Three Labs Team Up To Investigate One Of The Most Destructive Plant Pathogens

As a regional collaborator of plant science research, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center’s strategy of internal collaboration among its Principal Investigators is yielding results. The National Science Foundation awarded a $520,000 grant to fund a three-year project that combines the experience of Danforth Center researchers Dr. Chris Taylor, Dr. Daniel Schachtman, and Dr. Erik Nielsen to study plant parasitic nematodes.

“I am proud of this NSF grant award for a variety of reasons, including how it shows the strength of collaborations within the Center that are needed to tackle important problems in plant biology,” explained Dr. Roger Beachy, president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. “Furthermore, this research will have real regional significance for soybean farmers as it could lead to new methods of managing plant parasitic nematodes.”

Plant parasitic nematodes are among the most destructive plant pathogens, causing losses of approximately $5.8 billion throughout the United States. In Missouri, nematodes significantly decrease soybean yields thus impacting farmers’ bottom lines. In some regions of the country, highly toxic chemicals are used to fumigate the soils to reduce the number of nematodes. Researchers at the Danforth Center have used cutting edge molecular technology and genomics to identify plant genes that have been co-opted by the invading parasitic nematode. These co-opted genes enable the nematode to divert important nutrients away from the plant. The diversion of nutrients such as amino acids and sugars leads to decreased vigor and significant yield reduction in plants. Danforth Center scientists have been awarded a grant from the NSF to study the role of amino acid and peptide transporters in plant roots that are induced during nematode infestation.

The transporters are influenced by the presence of the nematode and appear to be involved in diverting amino acids and possibly other nitrogen containing compounds. Center researchers seek to gain a deeper understanding of how the parasitic nematodes divert precious resources from the plant for use in their growth and development. This research will provide important new information that will eventually lead to the development of nematode resistant plants.

While the work of the three Danforth Center laboratories will be collaborative, each will have specific responsibilities. The Taylor laboratory will study how plant gene expression is controlled by the nematode. The Schachtman laboratory will characterize the function of transporters and identify which nutrients they transport. The Nielsen lab will examine how these membrane transport proteins are targeted to specific compartments within the plant cell.

Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a global vision to improve the human condition. Research at the Danforth Center will enhance the nutritional content of plants to improve human health, increase agricultural production to create a sustainable food supply, and build scientific capacity to generate economic growth in the St. Louis region and throughout Missouri.

The Danforth Center is the product of a unique and innovative alliance joining the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the University of Missouri-Columbia, Monsanto Company, Purdue University, and Washington University in St. Louis.