Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1. Develop/enhance courses on Plant Breeding, Biotechnology, and Propagation and Plant Environmental Stress Physiology and Ecology at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) that will exploit research materials and methods aimed at bridging the gap between genomics, physiology, and plant breeding. 2. Identification of novel genetic determinants involved in desiccation tolerance from two vascular desiccation tolerant, resurrection species, the ancient Lycophyte Selaginella lepidophylla (club moss) and the monocotyledonous angiosperm Sporobolus stapfianus (African Inselberg grass). 3. Identification of the distinctive response of resurrection species to water deficit stress in closely related species pairs that have retained or lost desiccation tolerance (e.g., S. lepidophylla (tolerant) and S. moellendorffii (sensitive); Sporobolus stapfianus (tolerant) and Sporobolus pyrimidalis (sensitive). 4. Develop an integrated research and extension project using Sporobolus as a forage grass. 5. Complete a metabolimics study of Selaginella (a resurrection plant) tissues under a dehydration and rehydration treatment. Approach (from AD-416) 1. Conduct rapid gene discovery via the establishment of expressed sequence tag (EST) databases derived from normalized cDNA libraries. 2. Conduct mRNA expression profiling and map the gene networks responsible for desiccation tolerance and recovery using oligonucleotide microarray-based expression profiling. 3. Establish breeding populations and subject these to forage productivity performance trials under different water-deficit and nutrient availability conditions. 4. Samples of Selaginella tissues will be collected at various stages of dehydration leading to desiccation and during recover upon rehydration. The objectives of this research specifically assigned to the cooperator at the University of Nevada are to develop genomic resources for a resurrection plant, Selaginella lepidophylla, for comparison with similar resources for Sporobolus stapfianus developed by the ARS partner, to develop a field site for evaluation of Sporobolus species as forages, and to develop a new course in plant breeding and biotechnology. The cooperator has completed all projects assigned. Transcriptome, metabolome, and proteome level analyses for the response of Selaginella lepidophylla have been completed and manuscripts are in preparation. Candidate genes have been identified and several have been characterized in overexpression studies in Arabidopsis. These transgenic plants will be sent to the ARS lab in Columbia, Missouri, for future assessment of drought tolerance. The cooperator completed field trials at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) Valley Road farms for the assessment of Sporobolus species as forage last year, as reported. These efforts will help establish novel forage species for use in the arid West. Progress was monitored by regular phone conversations, emails, and annual meetings. This project directly relates to objective 2 of the parent project "Develop strategies and mechanisms for improving drought stress tolerance in maize" by addressing the development of novel strategies for drought stress tolerance.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
|
Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1. Develop/enhance courses on Plant Breeding, Biotechnology, and Propagation and Plant Environmental Stress Physiology and Ecology at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) that will exploit research materials and methods aimed at bridging the gap between genomics, physiology, and plant breeding. 2. Identification of novel genetic determinants involved in desiccation tolerance from two vascular desiccation tolerant, resurrection species, the ancient Lycophyte Selaginella lepidophylla (club moss) and the monocotyledonous angiosperm Sporobolus stapfianus (African Inselberg grass). 3. Identification of the distinctive response of resurrection species to water deficit stress in closely related species pairs that have retained or lost desiccation tolerance (e.g., S. lepidophylla (tolerant) and S. moellendorffii (sensitive); Sporobolus stapfianus (tolerant) and Sporobolus pyrimidalis (sensitive). 4. Develop an integrated research and extension project using Sporobolus as a forage grass. 5. Complete a metabolimics study of Selaginella (a resurrection plant) tissues under a dehydration and rehydration treatment. Approach (from AD-416) 1. Conduct rapid gene discovery via the establishment of expressed sequence tag (EST) databases derived from normalized cDNA libraries. 2. Conduct mRNA expression profiling and map the gene networks responsible for desiccation tolerance and recovery using oligonucleotide microarray-based expression profiling. 3. Establish breeding populations and subject these to forage productivity performance trials under different water-deficit and nutrient availability conditions. The objectives specifically assigned to the cooperator at the University of Nevada are to develop genomic resources for a resurrection plant, Selaginella lepidophylla, for comparison with similar resources for Sporobolus stapfianus developed by the ARS partner, to develop a field site for evaluation of Sporobolus species as forages, and to develop a new course in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology. The cooperator has completed the design of custom oligonucleotide arrays for Selaginella lepidophylla (tolerant) and conducted a gene expression study. The microarray data are currently undergoing analysis. This custom oligonucleotide microarray, was used to profile mRNA abundance changes in plants undergoing a dehydration-rehydration series from fully hydrated, ~50% dehydrated, 100% dehydrated, ~50% rehydrated, and fully rehydrated. The cooperator has also completed a comparative metabolomics evaluation of the resurrection plant during dehydration, allowing us to identify and compare the responses between species and identify key components in the cellular protection strategy of these plants uses to survive drought. The cooperator completed field trials at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) Valley Road farms to compare the growth performance of three different grasses (Sp. stapfianus (tolerant), Sp. pyrimidalis-Indicus (sensitive), Sp. fimbriatus (sensitive) under different watering regimes. Although yielding less biomass, Sp. stapfianus was unaffected by the differing water regimes. The sensitive species, Sp. pyrimidalis and Sp. fimbriatus were influenced by the watering regimes but both performed well in the field trials with Sp. Pyrimidalis producing the most biomass. Survival tests demonstrated that for young plants (2 months old) 99% of Sp. stapfianus (tolerant) survived 24 d of drought, whereas Sp. pyrimidalis- Indicus (DS) and Sp. fimbriatus (DS) showed 40% and 5% survival. Older plants (three-month-old) were more susceptible to drought. All Sp. stapfianus (tolerant) plants recovered fully due to the resurrection trait, whereas the damage to the two sensitive species was irreversible. Forage analyses indicated that crude protein and digestible fiber were comparable to and were within the desirable range relative to grass hay. These efforts will help establish novel forage species for use in the arid West. Progress is monitored by regular phone conversations, emails, and annual meetings.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
