Transcriptome analysis of sesame phyllody phytoplasma: Towards identification of resistance-imparting genes

Phyllody disease, associated with phytoplasmas, is a major biotic stress affecting sesame production, causing significant yield losses. High-throughput transcriptome sequencing was used to identify potential resistance-associated genes. Total RNA was extracted from resistant and susceptible sesame plants under controlled conditions. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on the Novaseq 6000 platform, generating about 37.5 GB of raw data. Transcriptome assembly utilized Trinity-v2.15.0, yielding 88,372 ORFs, with 69,847 sequences matching to known species using BLAST-X against the NCBI database. Differential expression analysis identified genes with >2.0 log-fold change and FDR <0.01 between resistant and susceptible genotypes. Genes implicated in stress responses, hormone signalling, and pathogen defence pathways were significantly upregulated in resistant genotypes. These findings contribute to understanding the molecular basis of resistance against phyllody disease and provide a foundation for breeding disease-resistant sesame varieties.