Plant Breeding and Genetics Commons^™

The Importance Of A Multidisciplinary Approach To Public Health: Addressing Food Insecurity Through A Biological And Sociological Lens, Chloe Grant

Honors Theses

Plants can sense the change of 1 ^oC in their growth environment and thus global climate change has a great impact on plant growth and development. The phenomenon that warm non-stress temperatures promote stem and petiole elongation, as well as leaf hyponastic growth, is collectively known as thermomorphogenesis. While it is known that the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor PIF4 is highly inducible by temperature elevations and controls thermomorphogenesis in dicots (e.g., Arabidopsis thaliana), the molecular mechanism underlying thermomorphogenetic growth in monocots is not clear. In this study, I identify PIF4 orthologs in several economically important monocotyledonous species and …

Screening And Breeding Soybean For Flood Tolerance, Maria Roberta De Oliveira

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Waterlogging can be detrimental to soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] growth and development, with effects ranging from chlorosis and stunting to yield loss and plant death. Soybean responses to, and the effects of, waterlogging are dependent on the growth stage of the plant at the initiation of waterlogging. The objectives of this study were: (1) to assess the effectiveness of Genomic Selection (GS), Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) and Phenotypic Selection for flood tolerance at the progeny row stage as compared to random selection, for the development of high-yielding flood-tolerant lines; and (2) to compare field-screening and hydroponic greenhouse screening methodologies …

Transcriptional Activation Of Phytochrome-Interacting Factor 4 Is A Conserved Mechanism Of Thermomorphogenesis In Dicotyledenous Plants, Caroline Clutton

Honors Theses

In the model dicotyledonous plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor Phytochrome-Interacting Factor 4 (AtPIF4) plays a central role in regulating the ambient temperature-regulated hypocotyl growth response. Warm temperatures induce AtPIF4 transcription and the accumulated AtPIF4 promotes thermomorphogenesis by enhancing the expression of a group of growth-related genes. However, whether this thermo-induced growth response is universal, and more importantly, whether there is a conserved thermomorphogenetic mechanism shared in dicots is largely unknown. Here we show that higher ambient temperatures promote the hypocotyl growth in four other dicotyledonous plants, including Brassica rapa, Camelina sativa, Nicotiana benthamiana …

An Ancient, Light-Dependent Hydrocarbon-Forming Enzyme, Ananya Mukherjee

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Allelic Diversity At Abiotic Stress Responsive Genes In Relationship To Ecological Drought Indices For Cultivated Tepary Bean, Phaseolus Acutifolius A. Gray, And Its Wild Relatives, María A. Buitrago-Bitar, Andrés J. Cortés, Felipe López-Hernández, Jorge M. Londoño-Caicedo, Jaime E. Muñoz-Florez, L. Carmenza Muñoz, Matthew Wohlgemuth Blair

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Some of the major impacts of climate change are expected in regions where drought stress is already an issue. Grain legumes are generally drought susceptible. However, tepary bean and its wild relatives within Phaseolus acutifolius or P. parvifolius are from arid areas between Mexico and the United States. Therefore, we hypothesize that these bean accessions have diversity signals indicative of adaptation to drought at key candidate genes such as: Asr2, Dreb2B, and ERECTA. By sequencing alleles of these genes and comparing to estimates of drought tolerance indices from climate data for the collection site of geo-referenced, tepary bean accessions, we …

Pengaruh Air Kelapa Sebagai Sitokinin Organik Dan Sukrosa Terhadap Pertumbuhan Protocorm Anggrek (Phalaenopsis Hybrid Mp 253 X F1 3363 (M)) In Vitro, Muhammad Isyraq, Lia Amalia, Iis Aisyah

Jurnal Kultivasi

Sitokinin dan sukrosa dibutuhkan untuk meregenerasi protocorm anggrek. Air kelapa diketahui memiliki kandungan sitokinin sehingga berpotensi dijadikan sebagai sitokinin organik. Percobaan ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari pengaruh konsentrasi air kelapa sebagai sitokinin organik dan sukrosa terhadap pertumbuhan protocorm anggrek. Percobaan ini dilaksanakan di Laboratorium Bioteknologi Tanaman, Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Winaya Mukti, Kecamatan Tanjungsari Kabupaten Sumedang. Percobaan dimulai pada bulan Mei sampai dengan bulan Agustus 2019. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah rancangan acak kelompok dengan dua faktor dan diulang dua kali. Faktor pertama adalah konsentrasi air kelapa, terdiri dari lima taraf yaitu 0 mL L-1, 50 mL L-1, 100 mL L-1, air …

Sustainability Of Genetically Modified (Gm) Crops, Abdul Hakeem, Wajid Ali Shah

CBER Conference

This proposal identifies the methods used in the modification of crops, their production, modification, expansion, benefits, and carbon emission. Moreover, the special focus of this proposal is to explain the need for GM crops for developing nations which are witnessing exponential growth of their populations. Additionally, it pursues to determine how in the environmental and economic context, the significance of GM crops is overwhelming and cannot be overlooked. The greenhouse ePect reduction is the other essential output of the GM crops as shown through the illustrations.

