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Measuring Gene Expression in Bombarded Barley Aleurone Layers with Increased Throughput
Published on: March 30, 2018
Blumeria graminis interactions with barley conditioned by different single R genes demonstrate a temporal and spatial
Elena Prats1, Alan P Gay, Peter C Roberts
1Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, CSIC, Alameda del Obispo, Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14080 Córdoba, Spain.
Phytopathology
|December 9, 2009
Summary
Barley plants with specific resistance (R) genes exhibit hypersensitive response (HR) to powdery mildew, causing stomatal "lock-up" and increased water conductance. This response varies by R gene, impacting disease resistance strategies.
Area of Science:
- Plant Pathology
- Plant-Microbe Interactions
- Molecular Genetics
Background:
- Powdery mildew (caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei) is a significant disease in barley (Hordeum vulgare).
- Hypersensitive Response (HR) is a plant defense mechanism involving programmed cell death at the infection site.
- Stomatal regulation plays a crucial role in plant defense and water relations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between hypersensitive response (HR) and stomatal behavior in barley during Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei infection.
- To characterize the spatio-temporal patterns of HR formation associated with different Mla resistance genes.
- To determine the impact of HR-induced stomatal changes on leaf water conductance (g(l)).
Main Methods:
- Inoculation of barley isolines (Mla1, Mla3, MlLa) with Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei and B. graminis f. sp. avenae.
- Measurement of leaf water conductance (g(l)) under varying light and dark conditions.
- Microscopic observation of hypersensitive response (HR) formation and guard cell autofluorescence.
Main Results:
- HR in barley was associated with stomatal 'lock-up' and increased leaf water conductance (g(l)), particularly during dark periods.
- Different Mla resistance genes (Mla1, Mla3, MlLa) exhibited distinct HR patterns affecting fungal growth and secondary infection.
- Increased dark g(l) was observed even with non-pathogenic B. graminis f. sp. avenae, correlating with epidermal cell HR.
Conclusions:
- Stomatal lock-up is directly linked to HR-associated cell death in barley.
- The timing and spatial patterns of HR vary depending on the specific Mla resistance gene.
- Understanding these interactions can inform strategies for breeding disease-resistant barley varieties.
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