RESEARCH OUTREACH INSTITUTE CONFERENCE CENTER
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Horticulture & Forestry

Dr. M. Javed Iqbal, Research Assistant Professor - ISRR

My current research interests at the ISRR

Over the last ten years, my research focus has been on the application of genomic tools to identify and map genes and quantify their expression in plants and animals.


Application of genomic tools to identify and map genes:

DNA, the heredity material provides unlimited resources to develop markers that can be linked to the traits of interest and then be used for marker assisted breeding programs in plants. My focus is to develop DNA based high throughput molecular markers for application in identification, genetic diversity evaluation and mapping of genes in crops, horticultural plants and trees. My past experience includes developing markers for Rhododendron, Azalea and Pecan that were used for DNA fingerprinting and genetic diversity evaluations. In crops, DNA markers were developed and used in wheat/rye translocation identification and genetic diversity analysis of cotton varieties for making informed crosses for new varieties.


The marker development and application program is being extended to the trees and horticultural plants of Virginia’s economic interests. A high throughput system is being developed for screening large populations of clonally propagated samples to confirm genetic identities to the original clones and select new varieties for the traits of interest.

Genomics of sudden death syndrome of soybean:

Sudden death syndrome of soybean is one of the top five diseases that results in soybean yield losses. It is caused by Fusarium virguliforme, that causes root rot and produces toxins resulting in foliar symptoms. My research involve in understanding the metabolic pathways that are regulated in the roots of partially resistant and susceptible genotypes of soybean in response to the F. virguliforme infestation. Different genes and metabolic pathways are regulated in response to pathogen in the roots. I am studying the effect of different levels of resistance based on the number of QTL for resistance on transcript abundance and protein abundance in soybean roots.

Selected Publications in Plants / Crops


Meyer R, J Yuan, AJ Afzal, MJ Iqbal, G. Garvey and DA Lightfoot (2006) Identification of Gsr1: A locus inferred to regulate gene expression in response to exogenous glutamine. Euphytica (In press)

Ahsan R, MJ Iqbal, AJ Afzal, K Shopinski, A Jamai and DA Lightfoot (2006) Analysis of soybean diphenol oxidase (laccase) gene; candidate for Rfs2. Gene (under review)

Iqbal MJ, K Shopinski, J. Shultz, C. Lanagin, DA Lightfoot (2006) Physical mapping of stress and defense related ESTs in soybean genome. Theoretical and Applied Genetics (under review).

Shultz JL, D Kurunam, K Shopinski, MJ Iqbal, S Kazi, K Zobrist, R Bashir, S Yaegashi, N Lavu, AJ Afzal, CR Yesudas, MA Kassem, C Wu, HB Zhang, CD Town, K Meksem, DA Lightfoot (2006) The Soybean Genome Database (SoyGD): a browser for display of duplicated, polyploid, regions and sequence tagged sites on the integrated physical and genetic maps of Glycine max. Nucleic Acids Res. 34: D758-765.


Iqbal MJ, S Yaegashi, R Ahsan, K Shopinski, DA Lightfoot 2005 Root response to F. solani f. sp. glycines: Temporal accumulation of transcripts in partially resistant and susceptible soybean. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 110: 1429-1438.

Lightfoot DA, VN Njiti, PT Gibson, ME Schmidt, O Myers Jr., MJ Iqbal and K Meksem 2005 Registration of Essex x Forrest recombinant inbred line mapping population. Crop Science 45: 1678-1681.


Triwitayakorn K, VN Njiti, MJ Iqbal, S Yaegashi, C Town, and DA Lightfoot 2005. Genomic analysis of a region encompassing QRfs1 and QRfs2: genes that underlie soybean resistance to sudden death syndrome. Genome 48: 125-138.


MJ Iqbal and D.A. Lightfoot 2004 Application of DNA Markers: Soybean Improvement. In: "Molecular Marker systems in plant breeding and crop improvement" ed. by H. Lorz and G. Wenzel. Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Vol. 55: 371-385. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, Germany.


J. Iqbal, K. Cryder, R. Ahsan, K. T. Triwitakorn, A. Jamai, J. Schulz, K. Meksem, D. A. Lightfoot and C. Town 2004 Genomic approaches to molecular breeding of resistance to sudden death syndrome and cyst nematode in elite cultivars. Proceedings of VII World Soybean Research Conference; IV International Soybean Processing and Utilization Conference and III Congresso Mundial de Soje (Brazilian Soybean Congress). Februray 29-March 5, 2004, Foz do Iguassu, PR, Brazil. Pp 471-480


Kassem MA, K Meksem, MJ Iqbal, VN Njiti, WJ Banz, TA Winters, A Wood and DA Lightfoot 2004 Definition of soybean genomic regions that control seed phytoestrogen amounts J Biomed Biotechnol 2004 (1): 52-60.


Yuan J, VN Njiti, K Meksem, MJ Iqbal, MyA Kaseem, GT Davis, ME Schmidt and DA Lightfoot 2002 Quantitative trait loci in two soybean recombinant inbred line populations segregating for yield and disease resistance. Crop Science 42: 271-277.


Njiti VN, K Meksem, MJ Iqbal, JE Johnson, MyA Kassem, KF Zobrist, VY Kilo and DA Lightfoot 2001 Common loci underlie field resistance to soybean sudden death syndrome in Forrest, Pyramid, Essex and Douglas. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 104: 294-300.


Iqbal MJ, K Meksem, VN Njiti, MyA Kassem and DA Lightfoot 2001 Microsatellite markers identify three additional quantitative trait loci for resistance to soybean sudden death syndrome (SDS) in Essex x Forrest RILs. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 102: 187-192.


Meksem K, VN Njiti, WJ Banz, MJ Iqbal, MyA Kassem, D Hyten, J Yuan, TA Winters and DA Lightfoot 2001 Genomic regions that underlie soybean seed isoflavone content. J Biomed Biotechnol 2001(1): 38-45.

For a complete list of publications, click here.