NAC [no apical meristem (NAM), Arabidopsis thaliana transcription activation factor [ATAF1/2] and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC2)] proteins belong to one of the largest plant-specific transcription factor (TF) families and play important roles in plant development processes, response to biotic and abiotic cues and hormone signalling. Our genome-wide analysis identified 110 StNAC genes in potato encoding for 136 proteins, including 14 membrane-bound TFs. The physical map positions of StNAC genes on 12 potato chromosomes were non-random, and 40 genes were found to be distributed in 16 clusters. The StNAC proteins were phylogenetically clustered into 12 subgroups. Phylogenetic analysis of StNACs along with their Arabidopsis and rice counterparts divided these proteins into 18 subgroups. Our comparative analysis has also identified 36 putative TNAC proteins, which appear to be restricted to Solanaceae family. In silico expression analysis, using Illumina RNA-seq transcriptome data, revealed tissue-specific, biotic, abiotic stress and hormone-responsive expression profile of StNAC genes. Several StNAC genes, including StNAC072 and StNAC101that are orthologs of known stress-responsive Arabidopsis RESPONSIVE TO DEHYDRATION 26 (RD26) were identified as highly abiotic stress responsive. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis largely corroborated the expression profile of StNAC genes as revealed by the RNA-seq data. Taken together, this analysis indicates towards putative functions of several StNAC TFs, which will provide blue-print for their functional characterization and utilization in potato improvement.

Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), a class of pathogenesis related proteins are induced in response to pathogens and exhibit antifungal property when overexpressed in transgenic plants. In the present study, we have raised transgenic potato plants overexpressing TLP gene of Camellia sinensis (CsTLP). Fungal resistance assays of transgenic potato elucidated the potential role of CsTLP in imparting tolerance to fungal pathogens, Macrophomina phaseolina (necrotrophic) and Phytophthora infestans (hemi-biotrophic). Transgenic tubers with higher resistance to M. phaseolina, showed a concomitant and significant increase in transcripts of StPAL, StLOX, and StTLP genes involved in phenylpropanoid, lipoxygenase, and general defense response pathway, respectively after infection. Importantly, leaves of CsTLP transgenic lines inoculated with P. infestans spores under in vitro conditions also showed a resistant phenotype. The resistant phenotype recorded for the two important fungal pathogens by CsTLP transgenic potato plants is remarkable, since no effective control methods and no resistant cv. against M. phaseolina has been identified so far in potato.

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