibited similar developmental transitions, e.g. genes related to cell wall and basic cellular metabolism were highly expressed in immature leaves, genes involved in lipid metabolism and tetrapyrrole synthesis were highly expressed during the transition stages, and …

In Vitro Motility Of Actin Filaments Powered By Plant Myosins Xi, Cesar A. Quintana-Cataño, Christopher J. Staiger, Weiwei Zhang

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The actomyosin network is thought to support fundamental processes of plant development and cell expansion such as polarized elongation of root hairs and the diffuse growth of epidermal and mesophyll cells. Inhibition of myosins via pharmacological treatments represents one of the key approaches for understanding of their roles in different cellular processes. However, the use of the standard plant myosin inhibitor, 2,3-butanedionemonoxime (BDM), is questioned as it requires a high concentration and may not be as specific as desired. By testing drugs that inhibit animal and yeast myosins V, the Staiger laboratory previously found pentabromopseudilin (PBP) as a potential inhibitor …

Validation Of Reference Genes For Robust Qrt-Pcr Gene Expression Analysis In The Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe Oryzae, Sarena Che Omar, Michael A. Bentley, Giulia Morieri, Gail M. Preston, Sarah J. Gurr, Richard Wilson (Editor)

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The rice blast fungus causes significant annual harvest losses. It also serves as a genetically- tractable model to study fungal ingress. Whilst pathogenicity determinants have been unmasked and changes in global gene expression described, we know little about Magnaporthe oryzae cell wall remodelling. Our interests, in wall remodelling genes expressed during infection, vegetative growth and under exogenous wall stress, demand robust choice of reference genes for quantitative Real Time-PCR (qRT-PCR) data normalisation. We describe the expression stability of nine candidate reference genes profiled by qRT-PCR with cDNAs derived during asexual germling development, from sexual stage perithecia and from vegetative mycelium …

Do Novel Weapons That Degrade Mycorrhizal Mutualisms Explain Invasive Species Success?, Philip L. Pinzone Mr.

Biology Theses

Invasive plants often dominate novel habitats where they did not co-evolve with local species. Several hypotheses suggest mechanisms that explain increased exotic plant success, including 'novel weapons' and 'degraded mutualisms'. Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) and European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) are widespread plant invaders in North America that can dominate ecosystems. The goal of this study is to test whether these impacts are more consistent with novel weapons or degraded mutualism hypotheses. I examine tree seedling recruitment, (germination and initial survival) growth, (biomass) and mycorrhizal invasion (AMF content) as a function of F. japonica and R. cathartica …

The Biology And Management Of Waterhemp In Indiana, Joseph M. Heneghan

Open Access Theses

Waterhemp is a dioecious weed species indigenous to the Midwestern United states yet it has only recently become problematic in agronomic crop production in Indiana. Waterhemp is a small-seeded broadleaf which has increased in prevalence in conjunction with an increase in conservation tillage practices. Waterhemp germinates and emerges from the top 3 cm of soil and is known to exhibit extended periods of continual emergence, longer than most other summer annual weed species that are typically present in agronomic production settings. As a C4 species, waterhemp then grows rapidly and is capable of producing thousands of seeds, while effectively competing …

Characterization Of Sip470, A Family 1 Lipid Transfer Protein And Its Role In Plant Stress Signaling, Timothy Ndagi Audam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

SIP470, a putative tobacco lipid transfer protein, was identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen to interact with SABP2. SABP2 is a critical role in SA-mediated signaling in tobacco and other plants. In vitro studies using purified recombinant SIP470 confirmed that it is a lipid binding protein. In an attempt to determine its role in mediating stress responses, Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion knockout lines lacking SIP470 homolog were used for the analysis. These mutant plants were defective in basal resistance against microbial pathogens. Expression of defense gene PR-1 was also delayed in these mutant plants. Interestingly, these mutant plants were not defective …

Genetic Basis Of Biosynthesis And Cytotoxic Activity Of Medicago Truncatula Triterpene Saponins, Brynn Kathleen Lawrence

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Saponins are a large family of specialized metabolites produced in many plants. They can have negative effects on a number of plant pests and are thought to play a role in plant defense. With current and possible future uses in industry and agriculture, saponins have also been shown to be hypocholesterolemic, hypoglycemic, immunostimulatory, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic. In spite of their usefulness, our understanding of the genetic basis for saponin biosynthesis is still incomplete. We generated recombinant populations with parents from genetically distinct accessions of Medicago truncatula, with either high or low accumulation and varying profiles of saponins. Primers for …

