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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Crop Bioprotection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #194548
Title: GENE EXPRESSION RESPONSE IMPACTING DESICCATION STRESS TOLERANCE FOR CRYPTOCOCCUS NODAENSIS (NOMEN NUDEM) OH 182.9 USING CROSS-SPECIES MICROARRAY ANALYSIS

Author
item Liu, Zonglin
item Schisler, David
item ZHANG, SHOUAN - UNIV KY, LEXINGTON

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/30/2006
Publication Date: 7/25/2006
Citation: Liu, Z., Schisler, D.A., Zhang, S. 2006. Gene expression response impacting desiccation stress tolerance for Cryptococcus nodaensis (nomen nudem) OH 182.9 using cross-species microarray analysis [abstract]. Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology Meeting. Abstract No. 561C.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Beneficial yeast Cryptococcus nodaensis OH 182.9 is a biological control agent for Fusarium head blight of wheat caused by Gibberella zeae. Formulation of the biocontrol agent by air-drying in an inert diatomaceous earth (DE) carrier provided unsatisfactory product stability and shelf life. We have demonstrated that cold shock adaptation treatment of the yeast significantly increased viability after air-drying process. This study compared gene expression response of strain OH 182.9 under cold adapted and untreated normal conditions using cross-species hybridization with a C. neoformans serotype D 70-mer DNA oligo nucleotide microarray. Cells were grown in a semi-defined liquid medium at 25 degrees C for 20 hours, and then the incubation temperature was lowered to 15 degrees C for 28 hours until harvest. Cells grown at 25 degrees C for 48 hours served as a control. Samples were taken and total RNA isolated at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 28 hours after the temperature shift. The C. neoformans genome microarray contained 7,738 genes, for which about 200 genes were detected to have significant signal intensities derived from the cross-species hybridization reaction between C. neoformans and C. nodaensis OH 182.9 based on replicated experiments. Among those cross-hybridized entries, 27 genes were found to be differentially expressed by the cold adaptation treatment, which could potentially impact cell tolerance of the air-drying process. Most of the identified genes lack a known function in the current available annotation database. Cross-species hybridization using microarray has been reported in mammalian species for both cDNA and oligonucleotide arrays. Results of this study suggest that high throughput screening for relevant genes involved in desiccation tolerance for C. nodaensis OH 182.9 can be potentially achieved by cross-species hybridization using a C. neoformans gene microarray. Confirmation of the preliminarily identified candidate genes is underway.