Research Title: Metabolic engineering: Prospect for crop improvement through genetic manipulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and defense responses.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 1999

Gene, 179

Faculty: Science

Abstract: In leguminous plants such as the forage legume alfalfa, products of the phenylpropanoid pathway of secondary metabolism are involved in interactions with beneficial microorganisms (flavonoid inducers of the Rhizobium symbiosis), and in defense against pathogens (isoflavonoid phytoalexins). In addition, the phenylpropane polymer lignin is a major structural component of secondary vascular tissue and fibers in higher plants. The recent isolation of genes encoding key enzymes of the various phenylpropanoid branch pathways opens up the possibility of engineering important crop plants such as alfalfa for: (a) improved forage digestibility, by modification of lignin composition and/or content; (b) increased or broader-spectrum disease resistance, by introducing novel phytoalexins or structural variants of the naturally occurring phytoalexins, or by modifying expression of transcriptional regulators of phytoalexin pathways; and (c) enhanced nodulation efficiency, by engineering over-production of flavonoid nod gene inducers. The basic biochemistry and molecular biology underlying these strategies is briefly reviewed, and recent progress with transgenic plants summarized. The potential importance of metabolic compartmentation for attempts to engineer phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathways is also discussed. Overexpression of an alfalfa glucanase-encoding gene confers significant protection against Phytophthora in alfalfa, possibly via indirect effects on phenylpropanoid metabolism.

Keywords: phytoalexins

Research Title: Meat and Organs Quality of Broiler Chickens Fed Diet Contaminated with B1 Aflatoxin

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2014

Global Veterinaria , 12

Faculty: Science

Abstract: The levels of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in breast, leg, liver, kidney and gizzard and in litter were studied in broilers chicks maintained for 6 weeks on AFB1 contaminated diets of 0.0(group 1,control group), 384.5 µg/kg AFB1 (group2,treatment 1), or 128.9 µg/kg AFB1(group3,treatment2). The highest AFB1 of 1.2 µg/kg was at the third week in liver tissues and 0.8 µg/kg in chicken legs fed diet contaminated with 374.53 ppb AFB1. Breast and gizzard showed lower AFB1 concentrations of 0.5 and 0.8 µg/kg, respectively, than treatment 1 at the end of the third week. The residual level of AFB1 were increased in liver and kidney of 2.1 and 1.9 µg/kg AFB1 at wk 6 and chickens breast and leg AFB1 levels also affected and increased to 0.93 and 1.64 µg/kg, respectively.

Keywords: Broiler Aflatoxin B1 Organs Litter

Research Title: DNA extraction and PCR-based diagnosis of the root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne species and races) of Jordan.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2010

Jordan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 6

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Three Meloidogyne spp. of the root-knot nematodes were recently surveyed in Jordan and identified as M. javanica, M. incognita (race 1 and 2), M. arenaria (race 2), based on a combination of several diagnostic methods. Several methods of genomic DNA extraction from nematode eggs, single or many 2nd stage juveniles and females were evaluated. For DNA fingerprinting, sequence characterized amplified regions (SCAR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were used. Among the tested DNA extraction methods, miniprep method was the most efficient, cost and time effective for SCAR-PCR. Methods used for DNA extraction from single juveniles or females were more suitable for RAPD than SCARPCR. Typical DNA products of 670, 420, or 1200 bp in size were specifically amplified by SCAR-PCR when DNA extracts of M. javanica, M. arenaria (race 2), or M. incognita (race 1 or 2), respectively, were used as template DNA. Accordingly, Meloidogyne species in Jordan could be most reliably identified using SCAR based PCR assay. The primer PA-01 produced RAPD patterns with clear bands that clearly distinguished one species from the others and so allowed the identification of the three Meloidogyne species. Molecular techniques for the identification of Meloidogyne spp. will be particularly useful in cases of mixed populations of the three species and for reliable quarantine tests

Keywords: DNA fingerprint

Research Title: Assessment of phenotypic diversity among Jordanian barley landraces (Hordeum vulgare L.).

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2007

Biotechnology, 6

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Assessment of phenotypic diversity among Jordanian barley landraces (Hordeum vulgare L.).

Keywords: RAPD PCR

Research Title: Serologic and molecular characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Jordanian clinical isolates compared with the strains of International Antigenic Typing Scheme.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2007

Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, 58

Faculty: Science

Abstract: One hundred clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were serologically classified into 7 Jordanian serotypes (labeled JO1–JO7) Odeh, 2002, M.Sc. thesis, University of Jordan). Using the slide agglutination test, 4 of them (JO4, JO5, JO6, and JO7) were serologically matched with the International Antigenic Typing Scheme (IATS) strains (IATS 20, IATS 10, IATS 6, and IATS 11). One serotype (JO1) showed a weak crossreaction with IATS 1. The remaining 2 local serotypes (JO2 and JO3) did not react with any of the 20 IATS strains. Serologic analysis data showed to a certain extent correlations with molecular data using genetic clustering and similarity indices generated by random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR). Each of the 4 identified local serotypes formed a cluster with its serologically matched IATS strain with relatively high average similarity indices, whereas lower average similarity index was observed between IATS 1 and JO1, in consistence with the weak serologic reaction using the slide agglutination test. On the other hand, the 2 nontypeable serotypes (JO2 and JO3) formed 2 separate clusters that could not be matched to any of the IATS strain. Phenotypic and genotypic analyses suggest that JO2 and JO3, and possibly JO1, can be new serotypes of P. aeruginosa. RAPD-PCR was also used to study the relative relatedness among the 20 IATS strains. The IATS strains formed 2 main clusters. Half of the IATS strains formed one main cluster that included IATS 11–20. The remaining IATS strains (8 strains) formed the second main cluster, with the exception of IATS 4 and 9, where each formed a separate cluster.