Anatomical Analysis Of Somatic Mutation Accumulation In Mimulus Guttatus, Amanda Burrell

University Honors Theses

Plants are seemingly immortal in their abilities to survive long periods of dormancy in different life stages, live for thousands of years, and even grow into whole forests from one clone, all through a series of mitotic and meiotic events, but how many mutations do plants acquire in their lifetime? And just how many of these mutations are heritable? To answer these questions, first we must answer: how many cell divisions are there in the length of a stem? The purpose of this study is to answer just that by establishing a protocol for estimating the number of germ cell …

Seed Rain–Successional Feedbacks In Wet Tropical Forests, Nohemi Huanca Nuñez, Robin L. Chazdon, Sabrina E. Russo

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Abstract

Tropical forest regeneration after abandonment of former agricultural land depends critically on the input of tree seeds, yet seed dispersal is increasingly disrupted in contemporary human-modified landscapes. Here, we introduce the concept of seed rain–successional feedbacks as a deterministic process in which seed rain is shaped by successional dynamics internal to a forest site and that acts to reinforce priority effects. We used a combination of time series and chronosequence approaches to investigate how the quantity and taxonomic and functional composition of seed rain change during succession and to evaluate the strength of seed rain–successional feedbacks, relative to other …

Compounds Derived From Bacteria Enhance Marine Diatom Growth, Ananya Mukherjee

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Predicting Transcriptional Responses To Cold Stress Across Plant Species, Xiaoxi Meng, Zhikai Liang, Xiuru Dai, Yang Zhang, Samira Mahboub, Daniel W. Ngu, Rebecca Roston, James Schnable

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Although genome-sequence assemblies are available for a growing number of plant species, gene-expression responses to stimuli have been cataloged for only a subset of these species. Many genes show altered transcription patterns in response to abiotic stresses. However, orthologous genes in related species often exhibit different responses to a given stress. Accordingly, data on the regulation of gene expression in one species are not reliable predictors of orthologous gene responses in a related species. Here, we trained a supervised classification model to identify genes that transcriptionally respond to cold stress. A model trained with only features calculated directly from genome …

Arkansas Cotton Variety Test 2020, F. Bourland, A. Beach, E. Brown, C. Kennedy, L. Martin, B. Robertson

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The primary goal of the Arkansas Cotton Variety Test is to provide unbiased data regarding the agronomic performance of cotton varieties and advanced breeding lines in the major cotton-growing areas of Arkansas. This information helps seed companies establish marketing strategies and assists producers in choosing varieties to plant. These annual evaluations will then facilitate the inclusion of new, improved genetic material in Arkansas cotton production. Adaptation of varieties is determined by evaluating the lines at five University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture research sites (Manila, Keiser, Judd Hill, Marianna, and Rohwer). Entries in the 2020 Arkansas Cotton Variety Test …

Dissecting The Regulatory Roles Of Orm Proteins In The Sphingolipid Pathway Of Plants, Adil Alsiyabi, Ariadna Gonzalez Solis, Edgar B. Cahoon, Rajib Saha

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Sphingolipids are a vital component of plant cellular endomembranes and carry out multiple functional and regulatory roles. Different sphingolipid species confer rigidity to the membrane structure, facilitate trafficking of secretory proteins, and initiate programmed cell death. Although the regulation of the sphingolipid pathway is yet to be uncovered, increasing evidence has pointed to orosomucoid proteins (ORMs) playing a major regulatory role and potentially interacting with a number of components in the pathway, including both enzymes and sphingolipids. However, experimental exploration of new regulatory interactions is time consuming and often infeasible. In this work, a computational approach was taken to address …

Predicting Transcriptional Responses To Cold Stress Across Plant Species, Xiaoxi Meng, Zhikai Liang, Xiuru Dai, Yang Zhang, Samira Mahboub, Daniel W. Ngu, Rebecca L. Roston, James C. Schnable

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Although genome-sequence assemblies are available for a growing number of plant species, gene-expression responses to stimuli have been cataloged for only a subset of these species. Many genes show altered transcription patterns in response to abiotic stresses. However, orthologous genes in related species often exhibit different responses to a given stress. Accordingly, data on the regulation of gene expression in one species are not reliable predictors of orthologous gene responses in a related species. Here, we trained a supervised classification model to identify genes that transcriptionally respond to cold stress. A model trained with only features calculated directly from genome …

Production Of Tocotrienols In Seeds Of Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum L.) Enhances Oxidative Stability And Offers Nutraceutical Potential, Shanmukh S. Salimath, Trevor B. Romsdahl, Anji Reddy Konda, Wei Zhang, Edgar B. Cahoon, Michael K. Dowd, Thomas C. Wedegaertner, Kater D. Hake, Kent D. Chapman

