Grapevine comparative early transcriptomic profiling suggests that Flavescence dorée phytoplasma represses plant responses induced by vector feeding in susceptible varieties

Background Flavescence doreeis the most serious grapevine yellowsdisease in Europe. It is caused by phytoplasmaswhich are transmitted from grapevine to grapevine by the leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus. Differences in susceptibilityamong grapevine varieties suggest the existence of specific genetic features associated with resistance to the phytoplasmaand/or possibly with its vector. In this work, RNA-Seqwas used to compare early transcriptional changes occurring during the three-trophic interaction between the phytoplasma, its vector and the grapevine, represented by two different cultivars, one very susceptibleto the disease and the other scarcely susceptible.