Transcriptional Changes during <i>Phytophthora capsici</i> Infection Reveal Potential Defense Mechanisms in Squash
<i>Phytophthora capsici</i> incites foliar blight, root, fruit, and crown rot in squash (<i>Cucurbita</i> spp.) and limits production worldwide. Resistance to crown rot in <i>C. moschata</i> breeding line #394-1-27-12 is conferred by three dominant genes, but the...
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| author | Shailesh Raj Acharya Swati Shrestha Vincent Njung’e Michael Yuqing Fu Prerna Sabharwal Shallu Thakur Geoffrey Meru |
| author_facet | Shailesh Raj Acharya Swati Shrestha Vincent Njung’e Michael Yuqing Fu Prerna Sabharwal Shallu Thakur Geoffrey Meru |
| author_sort | Shailesh Raj Acharya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Phytophthora capsici</i> incites foliar blight, root, fruit, and crown rot in squash (<i>Cucurbita</i> spp.) and limits production worldwide. Resistance to crown rot in <i>C. moschata</i> breeding line #394-1-27-12 is conferred by three dominant genes, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance are poorly understood. In the current study, RNA sequencing was used to investigate transcriptional changes in #394-1-27-12 (resistant) and Butterbush (susceptible) following infection by <i>P. capsici</i> at 12, 24, 48, 72, and 120 h post inoculation (hpi). Overall, the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Butterbush (2648) exceeded those in #394-1-27-12 (1729), but in both genotypes, the highest number of DEGs was observed at 72 hpi and least at 24 hpi. Our gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed a downregulation of the genes involved in polysaccharide and lignin metabolism in Butterbush but as an upregulation of those associated with regulation of peptidase activity. However, in #394-1-27-12, the downregulated genes were primarily associated with response to stimuli, whereas those upregulated were involved in oxidation–reduction and response to stress. The upregulated genes in #394-1-27-12 included defensin-like proteins, respiratory-burst oxidases, ethylene-responsive transcription factors, cytochrome P450 proteins, and peroxidases. These findings provide a framework for the functional validation of the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to <i>P. capsici</i> in cucurbits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:20:41Z |
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| issn | 2673-7140 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:20:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
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| series | Stresses |
| spelling | doaj.art-121181efa0224e22921eff245d5bfdb42023-12-22T14:43:24ZengMDPI AGStresses2673-71402023-11-013482784110.3390/stresses3040056Transcriptional Changes during <i>Phytophthora capsici</i> Infection Reveal Potential Defense Mechanisms in SquashShailesh Raj Acharya0Swati Shrestha1Vincent Njung’e Michael2Yuqing Fu3Prerna Sabharwal4Shallu Thakur5Geoffrey Meru6Tropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USATropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USATropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USATropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USATropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USATropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USATropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USA<i>Phytophthora capsici</i> incites foliar blight, root, fruit, and crown rot in squash (<i>Cucurbita</i> spp.) and limits production worldwide. Resistance to crown rot in <i>C. moschata</i> breeding line #394-1-27-12 is conferred by three dominant genes, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance are poorly understood. In the current study, RNA sequencing was used to investigate transcriptional changes in #394-1-27-12 (resistant) and Butterbush (susceptible) following infection by <i>P. capsici</i> at 12, 24, 48, 72, and 120 h post inoculation (hpi). Overall, the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Butterbush (2648) exceeded those in #394-1-27-12 (1729), but in both genotypes, the highest number of DEGs was observed at 72 hpi and least at 24 hpi. Our gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed a downregulation of the genes involved in polysaccharide and lignin metabolism in Butterbush but as an upregulation of those associated with regulation of peptidase activity. However, in #394-1-27-12, the downregulated genes were primarily associated with response to stimuli, whereas those upregulated were involved in oxidation–reduction and response to stress. The upregulated genes in #394-1-27-12 included defensin-like proteins, respiratory-burst oxidases, ethylene-responsive transcription factors, cytochrome P450 proteins, and peroxidases. These findings provide a framework for the functional validation of the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to <i>P. capsici</i> in cucurbits.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7140/3/4/56<i>Cucurbita moschata</i>crown rotRNA-seqco-expression analysisdifferentially expressed genes |
| spellingShingle | Shailesh Raj Acharya Swati Shrestha Vincent Njung’e Michael Yuqing Fu Prerna Sabharwal Shallu Thakur Geoffrey Meru Transcriptional Changes during <i>Phytophthora capsici</i> Infection Reveal Potential Defense Mechanisms in Squash Stresses <i>Cucurbita moschata</i> crown rot RNA-seq co-expression analysis differentially expressed genes |
| title | Transcriptional Changes during <i>Phytophthora capsici</i> Infection Reveal Potential Defense Mechanisms in Squash |
| title_full | Transcriptional Changes during <i>Phytophthora capsici</i> Infection Reveal Potential Defense Mechanisms in Squash |
| title_fullStr | Transcriptional Changes during <i>Phytophthora capsici</i> Infection Reveal Potential Defense Mechanisms in Squash |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcriptional Changes during <i>Phytophthora capsici</i> Infection Reveal Potential Defense Mechanisms in Squash |
| title_short | Transcriptional Changes during <i>Phytophthora capsici</i> Infection Reveal Potential Defense Mechanisms in Squash |
| title_sort | transcriptional changes during i phytophthora capsici i infection reveal potential defense mechanisms in squash |
| topic | <i>Cucurbita moschata</i> crown rot RNA-seq co-expression analysis differentially expressed genes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7140/3/4/56 |
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