Browsing by Author "Sahu, Pranav Pankaj"

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Application of molecular antiviral compounds: novel approach for durable resistance against geminiviruses
(Springer, 2015) Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Prasad, Manoj
Both transgenic as well as traditional breeding approaches have not been completely successful in inducting resistance against geminiviruses in crop plants. This demands the utilization of non-viral, non-plant compounds possessing antiviral characteristics as an alternate and effective strategy for developing durable resistance against geminiviruses. In recent years, several antiviral molecules have been developed for the treatment of plant virus infections. These molecular antiviral compounds target various geminiviral-DNA and -protein via interacting with them or by cleaving viral RNA fragments. Applications of these proteins such as GroEL, g5g and VirE2 have also provided a convincing evidence of resistance against geminiviruses. Taking advantage of this information, we can generate robust resistance against geminiviruses in diverse crop plants. In this context, the present review provides epigrammatic information on these antiviral compounds and their mode of action in modulating virus infection.
cDNA-AFLP analysis reveals differential gene expression in response to salt stress in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.)
(Springer, 2008) Jayaraman, Ananthi; Puranik, Swati; Rai, Neeraj Kumar; Vidapu, Sudhakar; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Lata, Charu; Prasad, Manoj
Plant growth and productivity are affected by various abiotic stresses such as heat, drought, cold, salinity, etc. The mechanism of salt tolerance is one of the most important subjects in plant science as salt stress decreases worldwide agricultural production. In our present study we used cDNA-AFLP technique to compare gene expression profiles of a salt tolerant and a salt-sensitive cultivar of foxtail millet (Seteria italica) in response to salt stress to identify early responsive differentially expressed transcripts accumulated upon salt stress and validate the obtained result through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The expression profile was compared between a salt tolerant (Prasad) and susceptible variety (Lepakshi) of foxtail millet in both control condition (L0 and P0) and after 1 h (L1 and P1) of salt stress. We identified 90 transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) that are differentially expressed, out of which 86 TDFs were classified on the basis of their either complete presence or absence (qualitative variants) and 4 on differential expression pattern levels (quantitative variants) in the two varieties. Finally, we identified 27 non-redundant differentially expressed cDNAs that are unique to salt tolerant variety which represent different groups of genes involved in metabolism, cellular transport, cell signaling, transcriptional regulation, mRNA splicing, seed development and storage, etc. The expression patterns of seven out of nine such genes showed a significant increase of differential expression in tolerant variety after 1 h of salt stress in comparison to salt-sensitive variety as analyzed by qRT-PCR. The direct and indirect relationship of identified TDFs with salinity tolerance mechanism is discussed.
Chilli leaf curl virus infection downregulates the expression of the genes encoding chloroplast proteins and stress-related proteins
(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2019) Kushwaha, Nirbhay Kumar; Mansi; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Prasad, Manoj; Chakrabroty, Supriya
Virus infection alters the expression of several host genes involved in various cellular and biological processes in plants. Most of the studies performed till now have mainly focused on genes which are up-regulated and later projected them as probable stress tolerant/susceptible genes. Nevertheless, genes which are down-regulated during plant-virus interaction could also play a critical role on disease development as well as in combating the virus infection. Hence, to identify such down-regulated genes and pathway, we performed reverse suppression subtractive hybridization in Capsicum annuum var. Punjab Lal following Chilli leaf curl virus (ChiLCV) infection. The screening and further processing suggested that majority of the genes (approximately 35% ESTs) showed homology with the genes encoding chloroplast proteins and 16% genes involved in the biotic and abiotic stress response. Additionally, we identified several genes, functionally known to be involved in metabolic processes, protein synthesis and degradation, ribosomal proteins, energy production, DNA replication and transcription, and transporters. We also found 3% transcripts which did not show homology with any known genes. The redundancy analysis revealed the maximum percentage of chlorophyll a-b binding protein (15/96) and auxin-binding proteins (13/96).
