Title
Comparison of Transgenic, Non-Transgenic, and Hybrid Genotypes: Physiology of the American Chestnut
Date of Award
Spring 4-1-2020
Semester of Degree
May
Document Type
Restricted Access Thesis
Degree Name
M.S. in Forest and Natural Resources Management
Department
Forest and Natural Resources Management
Major Professor
John Drake
Steering Committee Member
Dr. William Powell
Steering Committee Member
Dr. Heather Coleman
Steering Committee Member
Dr. Julia Burton
Steering Committee Member
Dr. Neal Abrams
Abstract
The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was devastated in the early 20th century by chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica). The American Chestnut Project at ESF has inserted an oxalate oxidase (OxO) gene to confer blight resistance in a restoration project. We hypothesized that transgene expression imposes a metabolic burden on transgenic plants that would give them higher rates of respiration and photosynthesis. We measured the physiology of transgenic, non- transgenic, and conventional hybrid chestnuts in 2018 and 2019. We found evidence of a stimulation of respiration in transgenic plants, but this was only present earlier in the season, and no consistent significant difference in photosynthesis between genotypes (Chapter 2). However, this respiratory stimulation in transgenic plants was not present in a larger sample of plants (Chapter 3). These results suggest that transgene expression modestly impacts chestnut physiology, and is not likely to significantly alter chestnut ecology in a field setting.
Recommended Citation
Onwumelu, Anuli, "Comparison of Transgenic, Non-Transgenic, and Hybrid Genotypes: Physiology of the American Chestnut" (2020). Dissertations and Theses. 173.
https://digitalcommons.esf.edu/etds/173