Transcriptome analysis of foxtail millet upon Ustilago crameri inoculation

Foxtail millet smut disease caused by Ustilago crameri has become a severe detriment to millet production. However, little is known about the molecular responses of foxtail millet to infection with U. crameri. In this article, we performed RNA-Seq to investigate transcriptional modulation in resistant cultivar Jigu20 and susceptible cultivar Changnong35. The aim of our study was to identify the differentially expressed genes in foxtail millet during interaction with smut fungus. This study will facilitate the molecular breeding programmes of smut disease resisted foxtail millet.