Project description:We investigated the ascomycete truffle Tuber melanosporum exploits DNA methylation and transcription to cope with the more than 45,000 repeated elements that are present in its genome. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and RNA-sequencing, were performed on different developmental stages of this symbiotic hypogeous fungus -fruitbody (FB), free-living mycelium (FLM), and ectomycorrhiza.
Project description:Potato (Solanum tuberosum L) is a natural host of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) which can cause characteristic symptoms on developing plants including stunting phenotype and distortion of leaves and tubers. PSTVd is the type species of the family Pospiviroidae, it can replicate in the nucleus and the viroid RNA moves systemically in infected plants. Its KF440-2 strain can cause severe symptoms in potato. It is not well understood how the viroid can affect host genes for successful invasion and which genes show altered expression levels upon infection. In this study, we used a high-scale method to identify differentially expressed genes in potato. We have identified defence, stress and sugar metabolism related genes having altered expression levels upon infection. Additionally, hormone pathways connected genes showed up- or down-regulation. Our primary focus is on the identification of genes which can affect tuber formation as the viroid infection can strongly influence tuber development, especially tuber shape is affected. DWARF1/DIMINUTO, Gibberellin 7-oxidase and BEL5 protein were identified and validated which showed differential expression in viroid infected tissues suggesting that gibberellin and brassinosteroid pathways have a possible role in tuber development upon PSTVd infection.
Project description:Illumina HiSeq technology was used to generate mRNA profiles from Tuber magnatum truffles, free-living mycelium and oak mycorrhizal root tips. Paired-end reads of 100 bp were generated and aligned to Tuber magnatum reference transcripts using CLC Genomics Workbench 9.