The fungal disease, ascochyta blight, caused by Ascochyta rabiei is a major yield limiting factor of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) around the world. Expression analysis of genes induced in general defense response can provide clues to elucidate major defense mechanisms against pathogen infection in chickpea plants. The role of key phenylpropanoid pathway enzymes response to Ascochyta rabiei in chickpea was studied under greenhouse conditions using a reverse transcription and semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (SQ-PCR). Transcript accumulation of four genes encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chalcon synthase (CHS), isoflavone reductase (IFR) and Flavanone 3-Hydroxylase (F3H) induced in response to race 3 of A. rabiei was compared in resistant and susceptible genotypes. Results obtained in this study showed that in resistant genotype all 4 phenylpropanoid pathway genes: PAL, CHS, IFR and F3H were rapidly up regulated 6 h after inoculation with race 3 of A. rabiei. However, transcripts of PAL and IFR genes were rapidly accumulated in both resistant and susceptible cultivars. Therefore, induction of key enzymes of phenylpropanoid pathway appeared to be an important defense mechanism of chickpea plants against A. rabiei.

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