Exploration of the Sclerotinia sclerotiorum-Brassica pathosystem: advances and perspectives in omics studies

The polyphagous phytopathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causing Stem rot disease is a major biotic stress in Brassica, and affects the yield and quality in various crops of agricultural significance. It affects the crop at pre-maturity which causes a reduction in the seed yield and deteriorates the oil quality in rapeseeds and Indian mustard globally. The hemibiotrophic nature and long persistence in the soil as sclerotia have made this pathogen difficult to manage through conventional agronomical practices. Hence, for alternative strategies, it is important to understand the basic aspects of the pathogen and the pathogenesis processes in the host. The current developments in technologies for omics studies including whole-genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes have deciphered various genes, transcription factors, effectors and their target molecules involved in interaction, disease establishment and pathogen progress in the host tissues. The current review encompasses the studies that were conducted to decipher the Brassica-S. sclerotiorum pathosystem and the molecular factors identified through multi-omics studies for their application in building resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot disease in the susceptible cultivars of oilseed Brassica.