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The Molecular Plant Pathology (MPP) program is assigned to identify the genetic and pathological tools and resources for rice breeding. Currently, rice blast disease caused by the ascomycete fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, and sheath blight disease caused by the necrotrophic soil-borne pathogen Rhizoctonia solaniare the two major destructive fungal diseases worldwide (Fig. 1 & 2). Both rice blast and sheath blight diseases in the U.S. have been managed using genetic resistance (major and minor genes) integrated with cultural practices. However, continued evolution and adaptation of the pathogen have been challenging the effectiveness of deployed resistance genes in commercial cultivars. The current focus of the MPP program is to study rice - M. oryzae, and rice - R. solanipathosystems, and to apply molecular techniques to identify sources of disease resistance, and to design strategies to accelerate incorporation of resistance genes into improved germplasm.
Specific objectives:
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To examine the co-evolution of the blast resistance gene Pi-tain rice with the corresponding avirulence gene AVR-Pitain M. oryzaefor developing novel disease management strategies (partially supported by the National Science Foundation-Weedy Rice Project)
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To identify the interaction components in the Pi-ta gene-mediated signal recognition and transduction pathways for developing durable resistance strategies
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To identify differentially and highly expressed genes after rice is infected either with the rice blast fungus or sheath blight fungus to develop molecular strategies that will improve resistance in enhanced rice germplasm (partially supported by USDA-CSREES RiceCAPproject)
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To develop useful genetic stocks and mapping populations for mapping and cloning resistance genes to both rice blast and sheath blight diseases ( GSOR Collection Catalog)
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To develop a large deletion mutant population for functional genomic studies and rice improvement ( GSOR Collection Catalog)
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To develop and improve tools for genetics and pathology
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To monitor the disease epidemics and study the mechanisms of pathogenesis
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To study mechanisms of fissuring for developing new knowledge for breeders to use for improving milling quality (partially supported by USA Rice Foundation)
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To understand mechanisms of rice epigenetics for improving yield potential and stress resistance (partially supported by the National Science Foundation)
Project Personnel:
Yulin Jia - Research Plant Molecular Pathologist - Scientist
Michael J. Lin - Biological Science Lab Technician
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Responsibilities include: 1) manage greenhouse to provide rice plants for the MPP program, 2) develop rice mapping population and 3) to evaluate disease reactions for different projects to study the genetic interaction between rice and pathogens. |
Dr. Fei Rubinelli - Biological Science Lab Technician (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry)
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Responsibilities are to facilitate the studies on the host-pathogen relation using tools of molecular biology and biochemistry. |
Guangjie Liu - Senior Research Associate
(Supported, in part, by USDA-National Science Foundation)
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Responsibilities are to develop and characterize the recombinant inbred line populations and map the quantitative trait loci responsible for yield components for understanding rice epigenetics. This project, in part, is supported by www.nsf.gov. |
Seonghee Lee - Postdoctoral Research Associate
(Supported by USDA-National Science Foundation)
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Primary responsibility is to understand the molecular evolution of blast resistance gene Pi-tain Oryzaespecies. This project is being funded as part of a NSF project. I also participate in a number of projects involving a broad spectrum of skills in plant pathology, molecular genomics and genetics, evolutionary genetics, functional genomics, bioinformatics, and biochemistry. This project in part is being funded as part of NSF project "The evolutionary genomics of invasive weedy rice". PI: Kenneth M. Olsen (Washington University in St. Louis); co-PI: Ana L. Caicedo (University of Massachusetts, Amherst); co-PI: Yulin Jia (USDA-ARS Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center). |
Yuntao Dai - Research Assistant
(Supported by UA Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board)
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Objectives of my research are 1) to determine the molecular variation of AVR-Pitaby sequencing AVR-Pitaalleles in isolates collected worldwide and 2) to determine the functionality of the AVR-Pitaallele from avirulent isolates by transformation into virulent isolates/races. This research will lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of the instability of blast resistance. |
Kristen Pratt - Biological Science Lab Aid (STEP)
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My responsibility is to support lab operations for all scientists and post-docs. |
Eli Eggerman - Biological Science Lab Aid (STEP)
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My responsibility is to assist all scientists and students in the lab, greenhouse and field as needed. |
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Mary Kate Currie - Biological Science Lab Aid (STEP)
(Funded by USA Rice Foundation)
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My responsibility is to study the inheritance of fissure resistance for improving rice milling quality. |
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Moytri Roy-Chowdhury - Senior Graduate Research Assistant in Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Department of Plant Pathology
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Responsibilities are to identify the host resistance genes in rice to the rice blast pathogen in certain well studied rice germplasm (http://plantpathology.uark.edu/). |
Research Snapshots:
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