Chilli leaf curl virus infection highlights the differential expression of genes involved in protein homeostasis and defense in resistant chilli plants
(Springer, 2015) Kushwaha, Nirbhay; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Prasad, Manoj; Chakraborty, Supriya
Geminiviruses have evolved with tremendous potential of recombination and possess the ability to manipulate several cellular processes of hosts. Chilli leaf curl virus (ChiLCV) is a monopartite Begomovirus (family Geminiviridae) which has emerged as a serious threat to chilli production worldwide. To date, development of resistant chilli varieties through conventional plant breeding techniques remains the major antiviral strategy. To explore the potential resistance factors in Capsicum annuum var. Punjab Lal, we performed a transcriptome analysis in ChiLCV-infected plants by exploiting the advantage of sensitivity and efficiency of suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). Out of 480 clones screened, 231 unique expressed sequence tags (ESTs) involved in different cellular and physiological processes were identified. An interactome network of ChiLCV responsive differentially expressed genes revealed an array of proteins involved in key cellular processes including transcription, replication, photosynthesis, and defense. A comparative study of gene expression between resistant and susceptible chilli plants revealed upregulation of several defense-related genes such as nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) domain containing protein, lipid transfer protein, thionin, polyphenol oxidase, and other proteins like ATP/ADP transporter in the ChiLCV-resistant variety. Taken together, the present study provides novel insights into the transcriptomics of ChiLCV-resistant chilli plants.
Chromatin-based epigenetic regulation of plant abiotic stress response
(Bentham Science, 2016) Pandey, Garima; Sharma, Namisha; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Prasad, Manoj
Plants are continuously exposed to various abiotic and biotic factors limiting their growth and reproduction. In response, they need various sophisticated ways to adapt to adverse environmental conditions without compromising their proper development, reproductive success and eventually survival. This requires an intricate network to regulate gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, including epigenetic switches. Changes in chromatin modifications such as DNA and histone methylation have been observed in plants upon exposure to several abiotic stresses. In the present review, we highlight the changes of DNA methylation in diverse plants in response to several abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, cold and heat. We also discuss the progresses made in understanding how these DNA methylation changes might contribute to the abiotic stress tolerance.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed genes in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) during dehydration stress
(Elsevier B.V., 2010) Lata, Charu; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Prasad, Manoj
hydration stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses that adversely influence crop growth and productivity. With the aim to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying dehydration stress tolerance in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.), a drought tolerant crop, we examined its transcriptome changes at two time points (early and late) of dehydration stress. Two suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) forward libraries were constructed from 21-day old seedlings of tolerant cv. Prasad at 0.5 and 6h PEG-induced dehydration stress. A total of 327 unique ESTs were identified from both libraries and were classified into 11 different categories according to their putative functions. The plant response against dehydration stress was complex, representing major transcripts involved in metabolism, stress, signaling, transcription regulation, translation and proteolysis. By Reverse Northern (RN) technique we identified the differential expression pattern of 327 transcripts, 86 (about 26%) of which showed > or = 1.7-fold induction. Further the obtained results were validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to have a comparative expression profiling of randomly chosen 9 up-regulated transcripts (> or =2.5 fold induction) between cv. Prasad (tolerant) and cv. Lepakshi (sensitive) upon dehydration stress. These transcripts showed a differential expression pattern in both cultivars at different time points of stress treatment as analyzed by qRT-PCR. The possible relationship of the identified transcripts with dehydration tolerance mechanism is discussed.
Comprehensive genome-wide survey, genomic constitution and expression profiling of the NAC transcription factor family in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.)
(PLOS, 2013) Puranik, Swati; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Mandal, Sambhu Nath; Suresh B., Venkata; Parida, Swarup K.; Prasad, Manoj
The NAC proteins represent a major plant-specific transcription factor family that has established enormously diverse roles in various plant processes. Aided by the availability of complete genomes, several members of this family have been identified in Arabidopsis, rice, soybean and poplar. However, no comprehensive investigation has been presented for the recently sequenced, naturally stress tolerant crop, Setaria italica (foxtail millet) that is famed as a model crop for bioenergy research. In this study, we identified 147 putative NAC domain-encoding genes from foxtail millet by systematic sequence analysis and physically mapped them onto nine chromosomes. Genomic organization suggested that inter-chromosomal duplications may have been responsible for expansion of this gene family in foxtail millet. Phylogenetically, they were arranged into 11 distinct sub-families (I-XI), with duplicated genes fitting into one cluster and possessing conserved motif compositions. Comparative mapping with other grass species revealed some orthologous relationships and chromosomal rearrangements including duplication, inversion and deletion of genes. The evolutionary significance as duplication and divergence of NAC genes based on their amino acid substitution rates was understood. Expression profiling against various stresses and phytohormones provides novel insights into specific and/or overlapping expression patterns of SiNAC genes, which may be responsible for functional divergence among individual members in this crop. Further, we performed structure modeling and molecular simulation of a stress-responsive protein, SiNAC128, proffering an initial framework for understanding its molecular function. Taken together, this genome-wide identification and expression profiling unlocks new avenues for systematic functional analysis of novel NAC gene family candidates which may be applied for improvising stress adaption in plants.
