Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (2020) 33, 444-461

Si-Qi Tao, Lucas Auer, Emmanuelle Morin, Ying-Mei Liang and Sébastien Duplessis (2020)
Transcriptome analysis of apple leaves infected by the rust fungus Gymnosporangium yamadae at two sporulation stages
Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 33 (3), 444-461
Abstract: Apple rust disease caused by Gymnosporangium yamadae is one of the major threats to apple orchards. In this study, dual RNA-seq analysis was conducted to simultaneously monitor gene expression profiles of G. yamadae and infected apple leaves during the formation of rust spermogonia and aecia. The molecular mechanisms underlying this compatible interaction at 10 and 30 days postinoculation (dpi) indicate a significant reaction from the host plant and comprise detoxication pathways at the earliest stage and the induction of secondary metabolism pathways at 30 dpi. Such host reactions have been previously reported in other rust pathosystems and may represent a general reaction to rust infection. G. yamadae transcript profiling indicates a conserved genetic program in spermogonia and aecia that is shared with other rust fungi, whereas secretome prediction reveals the presence of specific secreted candidate effector proteins expressed during apple infection. Unexpectedly, the survey of fungal unigenes in the transcriptome assemblies of inoculated and mock-inoculated apple leaves reveals that G. yamadae infection may modify the fungal community composition in the apple phyllosphere at 30 dpi. Collectively, our results provide novel insights into the compatible apple–G. yamadae interaction and advance the knowledge of this heteroecious demicyclic rust fungus.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Sébastien Duplessis

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Gymnosporangium yamadae	Apple (Malus)