Comparative transcriptome analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis to identify core in Musa acuminata sub-varieties infected by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense TR4

Abstract Bananas a high-nutrient fruit crop that ranks fourth in terms of gross value production after rice, wheat, and maize. Fusarium wilt of banana, caused by fungal pathogens Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), is considered as the most destructive disease in the world and results in extensive damage of the crop leading up to complete productivity loss. These cavendish cultivars are vulnerable to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4. (Foc TR4). Benzothiadiazole (BTH) is a plant resistance inducer that can enhance the defensive mechanism of plants against this pathogen. However, the mechanism behind the defensive response is still unknown. In this study, bioinformatics tools were used to publicly available transcriptome data of multiple (Baragan, Brazilian, and Williams) cultivars of cavendish banana under Fusarium oxysporum on Benzathiadiasole (BTH) of Barzillian cultivar, which was further used for comparative transcriptome analysis. The widespread use of plant resistance inducers (PRIs) such as Benzathiadiasole (BTH) is a new strategy to stimulate the defence response in banana plants to protect against pathogen infection. The differential expression genes (DEGs) analyses with time series of cultivars were done, of which approximately 56.3 % (19835) genes were found to be significantly differentially expressed. The DEGs have been compared with genes found in modules of weighted gene co-expression network followed by the analysis of relevant (trait) cultivars to identify core genes, and it was found that 1110 genes were down regulated, and 671 were upregulated genes in Berangan cultivars 4 days Foc4 fungal infected samples, whereas in Brazilian cultivars one day Foc4 infections with BTH treated, 171 genes were upregulated and 125 genes were downregulated. Further, in pathway analysis, 20 pathways were identified under significant enrichment FDR, many proteins were also involved in different pathways, including sphingolipid metabolism, peroxisome, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and endocytosis in the roots of banana.