Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Biology

Supervisor

Dr. Mark Bernards

Abstract

Part of the resistance mechanism of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) to Phytopthora sojae Kauf. & Gerd. involves pre-formed root suberin. In order to investigate the role of suberin in this host-pathogen interaction, I characterized hairy roots, formed as a result of Agrobacterium rhizogenes (Riker et al.) Conn infection, as a model to be used as a reliable soybean transformation system. I established hairy root cultures and demonstrated that they were a result of A. rhizogenes infection. The anatomy and suberin deposition in soybean hairy roots was examined, and found to be very similar to that of wild-type roots. In hairy roots, the amount of suberin (quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) increased in both epidermal and endodermal cells along the root axis as in wild-type roots. Finally, the response of soybean hairy roots to P. sojae infection was investigated and shown to be similar to that of wild-type roots.

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