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Tomato Root Transformation Followed by Inoculation with Ralstonia Solanacearum for Straightforward Genetic Analysis of Bacterial Wilt Disease
Published on: March 11, 2020
Deciphering bacterial wilt resistance in eggplant: identification of elite lines, DNA marker validation and
Kasireddy Sivasankarreddy1, Amina Aftab1, Jiji Joseph1
1College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, Kerala India.
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Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum severely affects global eggplant production and necessitates the identification of resistant, high-yielding genotypes with consumer-preferred traits. In this study, eighteen diverse eggplant accessions were evaluated for bacterial wilt resistance, yield and qualitative traits under artificial inoculation conditions using a molecularly-characterized virulent strain of R. solanacearum (PQ278583.1 and PQ278599.1). IC624213 (S. violaceum) exhibited complete resistance, while thirteen accessions were resistant and four were moderately resistant. Application of a multi-trait selection index identified 'IC636521' and 'IC624240' as elite genotypes that out-yielded commercial checks under disease pressure. DNA marker validation confirmed SSR-46 as a reliable tool, demonstrating a clear polymorphic association with resistance across 11 genotypes, though marker-phenotype mismatches in specific wild and moderately resistant backgrounds point toward alternative loci or epistatic effects. To resolve these underlying defense mechanisms, comparative transcriptome profiling via high-throughput RNA-Sequencing was conducted between 'IC636521' (resistant) and 'Pusa purple long' (susceptible). The transcriptomic essay identified 7,470 differentially expressed genes in IC636521 post-inoculation. This cohort featured a strong upregulation of pathogenesis-related PR-1A1, PR-4, Peroxidase and Osmotin genes and concurrent downregulation of transcription factors such as WRKY, MYB, and NAC. Functional enrichment analyses revealed significant enrichment of metabolic and secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathways along with activation of plant defense signaling networks. Gene ontology analysis further indicated coordinated regulation of defence responses, oxidative stress processes, transcriptional regulation, and membrane-associated cellular components. These findings provide valuable resistant germplasm, molecular marker, and candidate resistance-associated genes for the development of bacterial wilt-resistant eggplant cultivars through integrated breeding approaches.
Supplementary Information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-026-04935-4.