Dynamics of defense related components in two contrasting genotypes to tomato upon infection with tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus
(Springer, 2012) Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Rai, Neeraj Kumar; Puranik, Swati; Roy, Anirban; Khan, Moinuddin; Prasad, Manoj
Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) disease is a serious threat for tomato cultivation in the tropics and subtropics. Despite serious efforts no immune commercial varieties or F(1) hybrids are available till date. In this study, the interaction between Solanum lycopersicum and ToLCV was characterized on molecular and biochemical basis. RNA silencing mediated by short interfering RNA (siRNA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been proposed as central components of plant adaptation to several stresses. A comparative RNA interference study between two contrasting tomato genotypes, LA1777 (tolerant) and 15SBSB (susceptible) infected with Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus (ToLCNDV) revealed relatively higher accumulation of siRNA in the leaves of tolerant genotype. In LA1777, ToLCNDV produced chlorotic as well as necrotic areas at the inoculation sites 5-10 days post-inoculation. Caspase-9- and caspase-3-like activities were significantly increased in response to ToLCNDV infection in LA1777 at inoculated region. Activities of antioxidant enzymes involved in the detoxification of ROS were examined in both systemic and localized area of infection, and their expression level was further validated through quantitative real-time PCR of the corresponding transcripts. Expression patterns of three genes encoding pathogenesis-related proteins showed higher accumulation in tolerant genotype. Tolerance against the ToLCNDV in LA1777 can be attributed to the higher siRNA accumulation, localized cell death, altered levels of antioxidant enzymes and activation of pathogenesis-related genes at different durations of virus infection. Based on these direct and indirect evidences, we have proposed a putative mechanism for ToLCNDV tolerance in the tolerant genotype.
Epigenetic mechanisms of plant stress responses and adaptation
(Springer, 2013) Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Pandey, Garima; Sharma, Namisha; Puranik, Swati; Muthamilarasan, Mehanathan; Prasad, Manoj
Epigenetics has become one of the hottest topics of research in plant functional genomics since it appears promising in deciphering and imparting stress-adaptive potential in crops and other plant species. Recently, numerous studies have provided new insights into the epigenetic control of stress adaptation. Epigenetic control of stress-induced phenotypic response of plants involves gene regulation. Growing evidence suggest that methylation of DNA in response to stress leads to the variation in phenotype. Transposon mobility, siRNA-mediated methylation and host methyltransferase activation have been implicated in this process. This review presents the current status of epigenetics of plant stress responses with a view to use this knowledge towards engineering plants for stress tolerance.
Involvement of host regulatory pathways during geminivirus infection: a novel platform for generating durable resistance
(Springer, 2014) Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Sharma, Namisha; Puranik, Swati; Muthamilarasan, Mehanathan; Prasad, Manoj
Geminiviruses are widely distributed throughout the world and cause devastating yield losses in almost all the economically important crops. In this review, the newly identified roles of various novel plant factors and pathways participating in plant–virus interaction are summarized with a particular focus on the exploitation of various pathways involving ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway, small RNA pathways, cell division cycle components, and the epigenetic mechanism as defense responses during plant–pathogen interactions. Capturing the information on these pathways for the development of strategies against geminivirus infection is argued to provide the basis for new genetic approaches to resistance.
NAC proteins: regulation and role in stress tolerance
(Cell Press (Elsevier), 2012) Puranik, Swati; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Srivastava, Prem S.; Prasad, Manoj
The plant-specific NAC (NAM, ATAF1,2 and CUC2) proteins constitute a major transcription factor family renowned for their roles in several developmental programs. Despite their highly conserved DNA-binding domains, their remarkable diversification across plants reflects their numerous functions. Lately, they have received much attention as regulators in various stress signaling pathways which may include interplay of phytohormones. This review summarizes the recent prog- ress in research on NACs highlighting the proteins’ potential for engineering stress tolerance against various abiotic and biotic challenges. We discuss regulatory components and targets of NAC proteins in the context of their prospective role for crop improvement strategies via biotechnological intervention.
