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ARS Home » Midwest Area » East Lansing, Michigan » Sugarbeet and Bean Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #253344
Title: Seedling Vigor in Beta vulgaris

Author
item NAEGELE, R - Michigan State University
item McGrath, Jon

Submitted to: Annual Beet Sugar Development Foundation Research Report
Publication Type: Research Notes
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2010
Publication Date: 6/1/2010
Citation: Naegele, R.P., McGrath, J.M. 2010. Seedling Vigor in Beta vulgaris [CD-ROM]. 2010 Annual Beet Sugar Development Foundation Research Report. Denver, Colorado: Beet Sugar Development Foundation.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: During the first few weeks of growth and development, beets are particularly susceptible to many biotic and abiotic stresses. Determining the genetic components behind successful stress response and relating those to adult resistance can provide tools for breeding and screening for resistance at early stages of development. EL55 seedlings were treated with water, 0.3% hydrogen peroxide, Rhizopus sp. or Aphanomyces cochlioides. Samples were collected 6 hours after treatment. Gene expression differences between the three experimental treatments were calculated and expressed as fold change in comparison to the control (water). Results showed a myriad of responses similar and divergent between the three stress treatments. Genes of particular interest were two kinases (BQ592267 and BQ487982) and BQ487982 a gene involved in tocopherol production/cleavage with an expression increases in both Rhizopus and Aphanomyces but not in hydrogen peroxide. Conversely, some genes such as BQ490338, a pyruvate decarboxylase were only up-regulated in hydrogen peroxide. BQ488795, ABA2 (the first step in ABA biosynthesis), and Phospholipase D alpha (which positively regulates ABA signaling) were induced in hydrogen peroxide and Rhizopus but not the Aphanomyces treatment. BQ594736, similar to MPK6 was only induced in the presence of Rhizopus, but not Aphanomyces or hydrogen peroxide at 6 hours. These results indicate that stress response has common elements that may be subject to selection in breeding or used for rapid disease resistance screening. In particular, the role of kinases appears to be essential for recognition of fungal pathogens.