Transcriptome-based discovery of pathways and genes related to resistance against downy mildew disease in Isabgol (Plantago ovata Forsk.)

Downy mildew (DM), caused by fungal pathogen Plasmopara plantaginis is the single most damaging disease of Isabgol worldwide. Our goal is to identify genes that are involved in resistance to DM. Isabgol is an important medicinal plant commercially cultivated in India and supplied to national and international market. The development of DM resistant and high yielding varieties using the modern biotechnological approaches is more feasible than through conventional breeding. Characterization of the mechanism underlying DM resistance and the efforts for breeding new varieties with both high DM resistance and good agronomic traits have been very difficult because resistance to DM is a complex trait and controlled by polygenes. Furthermore, current understanding of DM resistance mechanism in Isabgol at the enzyme, gene and regulatory levels is incomplete. Transcriptome analysis has great promise in identification of various genes involved in plant resistance. In this project, transcriptome of resistant and susceptible leaves will be comapred, thereby allowing genome-enabled identification of candidate genes leading to host-plant resistance to DM disease in Isabgol. Identification of genes controlling resistance will expedite the development of DM resistant cultivars.