Dual RNA-Sequencing to Elucidate the Plant-Pathogen Duel

RNA-sequencing technology has been widely adopted to investigate host responses during infection with pathogens. Dual RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) allows the simultaneous capture of pathogen specific transcripts during infection, providing a more complete view of the interaction. In this review, we focus on the design of dual RNA-seq experiments and the application of downstream data analysis to gain biological insight into both sides of the interaction. Recent literature in this area demonstrates the power of the dual RNA-seq approach and shows that it is not limited to model systems where genomic resources are available. A reduction in sequencing cost and single cell transcriptomics coupled with protein and metabolite level dual approaches are set to enhance our understanding of plant-pathogen interactions. Sequencing costs continue to decrease and single cell transcriptomics is becoming more feasible. In combination with proteomics and metabolomics studies, these technological advances are likely to contribute to our understanding of the temporal and spatial aspects of dynamic plant-pathogen interactions.