Identification of Regulatory Genes in Response to Tomato Bacterial Canker Disease Using RNA-Seq Data

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Agroecology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Darab, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 PhD of Plant Breeding, Department of Plant Production, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Darab, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Tomato bacterial canker disease is one of the most important diseases with severe economic damage in the world and Iran. In order to better understand the molecular basis of the resistance mechanisms to this disease and consequently resistance genetic improvement, RNA sequencing data obtained from resistant wild tomato (Solanum arcanum) and susceptible commercial tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) leave samples at 0, 8, and 24 hours after inoculation with the bacterial canker were analyzed via various bioinformatics tools. The results led to the identification of 4306 and 1177 genes with significant differential expression in resistant wild tomato at 8 and 24 hours after inoculation, respectively. Gene enrichment analysis indicated the presence of biological processes, including “stimulus response” and “stress response” at 8 hours after inoculation, as well as biological processes such as ‘response to wound”, “regulation of the jasmonic acid mediated signaling pathway” and “regulation of the defense response” at 24 hours after inoculation in the wild tomato. In addition, 45 genes encoding the transcription factor showed more than threefold expression change, 24 h after inoculation in the wild tomato genotype. Among them, 9 transcription factors in the wild genotype had a significant increase in expression, while their expression changes were not significant in susceptible tomato cultivar. Also, the analysis of promoter regions of selected transcription factors led to the discovery of a number of regulatory elements related to hormonal signaling pathways in biotic stresses and defense responses. Due to the difference in expression patterns between resistant and susceptible genotypes, as well as the existence of biotic stress-related elements, these transcription factors are proposed as potential candidates in the defense response to bacterial canker.

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