Morphological and transcriptomic analysis reveal robust nonhost resistance response during chickpea interaction with Alternaria brassicae

Alternaria brassicae is a necrotrophic fungal pathogen which infects brassica crops and lead to huge loss in crop production. There is a need to exploit the novel resistance mechanism against A. brassicae. Under field condition, chickpea is the potential nonhost plant for A. brassicae. At molecular level, it is not known how the NHR in chickpea operates against A. brassicae. In present study, we did the transcriptomic analysis in chickpea plants exposed to nonhost pathogen, A. brassicae by using microarray. Chickpea plants were spray inoculated with the spore suspension of A. brassicae. The leaf samples were harvested after 24 hpi and 48 hpi from pathogen treated plants and from the mock-treated control plants. The Transcriptome analysis were done from the leaf samples obtained at both the time-points by microarray using Agilent ChickpeaGXP_8X60K chip. Our result suggested the robust transcriptional reprogramming leading to defense response against A. brassicae. Organism : Chickpea, Agilent custom Chickpea Gene Expression 8x60k Array (AMADID: 037094) designed by Genotypic Technology Private Limited