Analysis of differentially expressed genes in a susceptible and moderately resistant potato cultivar upon Phytophthora infestans infection

SUMMARY To gain deeper understanding of the host–pathogen interaction in the system potato–Phytophthora infestans, subtractive hybridization in combination with cDNA array hybridization was used. Leaflets of a moderately resistant and a susceptible potato cultivar were inoculated with P. infestans. The infection of the potato leaves was quantified by real‐time quantitative PCR. Using infected and control tissue, two cDNA libraries highly enriched for P. infestans‐induced genes were prepared. Within 531 clones randomly picked and sequenced from the libraries, 285 unigenes were found, from which 182 clones were selected for further analysis by cDNA array hybridization. Sixteen hours post inoculation genes were not induced significantly, whereas 72 h post inoculation induction of gene expression was clearly detectable. In both cultivars, 143 genes were induced moderately (≥ two‐fold), and 35 of the selected genes appeared to be strongly induced (≥ seven‐fold). Among these clones were mainly genes associated with stress and/or defence mechanisms. The strongest gene induction was found in 4‐week‐old susceptible plants. In the moderately resistant cultivar, transcripts of a number of genes accumulate with plant age; as a result, induction of gene expression upon infection was less pronounced. Down‐regulation of three genes was observed in both cultivars, upon infection. Transcript levels of these three genes increased in uninfected plants within 4 weeks of growth. Other differences in defence responses of the two cultivars could be determined and their effects are discussed.