The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of canopy temperature on physiochemical quality of soybean planted on different dates. An experiment was conducted at the Agriculture Research Farm of the NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, during 2006 and 2007. Determinate cultivars (Epps, maturity group [MG] V) and indeterminate cultivar, Williams 82 [MG] 111) were planted on May 1 st to August 1 st at one month interval during both years. Data was recorded on canopy temperature and physio-chemical attributes of soybean. Heat indices were calculated from canopy maximum and minimum temperatures for the periods between growth stages starting from beginning of bloom to physiological Maturity (R3-R7). Physiochemical attributes were regressed on different heat indices. Canopy temperature during reproductive growth stages of R4-R5, R5-R6 and R6-R7 had pronounced effect on physiochemical quality of soybean. Increase in mean averaged temperature in the range of 23-30 o C during growth stage of R6-R7 improved germination, field emergence, and increase seedling dry weight, protein and oil contents of soybean seed. Whereas, increase in mean temperature averaged in the range of 23 to 30 o C during reproductive growth stage of seed beginning to full-seed (R5-R6) reduced germination, field emergence, electrical conductivity, protein and oil contents of soybean seed. Increase in maximum temperature in the range of 32 to 37 o C during growth stage of full bloom to seed initiation (R4-R5) decreased seedling dry weight and oil content of soybean seed.

No abstract

In fungal pathogenesis the cAMP signalling cascade is usually essential for virulence. Deletion of the adenylate cyclase gene, the enzyme that synthesises cAMP, often results in an attenuated or avirulent phenotype. Our aim was to identify the signalling mechanisms regulating colonisation of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) by the fungal symbiont Epichloë festucae Fl1. We have identified genes from several signalling networks, and here report on the outcomes of targeted disruption of the E. festucae Fl1 adenylate cyclase gene (acyA). A dual genome (endophyte/ ryegrass) Affymetrix GeneChip® has been synthesised and we are undertaking large scale transcript profiling of the L. perenne/ E. festucae ΔacyA symbiotum to identify target genes regulated by the endophyte cAMP signalling network. Keywords: cAMP, adenylate cyclase, acyA, Neotyphodium lolii, Epichloë festucae, symbiosis, Affymetrix GeneChip

The aim of this project was to undertake large scale transcript profiling of endophyte and plant genes during symbiosis, and to determine the impact of targeted endophyte gene deletions on expression of plant and endophyte genes. We have designed and developed an Affymetrix NimbleExpress™ GeneChip® representing expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of the fungal endophyte Neotyphodium lolii Lp19 and its ryegrass host, Lolium perenne. In total, 8511 genes were represented on the microarrays with approximately eleven 25 base pair oligonucleotides per gene. Experiments were conducted to analyse differential expression of genes from endophyte-infected and endophyte-free plant material, and from endophytes grown in culture. In some symbioses, endophytes had targeted mutations in genes involved in signalling, synthesis of secondary metabolites or in genes of unknown function. Here we describe the processes which guided design of the GeneChip®, the results of quality control assessments of hybridised arrays and considerations concerning statistical analyses of gene expression. Keywords: Affymetrix, GeneChip®, NimbleExpress, Neotyphodium lolii, Epichloë festucae, ryegrass, Lolium perenne, endophyte, symbiosis.