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Title: Transcriptome Alterations Resulting From Infection And Recovery Of Leafy Spurge To Cassava Bacterial Blight (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Manihotis)

Author
item Horvath, David
item SANTANA, MARIA - UNIVERSIDAD SIMÓN BOLIVAR

Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/26/2008
Publication Date: 12/10/2008
Citation: Horvath, D.P., Santana, M. 2009. Transcriptome Alterations Resulting from Infection and Recovery of Leafy Spurge to Cassava Bacterial Blight (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Manihotis)[Abstract]. Plant and Animal Genome XVII Conference. W508.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Leafy spurge is a perennial rangeland weed that has been developed as a model weed system. An extensive EST database and cDNA microarrays containing more than 23,000 unigenes have been developed and used to characterize a variety of physiological processes from bud dormancy to drought stress and recovery. The causative agent of cassava bacterial blight (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Manihotis (Xam) is capable of infecting leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). However after initial symptoms, the spurge plants generally recovered within three weeks. We have used the cDNA microarrays to follow the progression of disease and recovery of leafy spurge infected by Xam. A total of 944 genes were differentially expressed at one or more time points. Transcriptome changes show a strong negative impact on photosynthesis and other aspects of energy accumulation and use within 24hrs after inoculation. However, by 1 week, at the height of observable damage, most of these genes were no longer differentially expressed. However, genes involved in lignin biosynthesis, plant/fungal specific systemic sensing and response, and other pathogenesis-related (PR) genes were strongly up-regulated by week 1. These PR genes were generally not differentially expressed by week 3 when the plants had mostly recovered. Phosphate metabolism and lipid, fatty-acid and isoprenoid utilization were specifically up-regulated as the plants recovered from infection.