Differential expression analysis by cDNA-AFLP of Saccharum spp. after inoculation with the host pathogen Sporisorium scitamineum

A differential expression study on the Saccharum spp.–Sporisorium scitamineum pathogenic interaction was carried out in the susceptible Ja60-5 and the resistant M31/45 genotypes. Using cDNA-AFLP analysis, a total of 64 transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) was found to be differentially expressed, with the majority (67.2%) of the differential TDFs up-regulated in the resistant M31/45 cultivar. The plant response against S. scitamineum infection was complex, representing major genes involved in oxidative burst, defensive response, ethylene and auxins pathways during the first 72 h post-inoculation. Results obtained suggest a key role for genes involved in the oxidative burst and the lignin pathways in the initial sugarcane defense against the S. scitamineum infection.