Revealing Key Genes and Pathways in Potato Scab Disease Resistance through Transcriptome Analysis

Potato common scab, a global soil-borne disease caused by Streptomyces, is pivotal in developing resistant cultivars due to its complex resistance mechanisms. This study investigates the transcriptomic responses in potato to common scab using resistant variety CS10 and susceptible CS11 post S.scabie inoculation (0d and 10d, 12 cDNA libraries). Differential expression analysis identified 147 key DEGs essential in disease recognition, signal transduction, and defense. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed several significant metabolic pathways, such as ADP binding, heme binding, chloroplast thylakoid membrane, photosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, and homologous recombination, among others. Notably, the correlation between photosynthesis (map00195) and chloroplast pathways (GO:0019745) highlights photosynthesis's role in common scab response, while the glutathione metabolism pathway's (map00480) relation to oxygen transport (GO:0031408) emphasizes antioxidant defenses. Furthermore, three potential resistance genes were validated: Ethylene Response Factor ERF010 (LOC102589042), Disease Resistance Protein RPP13 (LOC102605863), and Cytochrome P450 83B1 (LOC102604056), demonstrating the linkage between metabolic pathways and pathogen response. These findings offer insights into potato's molecular resistance mechanisms against common scab, supporting the breeding of resistant varieties and comprehensive disease management, thus advancing sustainable agriculture.