title: RNAseq Transcriptional Profiling following Whip Development in Sugarcane Smut Disease.
abstract: Sugarcane smut disease is caused by the biotrophic fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. The disease is characterized by the development of a whip-like structure from the primary meristems, where billions of teliospores are produced. Sugarcane smut also causes tillering and low sucrose and high fiber contents, reducing cane productivity. We investigated the biological events contributing to disease symptoms in a smut intermediate-resistant sugarcane genotype by examining the transcriptional profiles (RNAseq) shortly after inoculating the plants and immediately after whip emission. The overall picture of disease progression suggests that premature transcriptional reprogramming of the shoot meristem functions continues until the emergence of the whip. The guidance of this altered pattern is potentially primarily related to auxin mobilization in addition to the involvement of other hormonal imbalances. The consequences associated with whip emission are the modulation of typical meristematic functions toward reproductive organ differentiation, requiring strong changes in carbon partitioning and energy production. These changes include the overexpression of genes coding for invertases and trehalose-6P synthase, as well as other enzymes from key metabolic pathways, such as from lignin biosynthesis. This is the first report describing changes in the transcriptional profiles following whip development, providing a hypothetical model and candidate genes to further study sugarcane smut disease progression.
authors: Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Patricia D C
authors: PD
authors: Schaker
authors: Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Alessandra C
authors: AC
authors: Palhares
authors: Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Lucas M
authors: LM
authors: Taniguti
authors: Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Leila P
authors: LP
authors: Peters
authors: Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Centro de Cana, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Silvana
authors: S
authors: Creste
authors: CSIRO Agriculture, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors: Karen S
authors: KS
authors: Aitken
authors: Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Marie-Anne
authors: MA
authors: Van Sluys
authors: Mendelics Análise Genômica, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: João P
authors: JP
authors: Kitajima
authors: Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Maria L C
authors: ML
authors: Vieira
authors: Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Claudia B
authors: CB
authors: Monteiro-Vitorello
mesh_terms: D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D031786:Saccharum / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA / Q000379:methods*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014587:Ustilaginales / Q000472:pathogenicity*