RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 35 (2) June 2023, p. 340-353

TRANSCRIPTOMIC AND PROTEOMIC STUDIES TO INVESTIGATE THE BASAL STEM ROT DISEASE IN OIL PALM SEEDLINGS

DAIM, L D J1*; TAN, B A1; ITHNIN, N1; OOI, T E K2; NORMAHNANI, M N3; APPLETON, D R1 and HARIKRISHNA, K4

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2022.0053
Received: 24 October 2021   Accepted: 5 July 2022   Published Online: 6 September 2022
ABSTRACT

When oil palm is exposed to, and infected by Ganoderma boninense, the initial defence system is launched in the roots to reduce the damage caused by the disease. The present work described the transcript and protein profiles in roots of 18 month-old oil palm seedlings that were exposed to the fungal pathogen for 12 months, following artificial inoculation at 6 month-old. Three different phenotypes were observed; control (uninoculated), asymptomatic, and symptomatic (inoculated). It was found that the transcripts from the ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis pathway were common in control and asymptomatic seedlings; while proteins involved in cellular processes, and protein and sugar metabolisms were higher in abundance in asymptomatic seedlings. The transcripts involved in carbon fixation, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and pyruvate metabolism together with proteins responsible for stress response were identified in symptomatic seedlings. By integrating these omics data, it was observed that symptomatic seedlings were moving towards generating and storing energy for a possible defence strategy, and at the same time emitting stress signals and responses. This was in contrast with asymptomatic seedlings where regular functions such as cellular processes and carbohydrate metabolisms were found to be active.

KEYWORDS:


1 Biotechnology and Breeding Department,
Sime Darby Plantation Technology Centre Sdn. Bhd.,
43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

2 A-16-6, Danau Idaman Condo, Jalan 2/109F,
Taman Danau Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

3 Crop Protection Unit, Plantation Research and Advisory
Department, Sime Darby Plantation Research Sdn. Bhd.,
42700 Banting, Selangor, Malaysia.

4 Sime Darby Plantation Research Sdn. Bhd.,
42700 Banting, Selangor, Malaysia.

* Corresponding author e-mail: leona.daniela.jefferydaim@
simedarbyplantation.com