Transcriptomic markers for Ganoderma resistance
2013
Yeoh, K. A. | Tan, Y. C. | Wong, M. Y. | Othman A. | Ho, C. L. | Meon S.
Basal stem rot (BSR) is the most serious fungal disease in oil palm. BSR can be detected by several methods such as hyperspectral imaging that can help to identify severely infected palms, detection of fungal ergosterol, and fungal DNA or proteins by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or polyclonal antibodies. Although oil palms from different genetic origins have been reported to be tolerant or resistant to BSR, the genes involved in the tolerance and resistance of these oil palms against pathogenic Ganoderma are unknown. Transcrips that are involved in the defence response of oil palm may have the potential to be developed as biomarkers for early detection of Ganoderma infection, and also for the screening of Ganoderma-resistant oil palm planting materials. To identify the transcripts that are associated with the defence response of oil palm to G. boninense, we have profiled the transcripts in oil palm roots infected by G. boninense with cDNA microarray and high throughput RNA-sequencing approaches. Our findings revealed many genes that were differentially regulated in oil palm roots infected by G. boninense compared to uninfected oil palm roots. Among these genes were genes related to defense and stresses such as putative chitinases, glucanases, Bowman-Birk serine protease inhibitors, defensin, dehydrin, pathogenesis-related-1 protein, and type 2 ribosome inactivating protein. The transcript abundance of these genes were verified in infected oil palm roots, and also analysed in leaf samples to identify potential biomarkers for early detection of BSR. The usefulness of these markers will be discussed.
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