Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important oilseed crop with a unique property of regulating hypercholesterolemia. However, its vulnerability to Macrophomina phaseolina (Mp) Tassi (Goid) infection is a serious concern for the sesame growers worldwide. This destructive soil-borne pathogen causes charcoal rot of sesame, leading to high (>50%) yield losses, and most high yielding sesame cultivars of India are susceptible to charcoal rot. Traditionally, agricultural and chemical prevention measures are utilized to reduce the damage caused by M. phaseolina, it has become more important to develop disease-resistant varieties. However, wild type sesame (Sesamum mulayanum) shows a high degree of resistance against many pathogens. To better understand the resistance, exploration of the resistance gene pool through transcriptomics is a key approach.
To find out potential defence-related genes, we have performed transcriptome analyses of three sesame genotypes in control and infected state. The founder sesame genotypes are susceptible Indian cultivar S. indicum and wild type S. mulyanum. Further, these contrasting lines were used as female and male parents of a recombinant line respectively. This study will help us to analyze the global gene expression and the molecular basis of interactions between sesame and Mp, particularly with respect to mechanisms of resistance and the basal defence response. Less...