Data from: De novo assembly and characterization of the transcriptome of the parasitic weed Cuscuta pentagona identifies genes associated with plant parasitism

Parasitic flowering plants are one of the most destructive agricultural
pests and have major impact on crop yields throughout the world. Being
dependent on finding a host plant for growth, parasitic plants penetrate
their host using specialized organs called haustoria. Haustoria establish
vascular connections with the host, which enable the parasite to steal
nutrients and water. The underlying molecular and developmental basis of
parasitism by plants is largely unknown. In order to investigate the
process of parasitism, RNAs from different stages, i.e. seed, seedling,
vegetative strand, prehaustoria, haustoria, and flowers, were used to
de-novo assemble and annotate the transcriptome of the obligate plant stem
parasite Cuscuta pentagona (dodder). The assembled transcriptome was used
to dissect transcriptional dynamics during dodder development and
parasitism, and identified key gene categories involved in the process of
plant parasitism. Host plant infection is accompanied with increased
expression of parasite genes underlying transport and transporter
categories, response to stress and stimuli, as well as genes encoding
enzymes involved in cell wall modifications. By contrast expression of
photosynthetic genes is decreased in the dodder infective stages compared
to normal stem. In addition, genes relating to biosynthesis, transport and
response of phytohormones, such as auxin, gibberellins and strigolactone,
were differentially expressed in the dodder infective stages compared to
stem and seedlings. This analysis sheds light on the transcriptional
changes that accompany plant parasitism and will aid in identifying
potential gene targets for use in controlling infestation of crops by
parasitic weeds.