Study of charcoal rot disease using model plant arabidopsis thaliana

Paper presented to the 9th Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Marcus Welcome Center, Wichita State University, May 8, 2013.Research completed at the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and SciencesTo understand the disease mechanisms of charcoal rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina at the molecular level, we established a pathosystem using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The cellular infection process and pathogen propagation within the host system during the early and late stages of infection were examined by microscopy. Studies have shown that phytohormones play crucial role in the induction of defense signaling pathways. In this study, we use a genetics approach to understand the mechanisms of plant immunity against Macrophomina mediated by plant hormones.The Graduate School, Academic Affairs, and University Librarie