In-silico analysis of stress tolerance and secondary metabolite production in wild Sesamum mulayanum compared to cultivated Sesamum indicum

Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is a globally cultivated oilseed crop known for its nutraceutical and pharmaceutical significance. Its rich content of antioxidant lignans, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and proteins contributes to its importance. To enhance understanding of sesame's genetic potential for crop improvement and utilization, transcriptome data from two sesame species, Sesamum indicum and Sesamum mulayanum, at two developmental stages (10 and 30 days after pollination, DAP) were analyzed using the Galaxy platform to identify differentially expressed genes. The results showed that 170 genes were up-regulated, and 46 genes were down-regulated. Gene ontology analysis revealed that up-regulated genes were involved in diverse molecular functions and biological processes related to defense response to nematode, systemic acquired resistance, abscisic acid response, and detoxification, among others. Similarly, pathway analysis revealed that the up-regulated genes were involved in pathways related to plant defense, secondary metabolite synthesis, fatty acid synthesis, and phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis. A network analysis was also predicted for describing the interaction of secondary metabolites and stress tolerance genes. The results of the present study provide new insights into the genetic and genomic understanding of sesame, thereby helping in future crop improvement.