Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Identifies Candidate Gene Signatures in Response to Aflatoxin Producing Fungus Aspergillus flavus

Publication Overview
TitleGenome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Identifies Candidate Gene Signatures in Response to Aflatoxin Producing Fungus Aspergillus flavus
AuthorsBedre R, Rajasekaran K, Mangu VR, Sanchez Timm LE, Bhatnagar D, Baisakh N
TypeJournal Article
Journal NamePloS one
Volume10
Issue9
Year2015
Page(s)e0138025
CitationBedre R, Rajasekaran K, Mangu VR, Sanchez Timm LE, Bhatnagar D, Baisakh N. Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Identifies Candidate Gene Signatures in Response to Aflatoxin Producing Fungus Aspergillus flavus. PloS one. 2015; 10(9):e0138025.

Abstract

Aflatoxins are toxic and potent carcinogenic metabolites produced from the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxins can contaminate cottonseed under conducive preharvest and postharvest conditions. United States federal regulations restrict the use of aflatoxin contaminated cottonseed at >20 ppb for animal feed. Several strategies have been proposed for controlling aflatoxin contamination, and much success has been achieved by the application of an atoxigenic strain of A. flavus in cotton, peanut and maize fields. Development of cultivars resistant to aflatoxin through overexpression of resistance associated genes and/or knocking down aflatoxin biosynthesis of A. flavus will be an effective strategy for controlling aflatoxin contamination in cotton. In this study, genome-wide transcriptome profiling was performed to identify differentially expressed genes in response to infection with both toxigenic and atoxigenic strains of A. flavus on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) pericarp and seed. The genes involved in antifungal response, oxidative burst, transcription factors, defense signaling pathways and stress response were highly differentially expressed in pericarp and seed tissues in response to A. flavus infection. The cell-wall modifying genes and genes involved in the production of antimicrobial substances were more active in pericarp as compared to seed. The genes involved in auxin and cytokinin signaling were also induced. Most of the genes involved in defense response in cotton were highly induced in pericarp than in seed. The global gene expression analysis in response to fungal invasion in cotton will serve as a source for identifying biomarkers for breeding, potential candidate genes for transgenic manipulation, and will help in understanding complex plant-fungal interaction for future downstream research.

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Additional details for this publication include:
Property NameValue
Publication TypeJournal Article
URLhttp://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0138025
DOI10.1371/journal.pone.0138025
eISSN1932-6203
Elocation10.1371/journal.pone.0138025
ISSN1932-6203
Journal AbbreviationPLoS ONE
Journal CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Language Abbreng
Publication Date2015
Publication ModelElectronic-eCollection