Characterization Of Echinochloa Spp. In Arkansas, Hussain Tahir

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Echinochloa species are the most problematic grass weeds in rice and soybean production throughout the southern United States. The species under this genus has high intra- and interspecific variability, with many ecotypes, observed within a species. This study was conducted to: i) characterize the morphology and phenology of Echinochloa accessions from Arkansas in a common garden; ii) verify the species identity of these accessions based on their morphological traits, and iii) evaluate the dormancy characteristics of Echinochloa accessions. Junglerice (E. colona) was identified as the most common species, comprising about 78% of the accessions collected, with barnyardgrass (E. crus-galli) and …

High Throughput Phenotypic Evaluation Of Drought-Related Traits In Soybean, Hua Bai

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drought limits crop growth and yield in soybean. Rapid and effective methods of screening large numbers of soybean lines for drought tolerance are urgently needed. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of drought in soybean during reproductive stages. In the first experiment five genotypes from maturity groups 2 through 5 were tested under well-irrigated and drought conditions. Beginning at R5, leaf samples were taken for nitrogen concentration analysis. Pictures were taken across the top of each plot to determine the intensity of greenness using the Dark Green Color Index (DGCI). Aerial photographs were also taken to determine aerial …

Assessment Of Concentrations Of Trace And Toxic Heavy Metals In Soil And Vegetables Grown In The Vicinity Of Manyoni Uranium Depositin Tanzania, F.A. Kapile, In Makundi

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study reports on determination of concentrations of trace and toxic heavy metals in soil and vegetables grown near of Manyoni uranium deposit. Soil and vegetable samples were collected from five sites namely Mitoo Mbuga, farming area, Miyomboni, Tambukareli and near water pump. The concentrations of heavy metals in soil and edible vegetables samples were analyzed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF).All vegetable samples were found to have higher concentrations (in μg/g) of trace elements such as Ni (67.3) in pea leaves, Cu (14.9) in pumpkin leaves, Fe (478.6), (200.5) and (337.1) in pea, pumpkin and spinach leaves respectively, …

Variation In Leaf Wettability Traits Along A Tropical Montane Elevation Gradient, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Lisa Patrick Bentley, Alexander Shenkin, Norma Salinas, Benjamin Blonder, Roberta E. Martin, Rosa Castro-Ccossco, Percy Chambi-Porroa, Sandra Diaz, Brian J. Enquist, Gregory P. Asner, Yadvinder Malhi

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

• Leaf wetting is often considered to have negative effects on plant function, such that wet environments may select for leaves with certain leaf surface, morphological, and architectural traits that reduce leaf wettability. However, there is growing recognition that leaf wetting can have positive effects.
• We measured variation in two traits, leaf drip tips and leaf water repellency, in a series of nine tropical forest communities occurring along a 3300-m elevation gradient in southern Peru. To extend this climatic gradient, we also assembled published leaf water repellency values from 17 additional sites. We then tested hypotheses for how these traits should …

Leaf Protein And Mineral Concentrations Across The “Miracle Tree” Genus Moringa, Mark E. Olson, Renuka P. Sankaran, Jed W. Fahey, Michael A. Grusak, David Odee, Wasif Nouman

Publications and Research

The moringa tree Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree cultivated across the lowland dry tropics worldwide for its nutritious leaves. Despite its nutritious reputation, there has been no systematic survey of the variation in leaf nutritional quality across M. oleifera grown worldwide, or of the other species of the genus. To guide informed use of moringa, we surveyed protein, macro-, and micro- nutrients across 67 common garden samples of 12 Moringa taxa, including 23 samples of M. oleifera. Moringa oleifera, M. concanensis, M. stenopetala, an M. concanensis X oleifera hybrid, and M. longituba were highest in protein, with M. …

Cross Species Selection Scans Identify Components Of C4 Photosynthesis In The Grasses, Pu Huang, Anthony J. Studer, James C. Schnable, Elizabeth A. Kellogg, Thomas P. Brutnell

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

C₄ photosynthesis is perhaps one of the best examples of convergent adaptive evolution with over 25 independent origins in the grasses (Poaceae) alone. The availability of high quality grass genome sequences presents new opportunities to explore the mechanisms underlying this complex trait using evolutionary biology-based approaches. In this study, we performed genome-wide cross-species selection scans in C₄ lineages to facilitate discovery of C₄ genes. The study was enabled by the well conserved collinearity of grass genomes and the recently sequenced genome of a C₃ panicoid grass, Dichanthelium oligosanthes. This method, in contrast to previous studies, …

Regulation Of Plant Productivity By Carbon-Based Nanomaterials: Approach And Evaluation Of Risks, Mohamed Hassen Lahiani

