To investigate the dynamics of the potato – Potato virus Y (PVY) compatible interaction in relation to salicylic acid - controlled pathways we performed experiments using non-transgenic potato cv. Désirée, transgenic NahG-Désirée, cv. Igor and PVYNTN, the most aggressive strain of PVY. The importance of salicylic acid in viral multiplication and symptom development was confirmed by pronounced symptom development in NahG-Désirée, depleted in salicylic acid, and reversion of the effect after spraying with 2,6-dichloroisonicotinic acid (a salicylic acid - analogue). We have employed quantitative PCR for monitoring virus multiplication, as well as plant responses through expression of selected marker genes of photosynthetic activity, carbohydrate metabolism and the defence response. Viral multiplication was the slowest in inoculated potato of cv. Désirée, the only asymptomatic genotype in the study. The intensity of defence-related gene expression was much stronger in both sensitive genotypes (NahG-Désirée and cv. Igor) at the site of inoculation than in asymptomatic plants (cv. Désirée). Photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism gene expression differed between the symptomatic and asymptomatic phenotypes. The differential gene expression pattern of the two sensitive genotypes indicates that the outcome of the interaction does not rely simply on one regulatory component, but similar phenotypical features can result from distinct responses at the molecular level.

Host gene expression changes in the early response to potato virus Y(NTN) interaction were compared in two differently sensitive potato cultivars: the resistant cultivar Santé and the sensitive cultivar Igor. Hybridization of potato TIGR cDNA microarrays allowed us to monitor the expression of approximately 10,000 genes simultaneously at 0.5 and 12 h post-inoculation (hpi). Microarray data, analysed by statistics and data mining, were complemented by subtraction library construction and sequence analysis to validate the findings. The expression profiles of the two cultivars were similar and faint at 0.5 hpi, but they differed substantially at 12 hpi. Although, at 0.5 hpi, cv. Santé responded by the differential expression of a greater number of genes, at 12 hpi the number was higher in cv. Igor. The majority of genes in this cultivar were down-regulated at 12 hpi, indicating a host gene shut-off. Suites of genes that exhibited altered transcript abundance in response to the virus were identified, and included genes involved in the processes of photosynthesis, perception, signalling and defence responses. The expression of the considerable number of genes associated with photosynthesis was surprisingly up-regulated as early as 0.5 hpi and down-regulated at 12 hpi in both cultivars. The expression of genes involved in perception and signalling was increased in the sensitive cultivar at 12 hpi. By contrast, a simultaneous strong defence response at the transcriptional level was evident in the resistant cultivar, as shown by the up-regulation of genes involved in brassinosteroid, polyamine and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and of genes coding for pathogenesis-related proteins.

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