Gene expression and biochemical profiling of contrasting Vigna mungo genotypes against Mungbean Yellow Mosaic India Virus (MYMIV)

Abstract

Blackgram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) is one of the important pulse crops with a high protein content that compliments people’s cereal-based diets, especially in the Asian countries. Urdbean cultivation is prone to different abiotic and biotic stresses due to pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, and nematodes. Yellow Mosaic Disease (YMD) is caused by MYMIV, a whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.), transmitted Geminivirus in urdbean. MYMIV is a major cause of urdbean cultivation failure in many growing countries. MYMIV has been a major threat to legume crops for several years, and the yield loss from viral diseases accounts for up to 80% of the total production. In this study, a panel of 96 urdbean genotypes were screened against MYMIV in kharif 2021 at ICAR-IIPR, Kanpur, and efforts have been made to decipher the expression level of different stress related genes, enzyme activity and biochemicals in both susceptible and resistant genotypes of urdbean. Urdbean genotype DPU88-31 was identified as the resistant and IC436566 as susceptible to MYMIV. It was observed that the expression of peroxidase (POX) gene was many fold in resistant genotype compared to the susceptible one upon exposure to the virus. Expression of genes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), WRKY was also significantly higher in resistant genotypes compared to susceptible one. Through biochemical analysis it was observed that upon interaction with the virus, the level of total phenols, activity of POX and SOD was higher in resistant genotype compared to the susceptible one. Our results provide valuable information for better understanding of the plant defense against viruses in urdbean and lay the vital foundation for further breeding of improved cultivars of urdbean through molecular breeding and genome editing.