Microarray Analysis And Development Of A High Throughput Plant Transformation System To Study Gene Expression Occurring Between Soybean (Glycine max) And Its Major Pathogen, The Soybean Cyst Nematode

Vincent Klink, Assistant Professor, University of Mississippi, Speaking at the Agrigenomics World Congress

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Launch presentation

About the speaker

Vincent Klink did his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics working on the gametophyte development in the water fern, Marsilea vestita. Developing RNAi strategies he inhibited the differentiation of spermatocytes. Dr. Klink then moved on to post-doctoral studies to investigate cell division at the Carnegie Institution, Department of Embryology under a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Klink underwent a second post-doctoral study at the United States Department of Agriculture to investigate the cell biology of nematode feeding cells. During that time, Dr. Klink has developed techniques to isolate the feeding cells, perform a variety of analyses and perform functional studies to determine the molecular roles of those genes. Currently, Dr. Klink is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Mississippi State University.

Abstract

Parasitic nematodes are a major agricultural problem that is poorly understood. The most prominent of these interactions is Glycine max infection by Heterodera glycines because it accounts for an estimated $460 to $818 million in production losses annually in the U.S. and approximately 15 billion, worldwide. During infection, H. glycines create a feeding cell called a syncytium that it feeds from throughout its life cycle. Syncytia were isolated by laser capture microdissection to identify genes expressed during its development. A microarray analysis was then used to study gene expression within syncytia. H. glycines gene expression was also monitored, revealing numerous genes involved in various aspects of growth and development. In a companion analysis, candidate nematode genes were used in a series of plant transformation experiments with the aim of understanding their role during nematode infection. This was accomplished using a panel of RNAi vectors developed specifically for G. max transformation and nematode investigations. Plant-expressed RNAi constructs are shown to reduce mature female counts 84-93%. Obvious signs of impaired nematode development are evident by 8 days after infection.

Launch presentation