Host Response to Reniform Nematode Infection in Resistant and Susceptible Gossypium arboreum Accessions

The reniform nematode (RN), Rotylenchulus reniformis Lindford and Oliveira, is a serious threat to cotton production. In fields infested with RN, yield losses are estimated at 0 to kg/ha (Robinson, 001). Genetic resistance to RN has not been reported for any commercial cultivar of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) (Robinson et al., 00 ); however, it has been found in G. arboreum (Stewart and Robbins, 1 ), but little is known about the resistance mechanism. The objectives of this study were 1) describe the response of cotton roots at the transcriptome level in response to RN infection as a tool for the potential development of rational strategies for nematode control and ) to identify differential genes regulated in resistant and susceptible G. arboreum accessions.