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon-based nanomaterials (CBN) are a unique type of nanomaterials with promising application in different fields including, medicine, genetic engineering, and plant biology. Nanomaterials-plant interaction is a new and emerging area of Nanobiotechnology. Some nano-sized materials are described as promising candidates for the regulation of plant growth, reduction of plant diseases, and delivery of molecules (herbicides, DNA, proteins) inside plant cells and to specific tissues. This study evaluated the potential use of different CBN to stimulate seed germination and plant growth of wide-range of valuable crops. We demonstrated the positive effect of short-term and long-term CBN exposure on the seed germination, …

Combinatory Effect Of Changing Co2, Temperature, And Long-Term Growth Temperature On Isoprene Emissions, Michael Cole

DePaul Discoveries

Isoprene, the most abundant hydrocarbon in the atmosphere, plays a significant role in atmospheric chemistry. Its reactions with NO_x lead to the formation of ozone in the lower troposphere, which is harmful to plants and detrimental to human health. As air temperatures and CO₂ concentrations increase with climate change, it is uncertain how isoprene emissions from plants will respond. We hypothesized that isoprene emissions will increase with the combination of increasing temperature and CO­₂ concentrations. We predict that oaks grown at a higher temperature will exhibit an increase in isoprene emissions with combined short-term increases in temperature …

The Correlation Between Basal Isoprene Emissions And Climate Of The Native Range Across Oak Species, Mary J. Babiez

DePaul Discoveries

Isoprene is a biogenic volatile organic compound that is emitted by various plant species and plays an important role in the chemistry of the atmosphere. When it reacts with pollutants in the air, such as nitrogen oxides, the precursor to ozone (O₃) is formed. In this experiment, we measured leaf emissions from 20 different oak species at the Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Illinois). The aim was to better understand differences in isoprene emissions across oak species. Since emissions have been found to protect leaves against brief periods of heat stress, we hypothesized that oaks native to areas with greater …

Trimethylated Lysine 4 At Histone 3 Shows The Same Circadian Rhythm At Promoters Of Diversely-Expressed Genes In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Robyn M. Wilson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Circadian clocks are biochemical mechanisms that allow eukaryotic and some prokaryotic organisms to coordinate their physiology with daily environmental changes. It enables organisms to increase their fitness by taking advantage of beneficial environmental conditions while also avoiding or restricting certain sensitive processes during harsh conditions. Similarly, post-translational histone modifications allow eukaryotic organisms to regulate gene expression in response to environmental or developmental factors. Some post-translational modifications of histones are associated with active transcription while others are associated with repressed transcription depending upon the location, type and degree of modification. Trimethylation of lysine 4 on the N-terminal tail of histone H3 …

Lof1 And Interacting Transcription Factors In Plant Development And Crop Yield, Zoe Yeoh, Elizabeth Luscher, Patricia Springer

Student Publications

Transcription factors (TFs) help ensure proper gene expression in developing tissues, and thus play a role in plant development and plant architecture. LATERAL ORGAN FUSION1, or LOF1, is a TF expressed in the organ boundaries of Arabidopsis thaliana. lof1 mutants have fused axillary branches and cauline leaves, which indicates importance in boundary development. Because transcription factors are known to act in complexes, we wanted to discover what other proteins interact with LOF1. We executed a yeast-2-hybrid (Y2H) screen that identified several TFs as potential interactors: WHIRLY 3 (WHY3), MYB DOMAIN PROTEIN32 (MYB32), HOMEOBOX-LEUCINE ZIPPER PROTEIN4 (HB4), and LIGHT RESPONSE BTB2 …

Endless Symbioses Most Intricate, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

Orchids, such as our Wildflower of the Year for 2016, Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) (Fig. 1), exemplify the interconnectedness of life on Earth. As would be the case for many kinds of plants, pollination comes readily to mind as a prominent example of mutualistic symbiosis. Downy Rattlesnake Plantain is pollinated by bumblebees and other native bees. The bees gain nectar and the orchid gets an efficient means to move pollen from one flower to another; each organism gains benefit from the interaction, the very definition of mutualism. Pollination by bees is widespread among the orchids, but there …

Rna-Seq Based Analysis Of Population Structure Within The Maize Inbred B73, Zhikai Liang, James C. Schnable

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Recent reports have shown than many identically named genetic lines used in research around the world actually contain large amounts of uncharacterized genetic variation as a result of cross contamination of stocks, unintentional crossing, residual heterozygosity within original stocks, or de novo mutation. 27 public, large scale, RNA-seq datasets from 20 independent research groups around the world were used to assess variation within the maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) inbred B73, a four decade old variety which served as the reference genotype for the original maize genome sequencing project and is widely used in genetic, genomic, and phenotypic research. Several …

