Faculty
| Dr. Faith Belanger Assistant Professor |
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Education
B.A., University of Rochester
Ph.D., University of Illinois
Research Interests
Turfgrass improvement through plant transformation and through understanding the
grass/fungal endophyte interaction We are using plant transformation technology, in
combination with classical breeding efforts, in the development of improved turfgrass
cultivars. Turfgrasses are a feature of our environment which enhance the lives of most
residents in the United States. We appreciate turfgrasses for their utility in erosion
control, their function as surfaces for recreational sports, and their beauty in parks and
home lawns. Maintenance of turfgrasses is a major endeavor, requiring large inputs of
water and pesticides. Pesticide use is a potential source of groundwater contamination and
a major concern to many communities. The development of disease resistant and stress
tolerant turfgrasses would, therefore, be of major environmental and economic benefit. We
have developed a very efficient transformation system and are currently field testing many
independent transformed creeping bentgrass plants containing potential disease resistance
genes. Following the field evaluation, the best plants will be incorporated into the
Rutgers bentgrass breeding program for development of new cultivars. We are also studying
the beneficial Neotyphodium fungal endophytes which are naturally occurring in some grass
species. The presence of the fungal endophytes often confers to the plants the benefit of
reduced herbivory by insects and animals due to the production of toxic alkaloids. These
symbiotic associations are ecologically and agronomically significant, yet little is known
regarding the physiological aspects of the interaction. We are investigating the possible
role of a fungal subtilisin-like proteinase in the plant fungus interaction.
Recent Publications
Chu, B., Brodl, M.R., and Belanger,
F.C. (1997) Heat Shock Inhibits Release of the Signal Recognition Particle from
the Endoplasmic Reticulum in Barley Aleurone Layers. J. Biol. Chem.
272, 7306-7313.
Belanger, F.C., Laramore, C.L., and Day, P.R. (1997) Turfgrass Biotechnology.
Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings. 28, 1-3.
Belanger, F.C. and Meyer, W.A. (1997) Engineering Turf for the Future. Grounds
Maintenance. August, 16-20.
Richardson, M.D., White, J.F.Jr., and Belanger, F.C. (1998) The Use of Endophytes to Improve Turfgrass Performance.
p. 97-111. In: Turfgrass Biotechnology: Cell and Molecular Genetic
Approaches to Turfgrass Improvement, M.B. Sticklen and M.P. Kenna, eds.
Ann Arbor Press.
Sreedhar, L., Kobayashi, D.Y., Bunting, T.E., Hillman, B.I., and Belanger, F.C.
(1999) Fungal Proteinase Expression in the Interaction of a Plant Pathogen Magnaporthe
poae with Its Host. Gene 235:121-129.
Belanger, F.C., Laramore, C., Bonos, S., Meyer, W.A., and Day, P.R. (2000)
Development of Improved Turfgrass with Herbicide Resistance and Enhanced Disease
Resistance Through Transformation. p 325-329 In: Fate of Turfgrass
Chemicals and Pest Management Approaches, J.M. Clark and M.P. Kenna, eds.
ACS Books.
Johnson-Cicalese, J., Secks, M.E., Lam, C.K., Meyer, W.A., Murphy, J.A.,
and Belanger, F.C. (2000) Cross Species Inoculation of Chewings and Strong
Creeping Red Fescues with Fungal Endophytes. Crop Science, 40:1485-1489..
Moy, M., Belanger, F., Duncan, R., Freehoff, A., Leary, C., Meyer, W., Sullivan,
R., White, J.F.Jr. (2000) Identification of Epiphyllous Mycelial Nets on
Leaves of Grasses Infected by Clavicipitaceous Endophytes. Symbiosis,
28:291-302.
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