Unveiling molecular mechanisms and candidate genes for goss’s bacterial wilt and leaf blight resistance in corn through RNA-Seq analysis
Abstract Goss’s bacterial wilt and leaf blight (GWLB) induced by Clavibacter nebraskensis poses a significant threat to corn production in Canada and the US. We conducted RNA-Seq analyses on two corn hybrid lines with contrasting levels of susceptibility to GWLB, 447 (susceptible) and 450 (resistant...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Genomics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-11830-4 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Goss’s bacterial wilt and leaf blight (GWLB) induced by Clavibacter nebraskensis poses a significant threat to corn production in Canada and the US. We conducted RNA-Seq analyses on two corn hybrid lines with contrasting levels of susceptibility to GWLB, 447 (susceptible) and 450 (resistant), to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying corn resistance to the disease. The two selected corn lines were subjected to inoculation with two isolates of C. nebraskensis exhibiting distinct levels of aggressiveness: DOAB232 (DOAB), a weakly aggressive isolate and Cn14-5-1 (BACT), a highly aggressive one, or were left untreated (CTL) Total RNA was isolated from leaf tissue in three biological replicates for each hybrid x treatment combination five days post-inoculation (dpi), a timepoint selected to capture the early transcriptional response to pathogen infection. RNA-sequencing was performed following poly-A tail isolation of the RNA on all 18 samples (6 combinations * 3 replicates). Following data cleaning and filtering of the raw RNA-seq data, unsupervised clustering, differential expression and pathway analysis was conducted. Our analysis revealed extensive transcriptional reprogramming in both resistant and susceptible lines, particularly in the susceptible corn line (447) when inoculated with the either the weak or aggressive strain of C. nebraskensis, but also in the resistant corn line when inoculated with the aggressive bacterial isolate. Inoculation of the resistant corn line (450) to the aggressive C. nebraskensis isolate, led to increased expression of photosynthesis-related and defense-associated genes, and downregulation of secondary metabolism and stress responses pathways, while inoculation of the susceptible corn line (447) with the weakly aggressive C. nebraskensis isolate led to upregulation of defense-associated genes. The functions of some of the top differentially expressed genes in each comparison are discussed within the context of understanding the molecular underpinnings of corn resistance to GWLB disease to identify targets for genetic enhancement towards higher disease resistance levels. |
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| ISSN: | 1471-2164 |