Abstracts Category : Other

Biological and chemical assessment of <i>Glycine max</i> modified with <i>Gm</i>-XTH52 gene resistant to attack of nematode <i>Heterodera glycines</i>

by Ismail Khan

Soybean (<i>Glycine max</i>) yield is significantly affected by soybean cyst nematode (SCN), <i>Heterodera glycines</i>, and causes an annual loss of billions of US dollars. In this study, <i>Glycine max</i> xyloglucan endotransglycosylase/hydrolase gene (<i>Gm</i>-XTH52) was transformed into a nematode susceptible <i>G. max</i> [Williams 82/PI 518671] variety of soybean to test whether the protein expression has a role in resistance to <i>H. glycines</i>, and possible chemical changes the expression may cause in the plant composition. Expression level of the <i>Gm</i>-XTH52 gene was three times higher than in controls. Significant reduction in the number of SCN cysts suggested suppression of <i>H. glycines</i> parasitism upon transformation. While total sugar amounts did not significantly differ between the transformed and control plants, xyloglucan amounts of loosely bound sugars of genetically mosaic plants were significantly lower in comparison to controls. Control plants showed lower molecular weight sugars than the transformed plants not subjected to <i>H. glycines</i> infection. Advisors/Committee Members: Dragica Jeremic Nikolic (chair), El Barbary Hassan (chair), Vincent Klink (committee member), C. Elizabeth Stokes (committee member).