Transcriptome analysis of scions grafted to potato rootstock for improving late blight resistance

Abstract Background Late blight seriously threatens potato cultivation worldwide. The severe and widespread damage caused by the fungal pathogen can lead to drastic decreases in potato yield. Although grafting technology has been widely used to improve crop resistance, the effects of grafting on pot...

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Main Authors: Yuexin Li, Degang Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2021-06-01
Series:BMC Plant Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-021-03039-w
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author Yuexin Li
Degang Zhao
author_facet Yuexin Li
Degang Zhao
author_sort Yuexin Li
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Late blight seriously threatens potato cultivation worldwide. The severe and widespread damage caused by the fungal pathogen can lead to drastic decreases in potato yield. Although grafting technology has been widely used to improve crop resistance, the effects of grafting on potato late blight resistance as well as the associated molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, we performed RNA transcriptome sequencing analysis and the late blight resistance testing of the scion when the potato late blight-resistant variety Qingshu 9 and the susceptible variety Favorita were used as the rootstock and scion, respectively, and vice versa. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the rootstock on scion disease resistance and to clarify the related molecular mechanisms. Results A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the expression levels of genes related to plant–pathogen interactions, plant mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways were significantly up-regulated in the scion when Qingshu 9 was used as the rootstock. Some of these genes encoded calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), chitin elicitor receptor kinases (CERKs), LRR receptor serine/threonine protein kinases (LRR-LRKs), NPR family proteins in the salicylic acid synthesis pathway, and MAPKs which were potato late blight response proteins. When Favorita was used as the rootstock, only a few genes of late blight response genes were upregulated in the scion of Qingshu 9. Grafted plants using resistant variety as rootstocks inoculated with P. infestans spores showed significant reductions in lesion size while no significant difference in lesion size was observed when susceptible variety was used as the rootstock. We also showed that this induction of disease resistance in scions, especially scions derived from susceptible potato varieties was mediated by the up-regulation of expression of genes involved in plant disease resistance in scions. Conclusions Our results showed that potato grafting using late blight resistant varieties as rootstocks could render or enhance resistance to late blight in scions derived from susceptible varieties via up-regulating the expression of disease resistant genes in scions. The results provide the basis for exploring the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of rootstocks on scion disease resistance.
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spelling doaj.art-7e46c280de0a4dfb93cc9033d2d525e62022-12-21T21:59:42ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292021-06-0121111310.1186/s12870-021-03039-wTranscriptome analysis of scions grafted to potato rootstock for improving late blight resistanceYuexin Li0Degang Zhao1College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University/Agricultural Bioengineering InstituteCollege of Life Sciences, Guizhou University/Agricultural Bioengineering InstituteAbstract Background Late blight seriously threatens potato cultivation worldwide. The severe and widespread damage caused by the fungal pathogen can lead to drastic decreases in potato yield. Although grafting technology has been widely used to improve crop resistance, the effects of grafting on potato late blight resistance as well as the associated molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, we performed RNA transcriptome sequencing analysis and the late blight resistance testing of the scion when the potato late blight-resistant variety Qingshu 9 and the susceptible variety Favorita were used as the rootstock and scion, respectively, and vice versa. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the rootstock on scion disease resistance and to clarify the related molecular mechanisms. Results A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the expression levels of genes related to plant–pathogen interactions, plant mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways were significantly up-regulated in the scion when Qingshu 9 was used as the rootstock. Some of these genes encoded calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), chitin elicitor receptor kinases (CERKs), LRR receptor serine/threonine protein kinases (LRR-LRKs), NPR family proteins in the salicylic acid synthesis pathway, and MAPKs which were potato late blight response proteins. When Favorita was used as the rootstock, only a few genes of late blight response genes were upregulated in the scion of Qingshu 9. Grafted plants using resistant variety as rootstocks inoculated with P. infestans spores showed significant reductions in lesion size while no significant difference in lesion size was observed when susceptible variety was used as the rootstock. We also showed that this induction of disease resistance in scions, especially scions derived from susceptible potato varieties was mediated by the up-regulation of expression of genes involved in plant disease resistance in scions. Conclusions Our results showed that potato grafting using late blight resistant varieties as rootstocks could render or enhance resistance to late blight in scions derived from susceptible varieties via up-regulating the expression of disease resistant genes in scions. The results provide the basis for exploring the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of rootstocks on scion disease resistance.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-021-03039-wPotatoGraftLate blightTranscriptome sequencing
spellingShingle Yuexin Li
Degang Zhao
Transcriptome analysis of scions grafted to potato rootstock for improving late blight resistance
BMC Plant Biology
Potato
Graft
Late blight
Transcriptome sequencing
title Transcriptome analysis of scions grafted to potato rootstock for improving late blight resistance
title_full Transcriptome analysis of scions grafted to potato rootstock for improving late blight resistance
title_fullStr Transcriptome analysis of scions grafted to potato rootstock for improving late blight resistance
title_full_unstemmed Transcriptome analysis of scions grafted to potato rootstock for improving late blight resistance
title_short Transcriptome analysis of scions grafted to potato rootstock for improving late blight resistance
title_sort transcriptome analysis of scions grafted to potato rootstock for improving late blight resistance
topic Potato
Graft
Late blight
Transcriptome sequencing
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-021-03039-w
work_keys_str_mv AT yuexinli transcriptomeanalysisofscionsgraftedtopotatorootstockforimprovinglateblightresistance
AT degangzhao transcriptomeanalysisofscionsgraftedtopotatorootstockforimprovinglateblightresistance