University of Kentucky
In situ Protein Localization in Endophytic Fungi during Benign Plant Colonization and Stromata Development
Institution
University of Kentucky
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Christopher Schardl
Abstract
Festuca arundinacea, better known as tall fescue, is a major grazing grass in Kentucky fields. Kentucky-31, a popular cultivar of fescue, is used in much of the country because of its high drought, erosion, and insect resistance. Neotyphodium coenophialum, an endophytic fungus that lives in symbiosis with the plant and is transmitted through the seeds, plays a key roll in these growth advantages. However, this fungus also causes fescue toxicosis in livestock. Consequent loss in weight gain in cattle costs the livestock industry one billion dollars annually (Oliver, 1997). Thus, much interest lies with better understanding of this plant-fungal symbiosis. Epichloë festucae is a close relative of N. coenophialum, and serves as a model endophyte. It is rich in bioprotective alkaloids and grows, similar to N. coenophialum, systemically and intercellularly throughout its host plant. On each reproductive tiller the fungus either infects benignly and transmits clonally in seeds, or produces its sexual state (stroma) and chokes inflorescence development. The mechanisms underlying these developmental pathways (either seed transmission or stroma formation) remain to be known and are the subject of my study. It seems a very likely hypothesis that these stages are characterized by expression of specific gene sets in both host and fungus. Thus, we have identified genes that are differentially expressed in these two tissues using quantitative Real-Time PCR. My current interest lies specifically with localizing differentially expressed secreted proteins that may be involved in some of these signaling pathways leading to either stromata development or seed transmission.
In situ Protein Localization in Endophytic Fungi during Benign Plant Colonization and Stromata Development
Festuca arundinacea, better known as tall fescue, is a major grazing grass in Kentucky fields. Kentucky-31, a popular cultivar of fescue, is used in much of the country because of its high drought, erosion, and insect resistance. Neotyphodium coenophialum, an endophytic fungus that lives in symbiosis with the plant and is transmitted through the seeds, plays a key roll in these growth advantages. However, this fungus also causes fescue toxicosis in livestock. Consequent loss in weight gain in cattle costs the livestock industry one billion dollars annually (Oliver, 1997). Thus, much interest lies with better understanding of this plant-fungal symbiosis. Epichloë festucae is a close relative of N. coenophialum, and serves as a model endophyte. It is rich in bioprotective alkaloids and grows, similar to N. coenophialum, systemically and intercellularly throughout its host plant. On each reproductive tiller the fungus either infects benignly and transmits clonally in seeds, or produces its sexual state (stroma) and chokes inflorescence development. The mechanisms underlying these developmental pathways (either seed transmission or stroma formation) remain to be known and are the subject of my study. It seems a very likely hypothesis that these stages are characterized by expression of specific gene sets in both host and fungus. Thus, we have identified genes that are differentially expressed in these two tissues using quantitative Real-Time PCR. My current interest lies specifically with localizing differentially expressed secreted proteins that may be involved in some of these signaling pathways leading to either stromata development or seed transmission.