Post-transcriptional and epigenetic arms of RNA silencing: a defense machinery of naturally tolerant tomato plant against Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus
(Springer, 2014) Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Sharma, Namisha; Puranik, Swati; Prasad, Manoj
Tomato leaf curl disease (ToLCD), caused by strains of Tomato leaf curl virus, is major constraint to tomato production globally. The present study was aimed to understand the mechanisms of ToLCD tolerance in a naturally tolerant tomato cultivar through post-transcriptional and DNA methylation-specific RNA silencing. We evaluated the distribution of virus-derived short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) throughout the Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) genome along with DNA methylation patterns in intergenic (IR) and Rep (AC1) regions in two tomato cultivars differing in their ToLCNDV tolerance. The methylation pattern was correlated by expression analysis of key methyltransferases genes. In the tolerant cultivar, higher accumulation of viral IR-specific 24-nucleotides (nt) siRNA and AC1-specific 21-nt siRNA were found. Higher methylation levels were observed in various regions of IR. Additionally, AC1 region which facilitates binding of plant nuclear proteins was hypermethylated. DNA methylation in the key regulating region may control the expression of AC1, AC2, and AC3 genes. Components of RNA silencing and DNA methylation machinery were found to be differentially expressed in both the cultivar of tomato at 21 dpi. Thus, we infer that both viral DNA methylation and siRNA-mediated RNA degradation play an important role in conferring tolerance against Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus. Due to the inability to achieve field resistance in transgenic tomato by deploying the viral genes, targeting the viral genomic regions through RNAi technology reported here could offer an alternate defense strategy for generating transgenics to prevent yield loss.
Recent advances in plant-virus interaction with emphasis on small interfering RNAs (siRNAs)
(Springer, 2013) Sharma, Namisha; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Puranik, Swati; Prasad, Manoj
Regulation of several biological functions in plants has now been known to involve diverse RNA silencing pathways. These vital pathways involve various components such as dsRNA, Dicer, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and Argonaute proteins, which lead to the production of several small RNAs (sRNAs) varying in their sizes. These sRNAs have significant role in the regulation of gene expression at transcriptional and translational levels. Among them, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs; majorly 21, 22 and 24 nt) have been shown to play an important role in plants' resistance against many viruses by inhibiting the viral gene expression. Furthermore, it has also been highlighted that siRNA-mediated methylation of viral DNA confers resistance to various plant DNA viruses. In this review, we have outlined the recent advances made using the siRNA-mediated antiviral strategy, along with methylation-based epigenetic defensive mechanisms as a protective measure against diverse plant viruses.
Recent advances in tomato functional genomics: utilization of VIGS
(Springer, 2012) Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Puranik, Swati; Khan, Moinuddin; Prasad, Manoj
Tomato unquestionably occupies a significant position in world vegetable production owing to its world-wide consumption. The tomato genome sequencing efforts being recently concluded, it becomes more imperative to recognize important functional genes from this treasure of generated information for improving tomato yield. While much progress has been made in conventional tomato breeding, post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) offers an alternative approach for advancement of tomato functional genomics. In particular, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is increasingly being used as rapid, reliable, and lucrative screening strategy to elucidate gene function. In this review, we focus on the recent advancement made through exploiting the potential of this technique for manipulating different agronomically important traits in tomato by discussing several case studies.
Salinity induced differential methylation patterns in contrasting cultivars of foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.)
(Springer, 2017) Pandey, Garima; Yadav, Chandra Bhan; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Muthamilarasan, Mehanathan; Prasad, Manoj
Reduced productivity and significant yield loss are the adverse effects of environmental conditions on physiological and biochemical pathways in crop plants. In this context, understanding the epigenetic machinery underlying the tolerance traits in a naturally stress tolerant crop is imperative. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is known for its better tolerance to abiotic stresses compared to other cereal crops. In the present study, methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) technique was used to quantify the salt-induced methylation changes in two foxtail millet cultivars contrastingly differing in their tolerance levels to salt stress. The study highlighted that the DNA methylation level was significantly reduced in tolerant cultivar compared to sensitive cultivar. A total of 86 polymorphic MSAP fragments were identified, sequenced and functionally annotated. These fragments showed sequence similarity to several genes including ABC transporter, WRKY transcription factor, serine threonine-protein phosphatase, disease resistance, oxidoreductases, cell wall-related enzymes and retrotransposon and transposase like proteins, suggesting salt stress-induced methylation in these genes. Among these, four genes were chosen for expression profiling which showed differential expression pattern between both cultivars of foxtail millet. Altogether, the study infers that salinity stress induces genome-wide DNA demethylation, which in turn, modulates expression of corresponding genes.
Sequence based novel genomic microsatellite markers for robust genotyping purposes in foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.]
