Abstract
Microdochium nivale is a progressive and devastating phytopathogen that causes different types of cereal crop and grass diseases that are poorly characterized at the molecular level. Although rye (Secale cereale L.) is one of the most resistant crops to most of the phytopathogens, it is severely damaged by M. nivale. The recent high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of rye genome has improved whole-genome studies of this crop. In the present work, the first transcriptome study of the M. nivale-infected crop plant (rye) with the detailed functional gene classification was carried out, along with the physiological verification of the RNA-Seq data. The results revealed plant reactions that contributed to their resistance or susceptibility to M. nivale. Phytohormone abscisic acid was shown to promote plant tolerance to M. nivale. Flavonoids were proposed to contribute to plant resistance to this pathogen. The upregulation of plant lipase encoding genes and the induction of lipase activity in M. nivale-infected plants revealed in our study were presumed to play an important role in plant susceptibility to the studied phytopathogen. Our work disclosed important aspects of plant-M. nivale interactions, outlined the directions for future studies on poorly characterized plant diseases caused by this phytopathogen, and provided new opportunities to improve cereals breeding and food security strategies.
Highlights
IntroductionM. nivale-caused diseases are associated with plant tissue desiccation, coupled with the extensive growth of white or pink mycelium and the formation of orange sporodochia
The mRNA-libraries corresponding to the control and M. nivale-infected rye plants were sequenced in three biological replicates yielding 19–29 million reads aligned to reference rye transcripts per replicate (Supplementary Table S1)
1008 genes were expressed differentially in M. nivale-infected plants compared to the control plants: 745 genes were upand 263 were downregulated during the infection
Summary
M. nivale-caused diseases are associated with plant tissue desiccation, coupled with the extensive growth of white or pink mycelium and the formation of orange sporodochia. This pathogen leads to the reduction of seed germination, as well as the pre- and post-emergence death of seedlings. Yield damage from M. nivale infection ranges from 20% to total loss of the cereal crops [6,7]. M. nivale is a serious problem for the breeding and cultivation of winter cereals (rye, wheat, oat, barley, triticale), as well as forage and turf grasses [9,10]. The molecular and physiological criteria of M. nivale infection are poorly investigated and form additional obstacles in disease management
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
