Agriculture and Food Science Research Collection

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 357
  • Publication
    Taxonomically Restricted Wheat Genes Interact With Small Secreted Fungal Proteins and Enhance Resistance to Septoria Tritici Blotch Disease
    Understanding the nuances of host/pathogen interactions are paramount if we wish to effectively control cereal diseases. In the case of the wheat/Zymoseptoria tritici interaction that leads to Septoria tritici blotch (STB) disease, a 10,000-year-old conflict has led to considerable armaments being developed on both sides which are not reflected in conventional model systems. Taxonomically restricted genes (TRGs) have evolved in wheat to better allow it to cope with stress caused by fungal pathogens, and Z. tritici has evolved specialized effectors which allow it to manipulate its’ host. A microarray focused on the latent phase response of a resistant wheat cultivar (cv. Stigg) and susceptible wheat cultivar (cv. Gallant) to Z. tritici infection was mined for TRGs within the Poaceae. From this analysis, we identified two TRGs that were significantly upregulated in response to Z. tritici infection, Septoria-responsive TRG6 and 7 (TaSRTRG6 and TaSRTRG7). Virus induced silencing of these genes resulted in an increased susceptibility to STB disease in cvs. Gallant and Stigg, and significantly so in the latter (2.5-fold increase in STB disease). In silico and localization studies categorized TaSRTRG6 as a secreted protein and TaSRTRG7 as an intracellular protein. Yeast two-hybrid analysis and biofluorescent complementation studies demonstrated that both TaSRTRG6 and TaSRTRG7 can interact with small proteins secreted by Z. tritici (potential effector candidates). Thus we conclude that TRGs are an important part of the wheat-Z. tritici co-evolution story and potential candidates for modulating STB resistance.
      6Scopus© Citations 10
  • Publication
    Wheat Encodes Small, Secreted Proteins That Contribute to Resistance to Septoria Tritici Blotch
    During plant–pathogen interactions, pathogens secrete many rapidly evolving, small secreted proteins (SSPs) that can modify plant defense and permit pathogens to colonize plant tissue. The fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici is the causal agent of Septoria tritici blotch (STB), one of the most important foliar diseases of wheat, globally. Z. tritici is a strictly apoplastic pathogen that can secrete numerous proteins into the apoplast of wheat leaves to promote infection. We sought to determine if, during STB infection, wheat also secretes small proteins into the apoplast to mediate the recognition of pathogen proteins and/or induce defense responses. To explore this, we developed an SSP-discovery pipeline to identify small, secreted proteins from wheat genomic data. Using this pipeline, we identified 6,998 SSPs, representing 2.3% of all proteins encoded by the wheat genome. We then mined a microarray dataset, detailing a resistant and susceptible host response to STB, and identified 141 Z. tritici- responsive SSPs, representing 4.7% of all proteins encoded by Z. tritici – responsive genes. We demonstrate that a subset of these SSPs have a functional signal peptide and can interact with Z. tritici SSPs. Transiently silencing two of these wheat SSPs using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) shows an increase in susceptibility to STB, confirming their role in defense against Z. tritici.
      11Scopus© Citations 12
  • Publication
    Back to the Future with Beo and Raja: A Tale from the Early Bioeconomy
    A time travel adventure set in UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture
      825
  • Publication
    Invasive species mapping on Howth, Co. Dublin
    (Fingal County Council, 2018) ; ;
    Fingal County Council invited tenders for mapping of invasive species at Howth, Co. Dublin. The objective of the mapping was to fulfil the objectives of Action 1A (1.5) of the Howth Special Amenity Area Order Operational Plan 2015-2020: Control of invasive species with a particular focus on Rhododendron, Birch and garden plant escapes. The requirements of this project were two-fold. Firstly, Fingal County Council required that the coastal cliffs between Bellingham’s Farm and the Baily Lighthouse be surveyed for invasive species as there has been a lot of dumping of garden waste in this location over the past few decades, which has led to several invasive and exotic species establishing themselves on the cliffs. The cliffs are fully within the Howth Head Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the presence of invasive species is negatively affecting the native flora in this location. It was required that a site visit to the assigned location be carried out with Dr. Noeleen Smyth, National Botanic Gardens, in order to map and quantify (m2) the invasive and exotic species recorded. Dr. Emer Ní Dhúill carried out the desktop review of control measures of all invasive and exotic species encountered in order to determine the most appropriate methods of control. The second part of the project was to produce a map of Rhododendron ponticum L. around the Summit of Howth. R. ponticum control has been carried out by the Council for the past ten years and they required mapping of the Summit of Howth in order to target new stands of R. ponticum along the edges of the heathland and any remaining individual shrubs. The area to be mapped included the large stand of R. ponticum west of the Rhododendron Gardens at the Deer Park Hotel, Howth. The following report relates to the first part of the project which is the survey of the coastal cliffs between Bellingham’s Farm and the Baily Lighthouse. The requirements of the second part of the project will be submitted separately as a map of R. ponticum on the Summit of Howth in PDF and GIS format.
      23
  • Publication
    Monitoring methods for Killarney Fern (Trichomanes speciosum Willd.) in Ireland
    (National Parks and Wildlife Service. Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, 2015) ; ; ;
    Trichomanes speciosum Willd is categorised as rare and vulnerable in Ireland and is listed under Annex II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora). T. speciosum, commonly known as the Killarney Fern or Bristle Fern, belongs to the Filmy Fern family (Hymenophyllaceae) and is the only European representative of the genus Trichomanes. T. speciosum is most abundant in the Azores, outside of which it is most frequently found in Ireland and Britain.
      24