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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Urbana, Illinois » Soybean/maize Germplasm, Pathology, and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #270424

Title: Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling gene expression during the innate immunity response of soybean

Author
item VALDES-LOPEZ, OSWALDO - University Of Missouri
item THIBIVILLIERS, SANDRA - University Of Missouri
item QIU, JING - University Of Missouri
item WENZHONG XU, WAYNE - University Of Minnesota
item NGUYEN, TRAN H.N. - University Of Missouri
item LIBAULT, MARC - University Of Missouri
item LE, BRANDON - University Of California
item GOLDBERG, ROBERT - University Of California
item HILL, CURTIS - University Of Illinois
item Hartman, Glen
item DIERS, BRIAN - University Of Illinois
item STACEY, GARY - University Of Missouri

Submitted to: Plant Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2011
Publication Date: 12/22/2011
Citation: Valdes-Lopez, O., Thibivilliers, S., Qiu, J., Wenzhong Xu, W., Nguyen, T., Libault, M., Le, B.H., Goldberg, R.B., Hill, C.B., Hartman, G.L., Diers, B., Stacey, G. 2011. Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling gene expression during the innate immunity response of soybean. Plant Physiology. 157:1975-1986.

Interpretive Summary: Plants, like animals, are constantly under threat from different pathogens. To counter this threat, plants have developed a sophisticated system to detect pathogens and trigger a strong defense response. In this study, leaves of four soybean genotypes were treated with two chemical compounds either alone or in combination to induce an immune response. One chemical was a 22 amino acid peptide (originating from bacterial flagellin) and the other chemical was chitin (originating from a crab shell). We found clear variation between soybean genotypes in production of a plant response product, measured by reactive oxygen, involved in the plant defense system after exposure to induce a defense response. Variation in the triggered immunity correlated with the level of pathogen resistance for each genotype. An analysis on these traits identified four loci that appeared to regulate gene expression during the triggered immunity response. Likewise, we observed that both immunity response variation and pathogen resistance were quantitatively inherited. The approach utilized in this study may have utility for identifying key resistance loci useful for developing improved soybean cultivars. This information is useful for molecular plant biologists, plant pathologists and plant breeders working on quantitative resistance traits.

Technical Abstract: Microbe associated molecular pattern (MAMP)-triggered immunity (MTI) is an important component of the plant innate immunity response to invading pathogens. However, most of our knowledge of MTI comes from studies of model systems with relatively little work done with crop plants. In this work, we report on variation in both MAMP-triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and gene expression across four soybean genotypes. Variation in MTI correlated with the level of pathogen resistance for each genotype. An analysis on these traits identified four loci that appeared to regulate gene expression during MTI in soybean. Likewise, we observed that both MTI variation and pathogen resistance were quantitatively inherited. The approach utilized in this study may have utility for identifying key resistance loci useful for developing improved soybean cultivars.