Comparative transcriptome analysis of genes involved in the response of resistant and susceptible peach cultivars to nematode infection

Abstract

Root-knot nematode (RKN) is among the most devastating peach pathogens, since it establishes and maintains a permanent feeding site within the plant root system. The objective of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes between two peach cultivars, one resistant and one susceptible, at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 d post-inoculation (dpi) with RKN, using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. Transcriptome analysis indicated that plant response was vigorous at 0.5–1.5dpi, compared with the other time points. A gene ontology analysis of the differentially expressed genes at 0.5dpi demonstrated that they were involved in metabolic and cellular processes. Filtering of genes with no obvious differences between the two cultivars revealed 11 genes associated with phytohormone metabolism that were up-regulated only in the resistant cultivar, and two genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis in the susceptible cultivar. The detailed expression pattern of the genes indicated that abscisic acid and ethylene might play an important role in signal transport during RKN infection in the resistant cultivar. Overall, this study provided a platform for further functional genomic research on peach response to RKN infection.