Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Cereal Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #117850
Title: GENETIC TRANSFORMATION OF BARLEY WITH GENES FOR SCAB RESISTANCE.

Author
item MANOHARAN, M. - PLNT SCI, NDSU, FARGO, ND
item HOHN, T. - SYNGENTA, RES TRI PK, NC
item Dahleen, Lynn

Submitted to: National Fusarium Head Blight Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2000
Publication Date: 12/10/2000
Citation: Manoharan, M., Hohn, T.M., Dahleen, L.S. 2000. Genetic transformation of barley with genes for scab resistance.. National Fusarium Head Blight Forum Proceedings, p. 37.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused primarily by Fusarium graminearum, has been one of the most destructive diseases of barley since the early 1990s, resulting in huge economic losses for growers. Of particular concern is the production of deoxynivalenol (DON), a pathogen virulence factor, which is harmful to humans and livestock. It has been proposed that increasing plant tolerance to DON could improve resistance to FHB while at the same time reducing DON accumulation in grain. FsTRI 101 (TriR), encodes a 3-OH trichothecene acetyltransferase that converts DON to a less toxic acetylated form while PDR5, an ATP-binding cassette transporter, acts as a efflux transporter, shunting DON across the plasma membrane from the interior of the cell. We have transformed the commercial malting barley cultivar Conlon with the TRI 101 and PDR5 genes with the aim of eliminating/reducing DON level in the infected grain. Ten day old callus derived from immature embryos was co-bombarded with the herbicide resistance gene, bar, as a selectable marker. After several rounds of selection on bialaphos medium, putative transgenic plants were regenerated. The transgenic nature of these plants was confirmed by Southern analysis. Work is in progress to determine the expression of the introduced genes. Some of the regenerated plants were tetraploid. We are trying to convert transgenic tetraploid plants into diploids through conventional crossing.