title: Large-scale transcriptome comparison of sunflower genes responsive to Verticillium dahliae.
abstract: Sunflower Verticillium wilt (SVW) is a vascular disease caused by root infection with Verticillium dahliae (V. dahlia). It is a serious threat to the yield and quality of sunflower. However, chemical and agronomic measures for controlling this disease are not effective. The selection of more resistant genotypes is a desirable strategy to reduce contamination. A deeper knowledge of the molecular mechanisms and genetic basis underlying sunflower Verticillium wilt is necessary to accelerate breeding progress.
  
  
  
  An RNA-Seq approach was used to perform global transcriptome profiling on the roots of resistant (S18) and susceptible (P77) sunflower genotypes infected with V. dahlia. Different pairwise transcriptome comparisons were examined over a time course (6, 12 and 24 h, and 2, 3, 5 and 10 d post inoculation). In RD, SD and D datasets, 1231 genes were associated with SVW resistance in a genotype-common transcriptional pattern. Moreover, 759 and 511 genes were directly related to SVW resistance in the resistant and susceptible genotypes, respectively, in a genotype-specific transcriptional pattern. Most of the genes were demonstrated to participate in plant defense responses; these genes included peroxidase (POD), glutathione peroxidase, aquaporin PIP, chitinase, L-ascorbate oxidase, and LRR receptors. For the up-regulated genotype-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the resistant genotype, higher average fold-changes were observed in the resistant genotype compared to those in the susceptible genotype. An inverse effect was observed in the down-regulated genotype-specific DEGs in the resistant genotype. KEGG analyses showed that 98, 112 and 52 genes were classified into plant hormone signal transduction, plant-pathogen interaction and flavonoid biosynthesis categories, respectively. Many of these genes, such as CNGC, RBOH, FLS2, JAZ, MYC2 NPR1 and TGA, regulate crucial points in defense-related pathway and may contribute to V. dahliae resistance in sunflower.
  
  
  
  The transcriptome profiling results provided a clearer understanding of the transcripts associated with the crosstalk between sunflower and V. dahliae. The results identified several differentially expressed unigenes involved in the hyper sensitive response (HR) and the salicylic acid (SA)/jasmonic acid (JA)-mediated signal transduction pathway for resistance against V. dahliae. These results are useful for screening resistant sunflower genotypes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China.|Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, 010031, China.
authors.forename: Shuchun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China.|The Key Laboratory of Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, College of life sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China.
authors.forename: Yongchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, 010031, China.
authors.forename: Yanfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China.
authors.forename: Chengyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China.
authors.forename: Wenxia
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, 010031, China.
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, 010031, China.
authors.forename: Yulin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China. qzli@imu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qianzhong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006368:Helianthus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D020172:Verticillium / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Defense responses genes; Differentially expressed genes (DEGs); Helianthus annuus L; RNA-Seq; Verticillium dahliae