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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #262691

Title: Gene expression profiling of resistant and susceptible soybean lines infected with soybean cyst nematode

Author
item MAZAREI, MITRA - University Of Tennessee
item LIU, WUSHENG - University Of Tennessee
item AL-AHMED, HANI - University Of Tennessee
item Arelli, Prakash
item PANTALONE, VINCE - University Of Tennessee
item STEWART, NEAL - University Of Tennessee

Submitted to: Theoretical and Applied Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/7/2011
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Soybean yields worldwide are limited by the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), a microscopic size roundworm attacking the roots of the soybean plant in infested fields. Resistant cultivars have been the most effective means of controlling the pest. Nematode populations are highly variable and over time have adapted to reproduce on resistant cultivars. Management strategies to control nematode populations may result in extending the effectiveness of a given resistant cultivar. Information about the genetic basis of soybean-SCN interactions will be highly useful to assist future development of effective management strategies. Recent technology called Affymetrix Soybean Genome Array was used to determine differences in two genetically related sister soybean lines; resistant and susceptible. The assay indicated that expression levels of 84 genetic components or genes increased while 78 decreased significantly in the resistant line while 674 components increased and 1020 decreased significantly in the susceptible sister line. These genetic components or genes to which a function could be assigned were associated with several activities in the plant including activation of defense mechanism to nematode invasion. These results add to the knowledge base needed to identify genes that play roles in soybean-SCN interactions and for understanding how soybean responds to infection, potentially leading to identification of genes involved in defense mechanism to SCN. Ultimately, the information will be useful to soybean breeders and growers to manage soybeans more effectively against nematode populations in infested fields.

Technical Abstract: Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the most devastating pathogen of soybean. Information about the molecular basis of soybean–SCN interactions is needed to assist future development of effective management tools against this pathogen. Toward this end, soybean transcript abundance was measured using the Affymetrix Soybean Genome Array in a susceptible and a resistant reaction of soybean to SCN infection. Two genetically related soybean sister lines TN02-226 and TN02-275, which are resistant and susceptible, respectively, to the SCN race 2 infection were utilized in these experiments. Pairwise comparisons followed by false discovery rate analysis indicated that the expression levels of 162 transcripts changed significantly in the resistant line, of which 84 increased while 78 decreased. However, in the susceptible line, 1,694 transcripts changed significantly, of which 674 increased while 1,020 decreased. Comparative analyses of these transcripts indicated that a total of 51 transcripts were in common between resistance and susceptible responses. In this set, 42 were increased in the resistant soybean, but decreased in the susceptible soybean. Quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed the results of microarray analysis. Of the transcripts to which a function could be assigned, genes were associated with metabolism, cell wall modification, signal transduction, transcription, and defense. Our microarray analyses examining two genetically related soybean lines against the same SCN population provide additional insights into the specific changes in gene expression of a susceptible and a resistant reaction offering baseline data leading to identification of genes involved in defense.