Keywords: random primers, PCR

Research Title: Assessment of genetic variation among Jordanian barley landraces (Hordeum vulgare L.) as reveled by molecular markers.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2007

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Assessment of genetic variation among Jordanian barley landraces (Hordeum vulgare L.) as reveled by molecular markers. http://www.idosi.org/aejaes/aejaes2(1).htm

Keywords: RAPD PCR

Research Title: A comparison among diagnostic means used to identify root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne species and races) from Jordan.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2006

Pak. J. Nematol., 24

Faculty: Science

Abstract: A comparison among diagnostic means used to identify root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne species and races) from Jordan.

Keywords: pcr

Research Title: Determination of resistance of locally grown tomato varieties to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in Jordan under greenhouse conditions.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2006

Jordan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2

Faculty: Science

Abstract: Local tomato cultivars were tested for resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. Twenty-four cultivars were inoculated with composite samples of fungal suspensions from race 1, race 2, and equal volumes of race 1 and race 2 isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici using the standard root dip method. Under green house conditions, sixty percent of the inoculated varieties showed different levels of resistance to race 1; however, some of the resistant varieties under greenhouse conditions were susceptible in open field conditions, where fifty-four were resistant to the mixture of race 1 and race 2, but all varieties were susceptible to race 2. The effect of tomato growth stage at the time of infection with the vascular wilt fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici was investigated through inoculation of different growth stages of C32 tomato differential line with a composite sample of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici. The age of tomato plant played an important role in its ability to overcome the disease, and there were significant differences among plants inoculated soon after transplanting, one, two, and three weeks after transplanting, compared to plants inoculated four weeks after transplanting which did not show any significant differences from the non-inoculated control under experimental conditions. ت

Keywords: plant resistance

Research Title: Molecular Detection of Verticillium dahliae Kleb. in Asymptomatic Olive Trees.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2006

J. Phytopathology, 154

Faculty: Science

Abstract: To test and compare the sensitivity of single and nested PCR-based assays with a standard plating procedure in detecting the infection of Verticillium dahliae, especially in asymptomatic olive trees at different tree heights, two symptomatic and two asymptomatic V. dahliae-infected trees were sampled during the period of the minimal V. dahliae activity in olive tissues in summer at 10, 40, 70, 100, and 130 cm heights from the trunk base. The branch samples were subjected for standard plating and DNA extraction and amplification by V. dahliae-specific single and nested PCR oligonucleotide primers derived from the internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes of V. dahliae. The single PCR-based assay was highly sensitive compared with the standard plating detecting V. dahliae at most tree heights. More detection of V. dahliae was in symptomatic trees than asymptomatic trees and the intensity of the PCR decreased with increasing distance from the trunk base. The nested PCR allowed more specific amplification of V. dahliae than did the single PCR resulting in detecting the fungus in all heights of the asymptomatic trees. The single or nested PCR-based assays could be used as a powerful diagnostic tool to detect V. dahliae latent infection in olive trees before symptom development and disease spread to newly established orchards.

Keywords: PCR

Research Title: Evaluation of Jordanian barley (Hordeum vulgare L) landraces collected from diverse environments.

Author: Sameer Masoud, Published Year: 2005

Dirasat: Agricultural Sciences, 32

Faculty: Science

Abstract: A field study was carried out at the Jubiha Agricultural Research Station /University of Jordan during 2000/2001 growing season to evaluate some of the agronomic traits particularly yield performance, for 32 barely landraces collected during the year 2000 from different sites in Ajlun and Muwaqqar. Three long-term checks: Harmal, Zanbaka, and Arta were also used in this study. Triple lattice design with three replications was used. Half of the collected barely landraces were six-row type that dominated in Ajlun area and the remaining landraces were two-row type that dominated in Muwaqqar area. This reflects the expected landrace adaptability to the stressful climatic conditions. Landrace differences in most of the traits were highly significant at 0.1% level of probability, indicated that the major of the variation among landraces is due to genetic effect, and so selection for those traits with high genetic variability can be efficient. High positive correlations of grain yield /plant with thousand-kernel weight, spike weight and number of grains /spike. Thus, selection for any of these yield components will lead to directly increase yield. Low percentage (15.6%) of Jordanian landraces were early in heading, 81.3% were medium in maturity and 12.5% with long filling period. Frequencies of these landraces with early heading, early maturity and long filling period are considered as indicators of increasing tolerance to drought.

Keywords: agronomic traits