|
Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1. Develop/enhance courses on Plant Breeding, Biotechnology, and Propagation and Plant Environmental Stress Physiology and Ecology at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) that will exploit research materials and methods aimed at bridging the gap between genomics, physiology, and plant breeding. 2. Identification of novel genetic determinants involved in desiccation tolerance from two vascular desiccation tolerant, resurrection species, the ancient Lycophyte Selaginella lepidophylla (club moss) and the monocotyledonous angiosperm Sporobolus stapfianus (African Inselberg grass). 3. Identification of the distinctive response of resurrection species to water deficit stress in closely related species pairs that have retained or lost desiccation tolerance (e.g., S. lepidophylla (tolerant) and S. moellendorffii (sensitive); Sporobolus stapfianus (tolerant) and Sporobolus pyrimidalis (sensitive). 4. Develop an integrated research and extension project using Sporobolus as a forage grass. Approach (from AD-416) 1. Conduct rapid gene discovery via the establishment of expressed sequence tag (EST) databases derived from normalized cDNA libraries. 2. Conduct mRNA expression profiling and map the gene networks responsible for desiccation tolerance and recovery using oligonucleotide microarray-based expression profiling. 3. Establish breeding populations and subject these to forage productivity performance trials under different water-deficit and nutrient availability conditions. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations The objectives specifically assigned to the cooperator at the University of Nevada are to develop genomic resources for a resurrection plat, Selaginella lepidophylla, for comparison with similar resources for Sporobolus stapfianus developed by the ARS partner, to develop a field site for evaluation of Sporobolus species as forages, and to develop a new course in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology. The cooperator has added to the large expressed sequence tag (EST) collection by 120 million bp, 38,454 contigs using 454 sequencing technology for the target resurrection plant and has made this available to the other collaborators for comparison efforts. The sequences have been annotated and a database created for further analysis. The sequences have been used to generate probe sets that form the basis of an oligoarray specific for S. lepidophylla. This array will be used for expression profiling experiments that will be completed by November of 2009. The cooperator has completed a proteomics evaluation of desiccated Selaginella and is in the process of evaluating the data. The cooperator has also established a metabolomics evaluation of the resurrection plant during dehydration, with a minority undergraduate, allowing us to identify and compare the responses between species and identify key components in the cellular protection strategy of these plants used to survive drought. Data comparisons between the cooperator�s data and those for S. stapfianus are on-going. A new course was developed to take advantage of the genomic resources under development and was run in the fall of 2008 with an enrollment of 6 graduate students. The cooperator has run a second field trial and forage analysis for both Sporobolus stapfianus and pyrimidalis indicating that forage quality is equivalent to warm season fescues, a significant finding. The collaborators are in constant contact by voice and email and we meet regularly at national scientific meetings. These efforts greatly enhance our ability to identify genes for crop improvement and will help establish novel forage species for use in the arid West.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
|
Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1. Develop/enhance courses on Plant Breeding, Biotechnology, and Propagation and Plant Environmental Stress Physiology and Ecology at the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) that will exploit research materials and methods aimed at bridging the gap between genomics, physiology, and plant breeding. 2. Identification of novel genetic determinants involved in desiccation tolerance from two vascular desiccation tolerant, resurrection species, the ancient Lycophyte Selaginella lepidophylla (club moss) and the monocotyledonous angiosperm Sporobolus stapfianus (African Inselberg grass). 3. Identification of the distinctive response of resurrection species to water deficit stress in closely related species pairs that have retained or lost desiccation tolerance (e.g., S. lepidophylla (tolerant) and S. moellendorffii (sensitive); Sporobolus stapfianus (tolerant) and Sporobolus pyrimidalis (sensitive). 4. Develop an integrated research and extension project using Sporobolus as a forage grass. Approach (from AD-416) 1. Conduct rapid gene discovery via the establishment of expressed sequence tag (EST) databases derived from normalized cDNA libraries. 2. Conduct mRNA expression profiling and map the gene networks responsible for desiccation tolerance and recovery using oligonucleotide microarray-based expression profiling. 3. Establish breeding populations and subject these to forage productivity performance trials under different water-deficit and nutrient availability conditions. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This project is part of a collaborative effort between ARS, University of Nevada-Reno and the University of Missouri (3622-21000-027-05R). The objectives specifically assigned to the cooperator at the University of Nevada for this first year are to develop genomic resources for a resurrection plant, Selaginella lepidophylla, for comparison with similar resources for Sporobolus stapfianus developed by the ARS partner, to develop a field site for evaluation of Sporobolus species as forages, and to develop a new course in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology. The cooperator has developed a large expressed sequence tag (EST) database for the target resurrection plant and has made this available to the other collaborators for comparison efforts. The cooperator has also established a metabolomics evaluation of the resurrection plant during dehydration allowing us to identify key components in the cellular protection strategy the plant uses to survive drought. A new course has been developed to take advantage of the genomic resources under development and it will be offered in the fall of 2008. We have established a test site at the University of Nevada for the evaluation of Sporobolus species and we are now in our second generation of plants allowing us to begin to evaluate their forage potential. The collaborators are in constant contact by email and we meet regularly at national scientific meetings. These efforts greatly enhance our ability to identify genes for crop improvement and will help establish novel forage species for use in the arid West. (NP 302 - Component 1)
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
|
|