ARS | Publication request: Microarray analysis of soybean treated with Fusarium virguliforme filtrate suggests a role of genes related to cell-wall modification and detoxification during resistance

Submitted to: Biennial Conference on Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Soybean
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: May 27, 2008
Publication Date: July 20, 2008
Citation: Radwan, O., Li, M., Clough, S.J. 2008. Microarray analysis of soybean treated with Fusarium virguliforme filtrate suggests a role of genes related to cell-wall modification and detoxification during resistance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Conference on Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Soybean. July 20-23, 2008. Indianapolis, Indiana. p. 91.

Technical Abstract: Among the four economically most important diseases of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] worldwide is the disease called Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) caused by Fusarium virguliforme (FV), formally known as F. solani f.sp glycines. This soil borne fungus colonizes soybean roots causing root rot, and also releases a phytotoxin that is translocated to leaf tissues and causes interveinal chlorosis and necrosis leading to the symptoms of scorching and possible defoliation. Here, we report on a microarray study investigating the early response of soybean plants to the FV phytotoxin. Three varieties, with different levels of resistance were used: PI 567374 (highly resistant), Williams 82 (intermediate) and Essex (highly susceptible). Cross comparison of the gene expression profiles from different varieties allowed identification of some SDS defense genes that appear to be induced specifically in PI 567374, and another set of genes were induced commonly between the two more resistant varieties in comparison to susceptible Essex. Further functional annotations based on sequence homology suggested that some of the induced genes might encode proteins involved in cell-wall modification, detoxification, defense response, primary metabolism and membrane transport. Quantitative real-time reverse-transcribed PCR confirmed the differential transcript accumulation of a subset of these genes. Additional analyses are currently being conducted in whole plants challenged with natural root infection.