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an economically important multi-purpose crop cultivated globally for fibre, seed oil and protein. Cottonseed oil also is naturally rich in vitamin E components (collectively known as tocochromanols), with a- and c-tocopherols comprising nearly all of the vitamin E components. By contrast, cottonseeds have little or no tocotrienols, tocochromanols with a wide range of health benefits. Here, we generated transgenic cotton lines expressing the barley (Hordeum vulgare) homogentisate geranylgeranyl transferase coding sequence under the control of the Brassica napus seed-specific promoter, napin. Transgenic cottonseeds had ~twofold to threefold increases in the accumulation of total vitamin …

Resistance To Aflatoxin Accumulation In Maize Mediated By Host-Induced Gene Silencing Of Aspergillus Flavus Alkaline Protease And O-Methyltransferase-A Genes, Olanike Omotola Omolehin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Aspergillus flavus is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that infects maize and produces aflatoxins. In the current study, portions of the alkaline protease (alk) and the O-methyl transferase (omtA) genes, which are key in A. flavus virulence and aflatoxin biosynthesis, respectively, were targeted for suppression through an RNAi (RNA interference) approach known as Host-Induced Gene Silencing (HIGS). Separate RNAi vectors were designed to carry regions of the alk and omtA gene fragments (Alk-RNAi and OmtA-RNAi) and introduced into B104 maize zygotic embryos. Eight and six transformation events were positive for the alk and omtA transgene, respectively. …

Molecular-Assisted Breeding For Soybean With High Oleic/Low Linolenic Acid And Elevated Vitamin E In The Seed Oil, Katherine Hagely, Anji Reddy Konda, Jeong-Hwa Kim, Edgar B. Cahoon, Kristin Bilyeu

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

The uses of vegetable oils are determined by functional properties arising from their chemical composition. Soybean oil was previously used in margarines and baked foods after partial hydrogenation to achieve heat and oxidative stability. This process, however, generates trans fats that are now excluded from food use because of cardiovascular health risks. Also present in soybean oil are the anti-oxidant tocopherols, with α- tocopherol (vitamin E) typically present as a minor component compared to γ-tocopherol. Genetic improvement of the fatty acid profile and tocopherol profile is an attractive solution to increase the functional and health qualities of soybean oil. The …

Chile Pepper Variety Evaluation At Four Sites Across Minnesota And Wisconsin, 2020, Charlie Rohwer, Natalie Hoidal, Cala Farm, Agua Gorda Farm Cooperative, Jarl's Produce

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Latinx fresh market vegetable farmers in Minnesota face numerous barriers to market access. Many Latinx farmers live in rural communities where farmers market sales are low, and opportunities for wholesale are limited. The growers who make up Shared Ground Farmers’ Cooperative have developed an innovative cooperative marketing system to aggregate produce and sell it in Twin Cities markets, but many of the individual farmers involved also wish to find ways to keep the produce they grow in their own communities. This project emerged through a series of discussions about finding niche markets for culturally relevant crops in small-town Mexican restaurants …

72-H Diurnal Rna-Seq Analysis Of Fully Expanded Third Leaves From Maize, Sorghum, And Foxtail Millet At 3-H Resolution, Xianjun Lai, Claire Bendix, Yan Zhang, James Schnable, Frank G. Harmon

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Objectives: The purpose of this data set is to capture the complete diurnal (i.e., daily) transcriptome of fully expanded third leaves from the C4 panacoid grasses sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), maize (Zea mays), and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) with RNA-seq transcriptome profiling. These data are the cornerstone of a larger project that examined the conservation and divergence of gene expression networks within these crop plants. This data set focuses on tem- poral changes in gene expression to identify the network architecture responsible for daily regulation of plant growth and metabolic activities. The power of this data set is fine temporal resolution …

Plasma Membrane Fluidity: An Environment Thermal Detector In Plants, Dora L. Cano-Ramirez, Laura Carmona-Salazar, Francisco Morales-Cedillo, Jorge Ramírez-Salcedo, Edgar B. Cahoon, Marina Gavilanes-Ruíz

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

The lipid matrix in cell membranes is a dynamic, bidimensional array of amphipathic molecules exhibiting mesomorphism, which contributes to the membrane fluidity changes in response to temperature fluctuation. As sessile organisms, plants must rapidly and accurately respond to environmental thermal variations. However, mechanisms underlying temperature perception in plants are poorly understood. We studied the thermal plasticity of membrane fluidity using three fluorescent probes across a temperature range of -5 to 41 °C in isolated microsomal fraction (MF), vacuolar membrane (VM), and plasma membrane (PM) vesicles from Arabidopsis plants. Results showed that PM were highly fluid and exhibited more phase transitions …