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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Food Quality Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #295845
Title: Peanut resistant gene expression in response to Aspergillus flavus infection during seed germination

Author
item ZHANG, HUILI - Shenyang Agricultural University
item Scharfenstein, Leslie
item Zhang, Dunhua
item Chang, Perng Kuang
item Montalbano, Beverly
item Guo, Baozhu
item MENG, XIANJUN - Shenyang Agricultural University
item Yu, Jiujiang

Submitted to: Journal of Phytopathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/4/2014
Publication Date: 10/3/2014
Citation: Zhang, H., Scharfenstein, L.L., Zhang, D., Chang, P., Montalbano, B.G., Guo, B., Meng, X., Yu, J. 2014. Peanut resistant gene expression in response to Aspergillus flavus infection during seed germination. Journal of Phytopathology. 163(3):212-221.

Interpretive Summary: Aspergillus flavus infects crops such as peanut and produce aflatoxins which are toxic and carcinogenic. In order to solve the problem of aflatoxin contamination on food and grains, host resistance to fungal infection is one of the important strategies routinely used by crop breeders. In this study, a group of genes that could contribute to peanut resistance to A. flavus infection and reduce aflatoxin production were identified. Investigations demonstrated that the peanut genes are expressed in a sequential manner to counter fungal infection for resistance. This information could be important for peanut breeders to integrate resistance genes into commercial cultivars in controlling aflatoxin contamination.

Technical Abstract: Aspergillus flavus produces potent mutagenic and carcinogenic polyketide-derived secondary metabolites known as aflatoxins. Development of host-plant resistance in peanut and other crops would be a cost-effective and practical approach to eliminate the serious problem of aflatoxin contamination due to its economic and health impacts. In order to confirm that some putative peanut genes identified in a previous microarray study are really involved in peanut resistance to A. flavus infection, 14 genes were selected for further investigation through real time PCR in this study. The results revealed diverse patterns of gene expression during the germination process after A. flavus inoculation. Based on the expression levels and the relative expression patterns over a 7-day period, the 14 peanut genes could be classified into six different groups belonging to three main processes of counter-attack genetically and biochemically. A network of gene expressions was activated in proper sequential order in response to A. flavus invasion in both resistant and susceptible peanut lines during the germinating process. The understanding of their gene expression pattern could be useful to peanut breeders in further breeding programs.