Transcriptional changes in mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal soybean roots in presence of the fungal pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina

Macrophomina phaseolina, a soil borne pathogen with a wide host range, causes the charcoal rot in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr). In Argentina, soybean is the most important crop as far as sowing surface cultivation concerns, and for this reason it is important to assess integrated disease management strategies in order to minimize the incidence of this disease and the consequent loss of performance culture. Previous studies have demonstrated the protective effect that arbuscular mycorrhizal can promote on their hosts against various pathogens invasion, especially against soil borne fungi. Therefore, the goal of this study was to analyze the phenomenon of mycorrhizae mediated protection by characterizing transcriptional changes using cDNA microarrays as a tool. The objective of the present study was to investigate, under strict in vitro culture conditions, the global transcriptional change in the roots of pre-mycorrhized soybean plantlets challenged by M. phaseolina as compared to non-mycorrhizal soybean plantlets. The MapMan software was used to distinguish transcriptional change under these conditions, with special emphasis on plant defence response. Four-condition experiment. Biological replicates: 3 replicates per condition. Roots of two plantlets were randomly selected and pooled for analysis (i.e. three biological replicates)