(Springer Science, 2012) Gupta, Sarika; Kumari, Kajal; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Vidapu, Sudhakar; Prasad, Manoj
The unavailability of microsatellite markers and saturated genetic linkage map has restricted the genetic improvement of foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.], despite the fact that in recent times it has been documented as a new model species for biofuel grasses. With the objective to generate a good number of microsatellite markers in foxtail millet cultivar 'Prasad', 690 clones were sequenced which generated 112.95 kb high quality sequences obtained from three genomic libraries each enriched with different microsatellite repeat motifs. Microsatellites were identified in 512 (74.2%) of the 690 positive clones and 172 primer pairs (pp) were successfully designed from 249 (48.6%) unique SSR-containing clones. The efficacies of the microsatellite containing genomic sequences were established by superior primer designing ability (69%), PCR amplification efficiency (85.5%) and polymorphic potential (52%) in the parents of F(2) mapping population. Out of 172 pp, functional 147 markers showed high level of cross-species amplification (~74%) in six grass species. Higher polymorphism rate and broad range of genetic diversity (0.30-0.69 averaging 0.58) obtained in constructed phylogenetic tree using 52 microsatellite markers, demonstrated the utility of markers in germplasm characterizations. In silico comparative mapping of 147 foxtail millet microsatellite containing sequences against the mapping data of sorghum (~18%), maize (~16%) and rice (~5%) indicated the presence of orthologous sequences of the foxtail millet in the respective species. The result thus demonstrates the applicability of microsatellite markers in various genotyping applications, determining phylogenetic relationships and comparative mapping in several important grass species.
The Sw5a gene confers resistance to ToLCNDV and triggers an HR response after direct AC4 effector recognition
(PNAS, USA, 2021) Sharma, Namisha; Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Prasad, Ashish; Muthamilarasan, Mehanathan; Waseem, Mohd; Khan, Yusuf; Thakur, Jitendra K.; Chakraborty, Supriya; Prasad, Manoj
Several attempts have been made to identify antiviral genes against Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) and related viruses. This has led to the recognition of Ty genes (Ty1-Ty6), which have been successful in developing virus-resistant crops to some extent. Owing to the regular appearance of resistance-breaking strains of these viruses, it is important to identify genes related to resistance. In the present study, we identified a ToLCNDV resistance (R) gene, SlSw5a, in a ToLCNDV-resistant tomato cultivar, H-88-78-1, which lacks the known Ty genes. The expression of SlSw5a is controlled by the transcription factor SlMyb33, which in turn is regulated by microRNA159 (sly-miR159). Virus-induced gene silencing of either SlSw5a or SlMyb33 severely increases the disease symptoms and viral titer in leaves of resistant cultivar. Moreover, in SlMyb33-silenced plants, the relative messenger RNA level of SlSw5a was reduced, suggesting SlSw5a is downstream of the sly-miR159-SlMyb33 module. We also demonstrate that SlSw5a interacts physically with ToLCNDV-AC4 (viral suppressor of RNA silencing) to trigger a hypersensitive response (HR) and generate reactive oxygen species at infection sites to limit the spread of the virus. The "RTSK" motif in the AC4 C terminus is important for the interaction, and its mutation completely abolishes the interaction with Sw5a and HR elicitation. Overall, our research reports an R gene against ToLCNDV and establishes a connection between the upstream miR159-Myb33 module and its downstream target Sw5a to activate HR in the tomato, resulting in geminivirus resistance.
Tomato 26S Proteasome subunit RPT4a regulates ToLCNDV transcription and activates hypersensitive response in tomato
(Nature Publishing Group, 2016) Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Sharma, Namisha; Puranik, Swati; Chakraborty, Supriya; Prasad, Manoj
Involvement of 26S proteasomal subunits in plant pathogen-interactions, and the roles of each subunit in independently modulating the activity of many intra- and inter-cellular regulators controlling physiological and defense responses of a plant were well reported. In this regard, we aimed to functionally characterize a Solanum lycopersicum 26S proteasomal subunit RPT4a (SlRPT4) gene, which was differentially expressed after Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) infection in tolerant cultivar H-88-78-1. Molecular analysis revealed that SlRPT4 protein has an active ATPase activity. SlRPT4 could specifically bind to the stem-loop structure of intergenic region (IR), present in both DNA-A and DNA-B molecule of the bipartite viral genome. Lack of secondary structure in replication-associated gene fragment prevented formation of DNA-protein complex suggesting that binding of SlRPT4 with DNA is secondary structure specific. Interestingly, binding of SlRPT4 to IR inhibited the function of RNA Pol-II and subsequently reduced the bi-directional transcription of ToLCNDV genome. Virus-induced gene silencing of SlRPT4 gene incited conversion of tolerant attributes of cultivar H-88-78-1 into susceptibility. Furthermore, transient overexpression of SlRPT4 resulted in activation of programmed cell death and antioxidant enzymes system. Overall, present study highlights non-proteolytic function of SlRPT4 and their participation in defense pathway against virus infection in tomato.
