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Effects of temperature during soybean seed development on defense-related gene expression and fungal pathogen accumulation

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Abstract

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] plants were exposed to three temperature regimens during seed development to investigate the effect of temperature on the expression of eight defense-related genes and the accumulation of two fungal pathogens in inoculated seeds. In seeds prior to inoculation, either a day/night warm (34/26°C) or a cool temperature (22/18°C) relative to normal (26/22°C) resulted in altered patterns of gene expression including substantially lower expression of PR1, PR3 and PR10. After seed inoculation with Cercospora kikuchii, pathogen accumulation was lowest in seeds produced at 22/18°C in which of all defense genes, MMP2 was uniquely most highly induced. For seeds inoculated with Diaporthe phaseolorum, pathogen accumulation was lowest in seeds produced at 34/26°C in which of all defense genes, PR10 was uniquely most highly induced. Our detached seed assays clearly demonstrated that the temperature regimens we applied during seed development produced significant changes in seed defense-related gene expression both pre- and post inoculation and our findings support the hypothesis that global climate change may alter plant–pathogen interactions and thereby potentially crop productivity.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the staff of the Southeastern Plant Environmental Laboratory at North Carolina State University for growth chamber space. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-ARS Soybean & Nitrogen Fixation Unit, Department of Plant Pathology, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7616, USA

    Robert G. Upchurch & Martha E. Ramirez

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  1. Robert G. Upchurch
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  2. Martha E. Ramirez
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Correspondence to Robert G. Upchurch.

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Upchurch, R.G., Ramirez, M.E. Effects of temperature during soybean seed development on defense-related gene expression and fungal pathogen accumulation. Biotechnol Lett 33, 2397–2404 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-011-0722-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-011-0722-5

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