Project description:Microbial communities in the rhizosphere make significant contributions to crop health and nutrient cycling. However, their ability to perform important biogeochemical processes remains uncharacterized. Important functional genes, which characterize the rhizosphere microbial community, were identified to understand metabolic capabilities in the maize rhizosphere using GeoChip 3.0-based functional gene array method.
Project description:Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a lethal, soil-borne disease of tomato. Control of the disease with chemicals and crop rotation is insufficient, because the pathogen is particularly well adapted for surviving in the soil and rhizosphere. Therefore, cultivar resistance is the most effective means for controlling bacterial wilt, but the molecular mechanisms of resistance responses remain unclear. We used microarrays to obtain the characteristics of the gene expression changes that are induced by R. solanacearum infection in resistant cultivar LS-89 and susceptible cultivar Ponderosa.
Project description:To test the hypothesis that gene expression by the fungal partner in this beneficial interaction is modulated by the plant host, Trichoderma virens was co-cultured with maize or tomato in a hydroponic system allowing interaction with the roots. The transcriptomes for T. virens alone were compared with fungus-inoculated tomato or maize roots by hybridization on oligonucleotide microarrays Based on the relevant role of Trichoderma virens as a biological control agent this study provides a better knowledge of its crosstalk with plants in a host-specific manner. Trichoderma virens was co-cultured for three days with maize or tomato in a hydroponic system allowing interaction with the roots. 3 experiments were performed for each treatment, and compared to 5 experiments with T. virens grown under the same conditions without plants.