Gene expression analysis of the wheat response to infection by Fusarium pseudograminearum

Crown rot of wheat, caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum and other Fusarium species is an important disease globally. To understand the host response to challenge by Fp, we examined gene exression changes in the stem base of the wheat variety Kennedy, following inoculation with macroconidia using the Affymetrix GeneChip Wheat Genome Array. Induced genes included mainly those with defensive functions such as genes encoding anti-microbial proteins as well as oxidative stress-related proteins, signalling molecules, and proteins involved in both primary and secondary metabolism. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of the wheat transcriptome during crown rot infection and provides new insights into the host processes involved in plant defence against this pathogen. There are six samples, three F. pseudograminearum inoculated samples and three mock inoculated samples. Each sample consists of 2cm of stem base from approximately 20 plants.