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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Research Project #428399

Research Project: Identification of Novel Sources of Resistance to Ear Rot and Aflatoxin Accumulation in Corn

Location: Food and Feed Safety Research

Project Number: 6054-42000-025-009-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Mar 1, 2015
End Date: Feb 29, 2020

Objective:
To identify and characterize novel endogenous sources of resistance to ear rot and aflatoxin accumulation in corn.

Approach:
The focus of this research will be on a subset of the proteins that have been identified in proteomic screening conducted at the USDA/ARS/SRRC lab, as putatively involved in aflatoxin accumulation and/or ear rot resistance. Identified proteins will be further characterized and the corresponding genes will be isolated and cloned. Proteins will be expressed in a suitable in vitro system and their possible physiological functions will be investigated. Knowledge of Aspergillus flavus functional genomics techniques will be used to identify/test proteins for target-specific interruption of aflatoxin biosynthesis. The information obtained through the above studies will be used to explore the potential of the identified genes to serve as markers in marker-assisted breeding programs.