Transcriptome-proteomic analysis associated with resistance to wheat cyst nematode Heterodera filipjevi

Abstract

Cereal-cyst-nematode-(CCN), Heterodera filipjevi, is a destructive nematode on cereal-crops globally. Limited information on CCN infection, epidemiology, and lack of adequate resistant cultivars hamper H. filipjevi management significantly. Thus, in this-study, the-reactions of resistant-and-susceptible-wheat cultivars, Triticum aestivum L,- to H. filipjevi,-Isfahan-pathotype, were investigated to determine changes in expression of gene-markers, Cre and PRX-groups, using Real-time-polymerase-chain-reaction-(qPCR). We also measured the-activity of POX and CAT, the-two-important-antioxidant enzymes in defense-mechanisms providing a better insight into defense responses of antioxidant enzymes in wheat against H. filipjevi. RNA was extracted from the-roots, 4 and 7-days-post-inoculation (dpi); and from the-leaves 6 and 7-weeks-post-inoculation-(wpi). Expression of Cre3, peroxidases-(PRX)-TaPrx111 and TaPrx112-genes increased at 4 dpi by 6.32, 20 and 8.71-fold in the roots, respectively. However, at 7-dpi, the expression of Cre3, TaPrx111 and TaPrx112-genes increased by-15.98, 5.93, and 16.59, respectively. Similarly, an increasing-trend was recorded in the-leaves. The-expression of Cre3-gene in the-wheat-leaves increased-by 8.85 and 9.77-fold in 6 and 7-wpi compared to the-controls, respectively, as well as by-3.74 and 5.93-fold for TaPrx111-gene; and 4.16 and 6.11-fold for TaPrx112-gene in 6 and 7-wpi, respectively. Our findings demonstrated that the activity of -POX and CAT increased by-1.45 to 2.54 times with CCN infected in resistance-genotypes. Surprisingly, PRX-gene-marker, basically resistant to abiotic-stresses such as high-salinity and drought, and also regulating the ROS-balance in plants, similarly modulates-immunity against-H. filipjevi. Conclusively, the accessions used in this-study that exhibited resistance-and-moderate-resistance offer additional-genetic-resources for wheat-breeding-programs.