The RNA-seq data for Agave purple curl leaf disease
In this study, RNA-seq analysis was conducted to better understand the mechanism of agave purple curl leaf disease infection during different stages of the disease. Two agave materials were selected for experimental treatment: a disease-resistant and a disease-susceptible A. H11648 for purple curl leaf disease. The disease-resistant plant resulted from a natural mutation in the A. H11648, which was screened from A. H11648 gardens continuously infected with purple curl leaf disease for many years. Compared to the disease-susceptible plant, the disease-resistant plant showed obvious resistance to agave purple curl leaf disease. The leaves from three stages in purple curl leaf disease were selected for RNA-seq analysis, which were early (day 0 post inoculation), mild (day 60 post inoculation, where the blade tips of the disease-susceptible agave showed obvious yellow spots) and severe (day 90 post inoculation, where the blade tips of the disease-susceptible agave turned black and died, and the neighboring leaf was sampled). Three biological replicates were conducted, and the disease-resistant agave showed no symptoms of disease throughout all the mealybug infection stages.