Study of Triticum aestivum resistome in response to wheat dwarf India virus infection

Authors: KUMAR, JITENDRA - University Of Minnesota; RAI, KRISHAN - University Of Minnesota; Kianian, Shahryar; SINGH, SUDHIR - National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute

Submitted to: Life
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/10/2021
Publication Date: 9/13/2021
Citation: Kumar, J., Rai, K.M., Kianian, S.F., Singh, S.P. 2021. Study of Triticum aestivum resistome in response to wheat dwarf India virus infection. Life. 11(9). Article 955. https://doi.org/10.3390/life11090955.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/life11090955

Interpretive Summary: Plant viruses can cause extensive damage to crop yields. Geminiviruses are a large and important family of plant viruses that infect a wide variety of crops worldwide and have been divided into nine genera. Studies have been performed to characterize the transcriptional responses of host plants to a geminivirus, but only a few have explored the transcriptome response of a resistant host plant. Wheat dwarf India virus (WDIV) is a monocot infecting mastrevirus with a monopartite genome encoding for two proteins, coat protein and movement protein, on virion strand and two replication associated proteins (Rep and RepA) on complementary strand. In here we studied the response of susceptible and resistant germplasm to this pathogen. A total of 2760 and 1853 genes were differentially expressed in virus-infected and mock-inoculated resistant lines as compared with the susceptible check. The over representation of genes involved in signaling, hormone metabolism, enzymes, secondary metabolites, proteolysis and transcription factors were documented. We hypothesize that the virus resistance in Sonalika is likely due to strong intracellular surveillance via the action of multiple pathogen response proteins.

Technical Abstract: Susceptible and resistant germplasm respond differently to the pathogen attack, including virus infections. We compared the transcriptome changes between a resistant wheat cultivar, Sonalika, and a susceptible cultivar, WL711, to understand this process in wheat against wheat dwarf India virus (WDIV) infection. A total of 2760 and 1853 genes were differentially expressed in virus-infected and mock-inoculated Sonalika, respectively, compared to WL711. The overrepresentation of genes involved in signaling, hormone metabolism, enzymes, secondary metabolites, proteolysis and transcription factors were documented. We hypothesize that the virus resistance in Sonalika is likely due to strong intracellular surveillance via the action of multiple PR proteins (PR1, RAR1 and RPM1) and ChiB. Other genes with a significant differential expression such as PIP1, LIP1, DnaJ, defensins, oxalate oxidase, ankyrin repeat protein, serine-threonine kinase, SR proteins, beta-1,3-glucanases, and O-methyltransferases may also be contributing towards the virus resistance in Sonalika. In addition, we identified putative genes with unknown functions, which are only expressed in response to WDIV infection in Sonalika. The role of these genes could be further validated and utilized in engineering resistance in wheat and other crops.