Tomato cultivar tolerant to tomato leaf curl New Delhi Virus infection induces virus-specific siRNA accumulation and defense associated host gene expression
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2010) Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Rai, Neeraj K.; Chakraborty, Supriya; Singh, Major; Chandrappa, Prasanna H.; Ramesh, Bandarupalli; Chattopadhyay, Debasis; Prasad, Manoj
Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) infection causes significant yield loss in tomato. The availability of a conventional tolerance source against this virus is limited in tomato. To understand the molecular mechanism of virus tolerance in tomato, the abundance of viral genomic replicative intermediate molecules and virus-directed short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) by the host plant in a naturally tolerant cultivar H-88-78-1 and a susceptible cultivar Punjab Chhuhara at different time points after agroinfection was studied. We report that less abundance of viral replicative intermediate in the tolerant cultivar may have a correlation with a relatively higher accumulation of virus-specific siRNAs. To study defence-related host gene expression in response to ToLCNDV infection, the suppression subtractive hybridization technique was used. A library was prepared from tolerant cultivar H-88-78-1 between ToLCNDV-inoculated and Agrobacterium mock-inoculated plants of this cultivar at 21 days post-inoculation (dpi). A total of 106 nonredundant transcripts was identified and classified into 12 different categories according to their putative functions. By reverse Northern analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), we identified the differential expression pattern of 106 transcripts, 34 of which were up-regulated (>2.5-fold induction). Of these, eight transcripts showed more than four fold induction. qRT-PCR analysis was carried out to obtain comparative expression profiling of these eight transcripts between Punjab Chhuhara and H-88-78-1 on ToLCNDV infection. The expression patterns of these transcripts showed a significant increase in differential expression in the tolerant cultivar, mostly at 14 and 21 dpi, in comparison with that in the susceptible cultivar, as analysed by qRT-PCR. The probable direct and indirect relationship of siRNA accumulation and up-regulated transcripts with the ToLCNDV tolerance mechanism is discussed.
Transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed genes during embryosac development in apomeiotic non parthenogenetic interspecific hybrid of Pennisetum glaucum
(Springer, 2012) Sahu, Pranav Pankaj; Gupta, Sarika; Malaviya, D. R.; Roy, Ajoy Kumar; Kaushal, Pankaj; Prasad, Manoj
Apomixis results in the production of genetically uniform progeny, derived from the fertilization independent development (parthenogenesis) of an unreduced egg cell (apomeiosis). To identify genes involved in the apomeiosis, a comparative transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed genes during embryo sac (ES) development in a sexual Pennisetum glaucum (genotype 81A1) and its apomeiotic (aposporic) non-parthenogenetic interspecific hybrid (BC1GO) was investigated. BC1GO exhibited the partitioned apomeiosis component, whereby the second apomixis component viz., parthenogenesis was completely lacking. A total of 96 non-redundant transcripts were recovered using suppression subtractive hybridization and classified into 11 different categories according to their putative functions. Amongst the identified transcripts, many of them belonged to unknown function (40%) followed by those involved in protein metabolism, stress response, pollen/ovule/embryo development, and translation/protein modification process. A data search of transcriptional profiling in other apomictic species revealed that 75% of the differentially expressed transcripts have not been reported in previous studies. By macroarray analysis, we identified differential expression pattern of 96 transcripts, 45 (47%) of which showed ≥2-fold induction in apomeiotic BC1GO. Further, the obtained results were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to have a comparative expression profiling of eight selected up-regulated transcripts (≥2.5-fold) between BC1GO and 81A1 at different phases of ovule development. In silico mapping demonstrated that 13 transcripts were located onto rice chromosome 2, region syntenic with the apospory locus as reported in Brachiaria brizantha and Paspalum notatum. The expression patterns of these transcripts showed a significant difference at differentiating megaspore mother cell and gametogenesis stages thereby suggesting their involvement in floral development during apomeiotic (Panicum-type aposporous) ES development.