Large-scale stage-specific regulation of gene expression during host-pathogen interactions in CSP44 bread wheat...

Genome-wide transcriptome analysis was undertaken in a leaf-rust resistant bread wheat line CSP44 (selected from Australian cv. Condor) carrying the adult plant resistance (APR) gene Lr48. Two pre-adult plant (P-AP) susceptible stages (S48 and S96) and two adult plant (AP) resistant stages (R48 and R96) were used for RNA-seq. At the susceptible P-AP stage (during S48 to S96), expression increased in 2062 genes, and declined in 130 genes; 1775 of 2062 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) also exhibited high expression during early incompatible stage R48. Comparison of S96 with R96 showed that the expression of 80 genes was enhanced and that of 208 genes declined at the AP stage. At the resistant AP stage (during R48 to R96), expression of mere 25 genes increased and that of 126 genes declined. Apparently, the resistance during late adult stage (R96) is caused by regulation of the expression of relatively fewer genes, although at pre-adult stage (S48 to S96), expression of large number of genes increased; expression of majority of these genes kept on increasing during adult stage at R48 also. These and other results of the present study suggest that APR may mimic some kind of systemic acquired resistance (SAR). The host-specific DEGs belonged to 10 different classes including genes involved in defence, transport, epigenetics, photosynthesis, genes encoding some transcription factors etc. The pathogen (Puccinia triticina) specific DEGs (including three genes encoding known biotrophic effectors) seem to help the pathogen in infection/growth through large-scale stage-specific enhanced expression of host's genes. A putative candidate gene for Lr48 containing protein kinase domain (its ortholog in rice encoding OsWAK8) was also identified.