Member Institutions:

• Bowling Green State U.
• Cleveland State U.
• Kent State U.
• Medical College of Ohio
• Miami U.
• The Ohio State U.
• Ohio U.
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Toledo
• Wright State U.
• Youngstown State U.

Guo-Liang Wang Plant Pathology OARDC and The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio	Back to Scientists

Research Interests

Unraveling the molecular mechanisms of plant resistance to pathogens using genetic and genomic approaches

The main focus of our laboratory is to understand the mechanisms of plant-pathogen interaction, and the signal transduction pathways leading to the induction of disease resistance responses. We are currently using rice as the model plant to clone disease resistance genes and genes involved in resistance responses to rice fungal and bacterial pathogens. Our long-term goal is to genetically engineer plants for disease resistance in such a way as to reduce reliance on the environmentally damaging pesticides. The following two approaches are being employed:

Genetic approach: A genetic approach is being used to isolate a broad-spectrum resistance gene, Pi9, to rice blast and to isolate the spl11gene, which is responsible for a lesion mimic formation. Several BIBAC clones containing two markers tightly linked to the Pi9 gene have already been identified. Direct transformation of these clones to locate the gene of interest is in progress. spl11 confers non-race specific resistance to both bacterial blight and rice blast. Construction of a high-resolution map and a BAC contig over the spl11 locus is underway. Isolation of these two genes may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of broad-spectrum disease resistance in rice and other crop plants.

Genomic approach: This approach takes advantage of the rapid developments and progress in genomic science. In collaboration with the Dupont genomics group, we have determined the chromosomal locations of 109 rice expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in the rice genome. Some of the ESTs map onto major resistance gene loci and QTL regions for resistance to rice pathogens. Using cDNA microarrays developed at Dupont, we studied the gene expression profile of different resistance genes to bacterial blight and rice blast pathogens. Among 1536 ESTs screened, 186 ESTs were identified that are induced or suppressed during bacterial and fungal pathogen infections. These results demonstrate that microarray analysis is a powerful tool in functional analysis of the genes involved in defense response in crop plants. Further investigation of the biological functions of the identified ESTs will lead to better understanding of signal transduction events that activate host defense responses in plants. Furthermore, this knowledge has potential to be used in engineering of broad-spectrum disease resistance in rice and other cereals.

Selected References

• He, C. Fong, S. Yang, D and Wang G.L. (1999) BWMK1, a Novel MAP Kinase Induced by Fungal Infection and Mechanical Wounding in Rice. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction, in press.
• Wang G.L., and Leung H. (1998) Molecular Biology of Host-Pathogen Interactions in Rice Diseases. In: Molecular Biology of Rice. Eds. K. Shimamoto, Springer-Verlag, Tokyo.
• Wang G.L., Ruan DL, Song WY, Sideris S, Chen L, Pi L, Whalen MC, Zhang S, Fauquet C, and Ronald PC (1998) The Rice Disease Resistance Gene, Xa21D, Encodes a Receptor-like Molecule with a LRR Domain that Determines Race Specific Recognition and is Subject to Adaptive Evolution. The Plant Cell, 10: 765-780.
• Wang G.L, Wen-Yuan Song, De-Ling Ruan, Steve Sideris and Pamela C. Ronald. (1996) The cloned gene, Xa21, confers resistance to multiple Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae isolates in transgenic plants. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction, 9:850-855.
• Song W.Y., G.L. Wang*, L. Chen, H. S. Kim, T. Holsten, B. Wang, W, Zhai, L. H. Zhu, C. Fauquet and P.C. Ronald. (1995). The rice disease resistance gene, Xa-21, encoded a receptor kinase-like protein. Science, 270, 1804-1806 (*co- first author).
• Wang G.L., T.E. Holsten, W.Y. Song, H.P. Wang and P.C. Ronald. (1995). Construction of a rice bacterial artificial chromosome library and identification of clones linked to the Xa-21 disease resistance locus. The Plant Journal, 7(3) 525-533.

Visit the Wang Lab for Functional Genomics
Ohio State Department of Plant Pathology
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