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Title: Differential Sugar Beet gene expression during the defense response to challenge by Cercospora beticola

Author
item LARSON, REBECCA
item MCCLINTOCK, MARY
item CRAMER, ROBERT
item Hill, Amy
item Fenwick, Ann
item Reeves, Patrick
item Webb, Kimberly
item Panella, Leonard

Submitted to: American Society of Sugarbeet Technologists
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/25/2009
Publication Date: 2/25/2009
Citation: Larson, R., Mcclintock, M., Cramer, R., Hill, A.L., Fenwick, A.L., Reeves, P.A., Webb, K.M., Panella, L.W. 2009. Differential Sugar Beet gene expression during the defense response to challenge by Cercospora beticola. American Society of Sugarbeet Technologists. Vol. 46, No. 1 & 2, P 80 & 81.

Interpretive Summary: Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola Sacc. (Saccardo, 1867) (C. beticola) is a widespread foliar disease of sugar beet that causes reduced sugar and root yield. It can become a problem in many production areas in the U.S. and world-wide. The study of host resistance is important for the understanding of host-pathogen interaction, the development of more effective disease control strategies, and ultimately marker assisted selection utilizing implicated defense response genes. In the current study, a modified suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) was utilized to identify host plant genes involved in the defense response of sugar beet resistant to CLS. A CLS-resistant sugar beet germplasm, (FC504CMS X FC502/2)] X SP6322-0 (LSR), was inoculated with C. beticola and a subtracted cDNA library was created to identify defense related genes. Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to quantify the expression level of candidate defense response genes over an infection time course. Expression levels were examined for four genes identified via SSH (CP5, P450, PR-10, UVB), plus the sugar beet homologs of two defense response genes known from other systems (GST, SOD).

Technical Abstract: Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola Sacc. (Saccardo, 1867) (C. beticola) is a widespread foliar disease of sugar beet that causes reduced sugar and root yield. It can become a problem in many production areas in the U.S. and world-wide. The study of host resistance is important for the understanding of host-pathogen interaction, the development of more effective disease control strategies, and ultimately marker assisted selection utilizing implicated defense response genes. In the current study, a modified suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) was utilized to identify host plant genes involved in the defense response of sugar beet resistant to CLS. A CLS-resistant sugar beet germplasm, (FC504CMS X FC502/2)] X SP6322-0 (LSR), was inoculated with C. beticola and a subtracted cDNA library was created to identify defense related genes. Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to quantify the expression level of candidate defense response genes over an infection time course. Expression levels were examined for four genes identified via SSH (CP5, P450, PR-10, UVB), plus the sugar beet homologs of two defense response genes known from other systems (GST, SOD).