Transcriptomics reveals multiple resistance mechanisms against cotton leaf curl disease in a naturally immune cotton species, Gossypium arboreum

Authors: NAQVI, RUBAB ZAHRA - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE); ZAIDI, SYED - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE); AKHTAR, KHALID - National Institute Of Agricultural Botany (NIAB); STRICKLER, SUSAN - Cornell University; WOLDEMARIAM, MELKAMU - Cornell University; MISHRA, BHARAT - University Of Alabama; MUKHTAR, M. SHAHID - University Of Alabama; Scheffler, Brian; Scheffler, Jodi; JANDER, GEORGE - Cornell University; MUELLER, LUKAS - Cornell University; ASIF, MUHAMMAD - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE); MANSOOR, SHAHID - National Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (NIBGE)

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/3/2017
Publication Date: 11/21/2017
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5934975
Citation: Naqvi, R., Zaidi, S., Akhtar, K.P., Strickler, S., Woldemariam, M., Mishra, B., Mukhtar, M., Scheffler, B.E., Scheffler, J.A., Jander, G., Mueller, L.A., Asif, M., Mansoor, S. 2017. Transcriptomics reveals multiple resistance mechanisms against cotton leaf curl disease in a naturally immune cotton species, Gossypium arboreum. Scientific Reports. 7:15880. https://doi:10.1038/s41598-017-15963-9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15963-9

Interpretive Summary: Cultivated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is an economically important crop that is severely damaged when infected with cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), a disease caused by a virus normally transmitted by whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci). A wild relative of cotton (Gossypium arboreum) is totally resistant to CLCuD, and this study used special molecular techniques to study the changes in gene expression in G. arboreum plants when they are inoculated with the virus versus an uninoculated plant. The study identified genes that increased in expression in the inoculated plants, but not in the uninoculated plants. These genes are known to code for proteins that protect the plant from viral invasion, including genes that code for proteins which detect and inactive foreign viral genes and proteins. This information will help design strategies to improve resistance in susceptible cultivated cotton.

Technical Abstract: Cotton is an economically important crop affected by a number of abiotic and biotic stresses. Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) is caused by virus in the genus Begomovirus (family Geminiviridae), collectively called cotton leaf curl viruses (CLCuVs). It is one of the most devastating virual diseases and responsible for serious crop damage annually. Compared to widely cultivated susceptible cotton species Gossypium hirsutum, the entire diploid species G. arboreum exhibits resistance against CLCuD. However, the mechanism of this resistance is unknown and the influence of CLCuV on the G. arboreum transcriptome remains to be elucidated. Here, a RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) based transcriptomic study analyzed the differential gene expression in G. arboreum under CLCuD infestation. As G. arboreum is immune when infected via the normal whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) vector, in this study G. arboreum plants were infested with CLCuD via a grafted G. hirsutum scion infected with CLCuV. RNA-Seq of control and CLCuV infested plants was done using illumina HiSeq 2500. RNA-Seq data analysis revealed 1062 DEGs in graft infested G. arboreum plants. We identified several genes involved in disease resistance and plant pathogen defense like resistance gene analog 3 of NBS-LRR family, boron transporter and defensing like protein 1. We further validated 17 genes using quantitative real-time PCR. Our study provides a comprehensive transcriptomic differential gene expression analysis of G. arboreum under CLCuD infestation. This study identified genes that may play a role in G. arboreum resistance against CLCuD and improve the understanding of the virus-host (CLCuV-cotton) interactions.