Transcriptomic approaches to unravel plant-pathogen interactions in legumes

The use of in silico and in vivo transcriptomic tools have revolutionized the way biological processes are studied. These technologies provide a global approach that is well suited for the analysis of plant-pathogen interactions, in which complex gene networks are regulated. Most of the available studies involving gene arrays were reported in Arabidopsis thaliana, but recent evidence showed that the information gained on this model plant may not always be extrapolated to legumes. Transcriptomic data generated specifically from legume-pathogen pathosystems are therefore needed to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying resistance of host plants and pathogenicity of their invaders. This review focuses on the few available studies that describe the characterisation of compatible or incompatible interactions between legumes and parasites through transcriptomic approaches, and summarizes various strategies that can increase our knowledge in this domain.