Development of SCAR marker associated with downy mildew disease resistance in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.).

Pearl Millet is an important crop coarse grain cereal crop in the semi arid tropics which is extremely susceptible to oomycete plant pathogen Sclerospora graminicola causing downy mildew (DM) disease. The aim of the current study is to breed resistance against downy mildew disease into high yielding cultivars of pearl millet. Hence, in the present work a sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker was developed as a molecular screening tool to identify DM resistance source and presented here.

Proteomic analysis of grape berry cell cultures reveals that developmentally regulated ripening related processes can be studied using cultured cells.

Background: This work describes a proteomics profiling method, optimized and applied to berry cell suspensions to evaluate organ-specific cultures as a platform to study grape berry ripening. Variations in berry ripening within a cluster(s) on a vine and in a vineyard are a major impediment towards complete understanding of the functional processes that control ripening, specifically when a characterized and homogenous sample is required. Berry cell suspensions could overcome some of these problems, but their suitability as a model system for berry development and ripening needs to be established first.

Isolation and characterisation of a protein elicitor from Sclerospora graminicola and elicitor-mediated induction of defence responses in cultured cells of Pennisetum glaucum.

Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) Schroet., an oomycete pathogen of Pennisetum glaucum (L.

Resistance to downy mildew in pearl millet is associated with increased phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity.

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity was studied in pearl millet cultivars with different levels of resistance to the downy mildew disease caused by Sclerospora graminicola, an important oomycete pathogen. PAL activity was elevated in resistant host cultivar and decreased in susceptible cultivars following downy mildew pathogen infection. The enzyme activation varied between cultivars and was correlated with the degree of resistance to downy mildew disease.