Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Two Cucumber Cultivars with Different Sensitivity to Cucumber Mosaic Virus Infection

Abstract

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), with extremely broad host range including both monocots and dicots around the world, belongs to most important viral crop threats. Either natural or genetically constructed sources of resistance are being intensively investigated; for this purpose, exhaustive knowledge of molecular virus-host interaction during compatible and incompatible infection is required. New technologies and computer-based “omics” on various levels contribute markedly to this topic. In this work, two cucumber cultivars with different response to CMV challenge were tested, i.e., sensitive cv. Vanda and resistant cv. Heliana. The transcriptomes were prepared from both cultivars at 18 days after CMV or mock inoculation. Subsequently, four independent comparative analyses of obtained data were performed, viz. mock- and CMV-inoculated samples within each cultivar, samples from mock-inoculated cultivars to each other and samples from virus-inoculated cultivars to each other. A detailed picture of CMV-influenced genes, as well as constitutive differences in cultivar-specific gene expression was obtained. The compatible CMV infection of cv. Vanda caused downregulation of genes involved in photosynthesis, and induction of genes connected with protein production and modification, as well as components of signaling pathways. CMV challenge caused practically no change in the transcription profile of the cv. Heliana. The main differences between constitutive transcription activity of the two cultivars relied in the expression of genes responsible for methylation, phosphorylation, cell wall organization and carbohydrate metabolism (prevailing in cv. Heliana), or chromosome condensation and glucan biosynthesis (prevailing in cv. Vanda). Involvement of several genes in the resistant cucumber phenotype was predicted; this can be after biological confirmation potentially applied in breeding programs for virus-resistant crops.

Comparative RNA-seq analysis of resistant and susceptible banana genotypes reveals molecular mechanisms in response toBanana bunchy top virus(BBTV)

“…Components of the banana protein biosynthesis system such as 40S ribosomal protein SA, rRNA biogenesis protein/40S assembly factor RRP5, glutamine- and glycine-tRNA ligases, elongation factor 1α, and 60S processome rRNA methyltransferase were all observed to be recruited by the invading pathogen to promote the biosynthesis of its own proteins for successful subversion of the host’s cells. Similar findings were obtained in a previous comparative transcriptomics study following cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) infection in the susceptible cucumber genotype, ‘Vanda’, where structural components of the ribosome and the translation biological process were substantially enriched and up-regulated 84 .…”

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