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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Plant Science Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #268872
Title: Medicago truncatula interacting with Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. insidiosus, a pathosystem in the making

Author
item LU, YOU - University Of Minnesota
item GLAZEBROOK, JANE - University Of Minnesota
item ISHIMARU, CAROL - University Of Minnesota
item Samac, Deborah - Debby

Submitted to: American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/11/2011
Publication Date: 8/11/2011
Citation: Lu, Y., Glazebrook, J., Ishimaru, C.A., Samac, D.A. 2011. Medicago truncatula interacting with Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. insidiosus, a pathosystem in the making [abstract]. Plant Biology 2011, American Society of Plant Biologists Meeting, August 6-10, 2011, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Available: http://abstracts.aspb.org/pb2011/public/P19/P19052.html.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The interaction between plants and bacterial pathogens unveils a complex signaling network of plant immune system. Most insightful analyses of this network are conducted on the model pathosystem involving Arabidopsis thaliana and Pseudomonas syringae. However, validation and discovery of new components in the network are needed to apply the knowledge from the model pathosystem into understanding interactions between plants and Gram-positive bacterial pathogens. A potential pathosystem in the making is Medicago truncatula interacting with Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. insidiosus (Cmi), a bacteria species in the phylum of Actinobacteria, representing high G+C plant pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria. Both resistant and susceptible M. truncatula lines have been identified based on the level of suppression of Cmi growth inside after root inoculation with Cmi pure culture cell suspensions. A robust method of quantification of bacteria growth has been established using quantitative-PCR approach. The readouts from such quantification assay can be correlated to actual bacteria colony forming unit counts. The detection capability ranges from as low as 10**4 bacterial cells to as high as 10**8. This quantification method will be applied in screening the recombinant inbred lines from a cross between resistant and susceptible parents of M. truncatula for the identification of loci conferring the resistance. Different plant defense responses will also be examined on this pathosystem to better characterize the interaction between M. truncatula and Cmi. The goal of this project is to add knowledge to the repertoire of plant responses to pathogenic bacteria, and such knowledge can be applied to development of crop varieties with broad spectrum resistance to phytopathogenic bacteria.