Development of PR genes panel for screening aphid-tolerant cultivars in Brassica juncea

R Sandeep Raj,Sonal V Thakur,Vora Shebhan Hussen,Snehal B Bagatharia,Shradha Nand Tyagi,Madhvi N Joshi

doi:10.1007/s13205-017-0785-7

Abstract

The exorbitant yield loss incurred by Indian farmers every year (10–90%) in rapeseed–mustard (Brassica juncea) is chiefly attributed to the progressive infestation of mustard fields by Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.), a major insect pest belonging to the family of Homoptera. Currently there are no successful tolerant cultivars developed by conventional means in Brassica juncea with systemic plant responses in the form of direct or indirect defenses against aphid attack. Lack of specific methods for screening large numbers of genotypes required in breeding for selection of tolerant cultivars in mustard is one of the main causes of slow progress in developing resistant varieties of Brassica juncea. Traditional phenotype-based breeding has to be augmented with recent molecular approaches for potential genotype selection and cultivar development in Brassica juncea. In current study a pathogen-responsive gene panel was developed which could be used for expression-assisted breeding program in mustard for selection of tolerant types against aphid infestation, minimizing the huge crop losses suffered by farmers every year.

Highlights

Indian mustard (B. juncea) is the major oilseed crop of the Indian sub-continent belonging to the rapeseed–mustard group
The exorbitant yield loss incurred by Indian farmers every year (10–90%) in rapeseed–mustard (Brassica juncea) is attributed to the progressive infestation of mustard fields by Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.), a major insect pest belonging to the family of Homoptera
Compared to the control leaf (L1) sample in L2 sample, 60S, AP2, DREB2B, MAPK, GP3 and TIR1 genes were upregulated in the fold range between 2.46 and 36.01, and HSFA7A1, LEA1, LOX, PRH43, RRTF, SAC9, SNAP and HSP101 genes were downregulated in the fold range between 0.00 and 0.57

Summary

Introduction

Indian mustard (B. juncea) is the major oilseed crop of the Indian sub-continent belonging to the rapeseed–mustard group. It accounts for nearly 27% of total edible oil production of the country. The mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.), causes damage to the crop in the range of 9–96% across different agro-climatic conditions of India (Hasan and Singh 2011). Patel et al (2004) reported Lipaphis erysimi as the most serious pest affecting mustard crop and causing yield loss in the range of 35.4–91.3% under different thermal environments in eastern central India. In Haryana, Singh et al (1993) reported 38.20–46.56% yield losses in susceptible cultivars under unprotected conditions

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