调查黑穗病抗性
CALS student develops innovative methods to investigate the infection process of smut in wheat
雷切尔·帕特森 first fell in love with agriculture when she took a plant science class in high school.
“I was the only kid doing experiments in the greenhouse at lunch,帕特森说. “And the whole time I was doing that, I thought, ‘Well, this is just for fun. 我要成为一名建筑师.’”
Now pursuing a master’s degree in plant pathology from the University of Idaho’s 农学院 and 生命科学, 帕特森正在调查小麦中一种叫做黑穗病的病原体, 也被称为普通狩猎或侏儒狩猎, 这是由两种不同类型的真菌引起的 Tilletia laevi年代和 T. 龋齿.
黑穗病抗性
Historically, smut has been one of the worst pathogens impacting wheat. It infects the seed or the young plant beneath the soil and causes the wheat kernels on the adult plant to be replaced with smelly black spores that break open and contaminate the entire crop. Fortunately, scientists in the 1950s developed a seed treatment that prevents smut infections. 鉴于治疗的成功, breeding programs that aim to improve wheat resistance to the pathogen lost their urgency.
然而, 在特定的地理区域，比如太平洋西北部, 由于积雪覆盖，这些处理很难适用于种子. 因此, it is important for wheat to develop resistance to the pathogen so that treatment is not needed. The rise of organic agriculture also caused a need to continue studying wheat resistance to the pathogen because organic practices do not allow for most seed treatments.
Patterson is investigating wheat resistance to smut by studying a resistance gene called Bt8. 她开发了研究Bt8的新方法, including fluorescence microscopy — a technique that utilizes fluorescent materials to track microorganisms under a light microscope to better understand how plants that contain the Bt8 gene react to the fungus.
Patterson also modified an existing method for detecting smut called qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) — a technique used to duplicate fragments of DNA. 具体地说, she can use qPCR to confirm whether she is truly observing smut in the plant or if it may be a different type of fungus. 如果有色情内容, Patterson can characterize how plants with the Bt8 gene defend against the fungus compared to plants without the Bt8 gene.
“My favorite part has been the little successes that add up to the validation of my ideas,帕特森说. “我想当我第一次让qPCR工作时，我确实哭了一下. It’s just so exciting because I want to understand this, and I want to contribute.”
补充现有研究
Patterson conducts her research at U of I’s Aberdeen 研究 and 扩展 Center under the supervision of Juliet Marshall, 植物病理学家和UI推广专家. Marshall received funding from the Idaho Wheat Commission and CALS to study and produce genetic mapping populations of wheat. These are generated by breeding two or more genetically diverse plant年代和 using their progeny to create generations of plants that isolate a gene of interest. The genetic data from this process improves plant breeders’ ability to locate specific genes.
当帕特森加入这个项目时, she conducted a comprehensive review of literature to design a study that would complement Marshall’s work.
马歇尔说:“雷切尔非常认真，非常彻底. “She has done an excellent job in exploring the literature to set up her understanding and design these experiments.”
Marshall also suggested Patterson inspect the root material of the wheat plant, 哪些是以前没有做过的. 这样做的时候, 帕特森发现了真菌的碎片, which indicates that it is interacting differently with the wheat plants than previously expected.
“This finding opens up a whole new perspective in understanding not only the fungal biology, 还有宿主生物,马歇尔说. “如果她能确定感染过程的话, that really lays the groundwork for identifying the primers that are necessary to determine resistance and susceptibility at a very early age. Results from her project will give us a lot more clarity on the infection process associated with the dwarf bunt fungi.”
Patterson lives in Idaho Fall年代和 travels to Aberdeen two to four times a week to collect data. 她正在通过爱达荷州立大学完成她的在线学位.
来自盖瑟斯堡, 马里兰, Patterson graduated from the University of 马里兰 with her bachelor’s degree in plant science. 毕业后, she worked at the Mycology and 线虫学 Genetic 多样性 and Biology Laboratory in Beltsville, 马里兰, 做了18个月的策展人和实验室助理. She spoke with her supervisor there about her desire to pursue a career in plant pathology. 帕特森的主管, who attended graduate school with Marshall at the University of Illinois, 建议帕特森去伊利诺伊大学和马歇尔一起工作.
“不到两周，我就去爱达荷州面试了, 一周后，我就答应来了, and two months after that I was packing my car and driving all the way,帕特森说.
Patterson is still navigating what her next step will be after she graduates in May 2021, 但她对探索自己的机会感到兴奋.
文章由Jean Parrella撰写，农业与生命科学学院
照片由雷切尔·帕特森提供
2020年8月出版