Antiviral Rna Silencing Suppression Activity Of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Nss Protein, Tania Ocampo Ocampo, Sergio M. Gabriel Peralta, Nicole Bacheller, Stella Uiterwaal, Aaron Knapp, Alanna Hennen, Daniel Leobardo Ochoa-Martínez, Hernan Garcia-Ruiz

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

In addition to regulating gene expression, RNA silencing is an essential antiviral defense system in plants. Triggered by double-stranded RNA, silencing results in degradation or translational repression of target transcripts. Viruses are inducers and targets of RNA silencing. To condition susceptibility, most plant viruses encode silencing suppressors that interfere with this process, such as the Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) NSs protein. The mechanism by which NSs suppresses RNA silencing and its role in viral infection and movement remain to be determined. We cloned NSs from the Hawaii isolate of TSWV and using two independent assays show for the first …

Description Of Mesocriconema Ericaceum N. Sp. (Nematoda: Criconematidae) And Notes On Other Nematode Species Discovered In An Ericaceous Heath Bald Community In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Usa, Thomas O. Powers, Peter Mullin, Rebecca Higgins, Timothy Harris, Kirsten S. Powers

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

A new species of Mesocriconema and a unique assemblage of plant-parasitic nematodes was discovered in a heath bald atop Brushy Mountain in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mesocriconema ericaceum n. sp., a species with males, superficially resembles M. xenoplax. DNA barcoding with the mitochondrial COI gene provided evidence of the new species as a distinct lineage. SEM revealed significant variability in arrangement of labial submedian lobes, plates, and anterior and posterior annuli. Three other nematodes in the family Criconematidae were characterized from the heath bald. Ogma seymouri, when analyzed by statistical parsimony, established connections with isolates from north-eastern Atlantic …

Herbicide Resistantsorghum Mutants, Ismail M. Dweikat

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

This disclosure provides for four different sorghum mutants that exhibit resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. This dis closure also provides for methods of using such Sorghum mutants that exhibit resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides in breeding methods to make Sorghum hybrids, varieties, or lines. The Sorghum hybrids, varieties, and lines provided in this disclosure can be used in methods of controlling weeds.

Expression Of A Constitutively Active Nitrate Reductase Variant In Tobacco Reduces Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamine Accumulation In Cured Leaves And Cigarette Smoke, Jianli Lu, Leichen Zhang, Ramsey S. Lewis, Lucien Bovet, Simon Goepfert, Anne M. Jack, James D. Crutchfield, Huihua Ji, Ralph E. Dewey

Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center Faculty Publications

Burley tobaccos (Nicotiana tabacum) display a nitrogen-use-deficiency phenotype that is associated with the accumulation of high levels of nitrate within the leaf, a trait correlated with production of a class of compounds referred to as tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). Two TSNA species, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), have been shown to be strong carcinogens in numerous animal studies. We investigated the potential of molecular genetic strategies to lower nitrate levels in burley tobaccos by overexpressing genes encoding key enzymes of the nitrogen-assimilation pathway. Of the various constructs tested, only the expression of a constitutively active nitrate reductase (NR) …

Mapping Morels: Predicting The Locations Of Morchella Species Through Environmental Factors Using The Gis System, Emily M. Stanevicius

Celebration of Learning

Morel mushrooms, Morechella esculenta and M. deliciosa, are known delicacies across the globe, ranging from exquisite dishes in French cuisine to Eastern palates such as Japanese Matsutake. According to literature, true morels diverged as their own genus about 129 million years, again which has led to the development of more than 177 species and have been part of the human diet since their beginning. However, the elusiveness of morels has contributed to the mushrooms infamy for rarity, and has even been known to sell for more than $40 per pound. This project seeks to aid in the search for morels …

The Effects Of Two Levels Of Salinity On Wisconsin Fast Plants, Megan M. Janssen, Emily Geison, Tiffany Bertoni, Matthew Zimmerman

Celebration of Learning

Wisconsin Fast Plant (Brassica rapa, Brassicaceae) seeds were planted in three, six-celled planting containers filled with potting soil and put beneath a continuous grow-lux light. One week after sprouting, one container (E1) was put into a separate tray filled with 0.5% NaCl solution, another container (E2) was put into a separate tray filled with 1.0% NaCl solution, and the third container was left in regular tap water. At seven-day intervals thereafter, the height of all plants was recorded, and the numbers of leaves and flowers were recorded. By week four of recording data, the average height (mm) of the control …