Transcriptomic analysis of Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata in response to Plasmopara viticola

Downy mildew, resulted from Plasmopara viticola, is one of most severe fungal diseases of grapevine. Since Vitis vinifera is susceptible to downy mildew, much effort has been focused on improving the resistance of V. vinifera. The Chinese wild V. pseudoreticulata accession Baihe-35-1 (BH) shows resistance to P. viticola; however, the molecular mechanism underlying its resistance to P. viticola is largely unknown. In order to better understand the cellular processes, the transcriptomic changes were investigated at 0, 12, 24, 48, 96, and 120 h post infection (hpi). Transcriptome analysis identified a total of 175 differentially expressed genes. Most of them were found to be associated with oxidative stress, cell wall modification, and protein modification. Moreover, the BH resistance to P. viticola was involved in metabolism process, including terpene synthesis and hormone synthesis. In addition, we verified 12 genes to ensure the accuracy of transcriptome data using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). This study broadly characterizes a molecular mechanism in which oxidative stress and cell wall biosynthesis and modification play important roles in the response of BH to P. viticola and provides a basis for further analysis of key genes involved in the resistance to P. viticola.