GENE EXPRESSION IN RESPONSE TO COTTON LEAF CURL VIRUS INFECTION IN Gossypium hirsutum UNDER VARIABLE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Cotton Leaf Curl Disease (CLCuD) is one of the threatening constrains of cotton production in Pakistan for which no adequate remedy is available until now. Local variety of Gossypium hirsutum (FH-142) was grown in field and infected naturally by CLCuV under variable range of temperature and humidity. Plants showed thickening of veins in lower leaf surface at 34 degrees C and 60% relative humidity at 15days post infection (dpi) and curling of leaf margins at 33 degrees C with 58% relative humidity at 30dpi. Remarkable leaf darkening was observed with reduced boll formation at 45dpi at 26 degrees C and 41% relative humidity. Enation developed, severe thickening and curling of leaves intensified and plants showed dwarf growth at 60dpi at 24 degrees C with 52% relative humidity. PCR amplification of Rep associated gene confirmed the presence of CLCuD-associated begomovirus in the infected samples. Quantitative RT-PCR confirmed the amplification and differential expression of a number of pathogen stress responsive genes at different levels of temperature and humidity. This observation predicts that Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCuV) interacts with several host genes that are upregulated to make plants susceptible or suppress other genes to overcome host defense responses.