Leaf Rust

Comparative Expression in Leaf Rust
Dr. John P. Fellers of the USDA

Cofactor Genomics Comparative Expression Sequencing, Analysis, and Visualization solutions (EXP) are enabling world-class scientists to characterize and address some of the most important concerns in agriculture today.

After nearly half a century of dormancy, the fungal infection commonly known as wheat rust has been re-establishing its presence throughout Africa and the Middle East. Wheat rust – also referred to as the “polio of agriculture” – is identifiable from the scaly brown pustules it forms on the stems and leaves of wheat and has evolved into a sort of super-parasite, threatening the food security of the entire world.

Wheat and other cereals account for nearly a fifth of worldwide human caloric consumption, which translates into roughly 630 calories per human per day (http://www.economist.com/node/16481593). Rice accounts for a similar share, and all other foods comprise the remainder. To put wheat rust’s potential impact into context, consider on average it takes 3 kilograms of grain and 16,000 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of meat. (http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/food-crisis/page/3565.aspx). Rust’s potential to cause disruption in the world’s wheat supply brings with it the concomitant possibility for a sustained rise in the price of wheat, all foods for which wheat is an input, and, to a lesser extent, all foods for which wheat is a substitute. In order to prevent shortages in the world’s food markets, the scientific community is working hard to produce a viable genetic solution that will minimize or evade any potential damages.

In the mid-20th century, the late American Agronomist Norman Borlaug spurred a “Green Revolution” with his introduction of the rust-resistant allele Sr31 into wheat seeds. Through hard work and luck, the newly discovered allele proved effective in simultaneously boosting crop yields and establishing a previously nonexistent immunity to rust in wheat populations around the globe (http://www.economist.com/node/16481593). In spite of the monumentally positive impact Borlaug’s work has had on social welfare, it was discovered in 1999 that an Sr31 resistant race of wheat rust was gaining foothold in Uganda. By 2010 there were seven total Sr31 resistant races of rust in eight different countries. Due to the wind patterns and climates of the infected areas, scientists on the front lines warn that another 19% (http://wheatrust.cornell.edu/about/backgroundandrationale.cfm) of the world’s wheat producing capacity is at risk, calling the world’s wheat researchers to arms.

Scientists like Borlaug were forced to rely heavily on more subjective genetic theory to solve the issues of their day. With the advent of Next Gen Sequencing technologies, institutions such as the US Department of Agriculture have increasingly sought reliable partners to whom they can entrust the sequencing, analysis, and visualization portions of their experiments to enable them to focus on their core competencies – their research. Cofactor Genomics is Dr. Fellers’ Design & Analysis (D&A) partner of choice.

Dr. Fellers’ overall research goal is to pioneer an accurate understanding of different wheat sub-species' pathogen recognition, the manner in which disease resistant proteins interact with the parasite, and how researchers can utilize this knowledge to fight against wheat rust. As an intermediate step, Fellers hopes to better understand host-pathogen interactions and identify any key components that may lead to pathogenesis in the fungus and/or resistance in the host. Eventually he hopes to find markers for disease resistance genes in the plant, determine how translated proteins interact with pathogenic proteins, gain a better understanding of how the fungus is evolving to overcome resistance genes, and strengthen the overall base of intellectual tools necessary to engineer a new resistance to wheat rust.

Associated Links:
Dr. John Fellers Page = http://www.plantpath.ksu.edu/p.aspx?tabid=410&ItemID=60&mid=74&staff_cat...