RNA-Seq analysis of Pinus nigra infected with Diplodia sapinea

Analysis of the gene expression changes induced by Diplodia sapinea in Pinus nigra needles at 21dpi for two Provences (Austrian, Corsican). Inoculation treatment, i.e. inoculation under the bark flap, was carried out during the period of shoot elongation and needle unfolding, which is known to be a prerequisite for successful symptom development. The treatment involved inserting an agar cube (approx. 4 x 4 mm) into a bark flap cut with a scalpel on the current year's terminal shoot (at a distance of approx. 1 cm from the shoot base). The flap was then closed again and wrapped with parafilm to prevent desiccation. In pathogen-inoculated plants, the agar cube contained mycelium of D. sapinea, while plain agar cubes were used in the mock saplings.