Gram-negative soil bacteria (rhizobia) within the Rhizobiaceae phylogenetic family (a-proteobacteria) have the unique ability to infect and establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis on the roots of leguminous plants. This ...

Infection of soybean root hairs by Bradyrhizobium japonicum is the first of several complex events leading to nodulation. In the current proteomic study, soybean root hairs after inoculation with B. japonicum were separated ...

RNA interference-mediated silencing of the key flavonoid and isoflavone biosynthesis enzyme, respectively, by two different research groups has provided direct genetic evidence for the essential roles that these compounds ...

are decreasing exponentially. The Human Genome Project completed the first draft genome sequence in 2001 at an estimated cost of $3 billion. Next-generation sequencing became mainstream around 2007 and enabled the re-sequencing of a human genome at a cost...

had implicated the soybean GS52 ectoapyrase in the mechanism of rhizobial infection of root hairs. An ectoapyrase's catalytic domain is extracellular consistent with a possible role in hydrolyzing eATP released by the plant. To determine the role...

without causing such damage to the environment is through biological nitrogen fixation between legume species and Rhizobium bacteria. The symbiotic interaction between legume plants and rhizobia results in the formation of root nodules, specialized organs...

addressing the remaining aims of my Community Sequencing Proposal with the Joint Genome Institute by analyzing the 15 fungal reference genomes I generated during my PhD. Together these chapters are the start of a life-long research project into the evolution...

with both cyst and root-knot nematode. Expression of AtOPT6 increased during early stages of both cyst and root-knot nematode infection in and around the developing feeding sites. AtOPT6 mediated transport of various Arabidopsis CLAVATA3/ESR-like (CLE...

for discovering genes, gene function and crop improvement. Thus, developing a feasible, efficient molecular genetic tool for gene discovery in soybean is required. In this dissertation, along with fast neutron mutagenesis, a dual gRNA CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing...

symbioses requires that B. japonicum modify gene expression in response to the prevailing environmental conditions. To better understand the adaptation of B. japonicum to its environment, a whole genome oligonucleotide DNA microarray was constructed...

-pathogen-host interface. The research in chapter 2 detailed our work in high-quality sequencing of the non-tick-transmissible Anaplasma marginale Illinois strain. We identified several candidate genes and genomic elements associated with the tick-transmission of A...

variation of low-density assays through the process of imputation. Here, we explore the best practices for performing routine imputation in large commercially generated genomic datasets of U.S. beef cattle. We find that using a large multi-breed imputation...

extracted from 4, 8 and 16 day old roots inoculated or not with B. japonicum....

-living organisms. This dissertation focuses on the functional characteristics of two recently characterized putative mobile elements of the ruminant-infecting Mycoplasma mycoides cluster: a 3.4-kb cryptic plasmid, pMyBK1, of Mycoplasma yeatsii, and an approximately...

Diabrotica virgifera virgifera which is infected with Wolbachia, is the most significant and widespread pest to maize in North America and Europe. Wolbachia are obligate intracellular bacteria which seem to be limited to ecdyzoan hosts. Many...

Previous studies suggested that ABA accumulation is required to maintain maize primary root elongation under water deficit and that one of the functions of ABA is to restrict ethylene evolution. These studies were conducted by using carotenoid...

The 42nd Annual CVM Research Day was held on May 10, 2019. The keynote address by University of Missouri Nobel Laureate George P. Smith was entitled "Chemical Evolution with Phage Display."

Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.) infected with the endophytic fungus, Epichlooجا coenophiala [(Morgan-Jones & W. Gams) C.W. Bacon & Schardl, comb. nov.] produces ergot alkaloids that result in a livestock disorder known...

Iron is an essential element for plant survival. However, in excess, it is deleterious to the organism. In the present thesis we describe a functional genomic approach and a mutant screen directed towards increasing our understanding of iron...