Morpho-pathological and global transcriptomic analysis reveals the robust nonhost resistance responses in chickpea interaction with Alternaria brassicae

Abstract

Alternaria blight, caused by Alternaria brassicae, causes considerable yield loss in Brassica crops. While several blight-resistant varieties have been developed using resistance sources from host germplasm, none of them are entirely successful in imparting durable resistance. This has prompted the exploration of novel gene pools of nonhost plant species. Nonhost resistance (NHR) is a durable form of resistance, comprising pre- and post-invasion layers of defense. We aimed to identify the molecular basis of NHR to A. brassicae and identify the layers of NHR operating in a nonhost, chickpea (Cicer arietinum). To elucidate the layers of NHR operating against A. brassicae, we compared the histopathology and infection patterns of A. brassicae in C. arietinum and Brassica juncea. Delayed conidial germination, impeded hyphal growth, suppressed appressorium formation, and limited hyphal penetration occurred in the nonhost plant compared to the host plant, implying the involvement of the pre-invasion layer of NHR in C. arietinum. Next, we investigated the molecular basis of robust NHR in C. arietinum challenged with A. brassicae by microarray-based global transcriptome profiling. Genes involved in stomatal closure, cuticular wax biosynthesis, cell wall modification, and secondary metabolite production (contributing to pre-invasion NHR), as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell death (contributing to post-invasion NHR), were found to be upregulated. Consistent with transcriptomic analysis, the morpho-pathological analysis revealed stomatal closure, ROS accumulation, and localized cell death in C. arietinum as the defense strategies against A. brassicae. Thus, we identified NHR-contributing genes with potential applications in blight resistance gene transfer to B. juncea.