Author

Youben Yu

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Aug 2026

Antifungal mechanism of eudesmane sesquiterpenoid glycosides from the fruits of Pittosporum kweichowense against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

BACKGROUND Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR), caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, is among the most destructive crop diseases worldwide. This study aimed to identify novel antifungal agents from Pittosporum kweichowense and elucidate their mechanisms against this pathogen. RESULTS Six eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoid glycoside esters (ESGEs) were isolated from the fruit of P. kweichowense, including four new compounds pitkweifrucosides A-D (1-4), and two known analogs (5-6). Their structures were established by spectroscopic analyses and comparison with authentic samples. Compound 5 (Pitsubcoside H, PS-H) showed potent antifungal activity against S. sclerotiorum with a median effective concentration of 38.61 μg mL-1. At 100 μg mL-1, PS-H inhibited mycelial growth and reduced sclerotial formation by 75.00%. It also delayed sclerotial germination at early stages and decreased oxalic acid production by 73.08%. TEM observation confirmed disruption of cellular integrity. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses further revealed that PS-H exerts antifungal effects primarily through perturbation of amino acid metabolism and ribosomal function. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that PS-H exhibits significant antifungal activity against S. sclerotiorum via disruption of key metabolic pathways. These findings provide a solid basis for developing this compound as a sustainable, low-toxicity alternative to conventional fungicides. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Gui-chun Yang, Xin-Yu Yang, Zhao-Xuan Wang et al. · Pest Management Science · 0 citations

Open access Sep 2026

Epigenetically regulated MYB–Nudix/TPS cascade drives geraniol biosynthesis in tea plants

Geraniol is a key floral aroma compound in tea and preferentially accumulates in young leaves for premium tea production, yet the molecular basis underlying its leaf position–dependent distribution remains unclear. Here, metabolomic profiling across successive leaf positions uncovered geranyl monophosphate (GP) abundance significantly positively correlated with geraniol accumulation. Functional analyses combining in vitro enzyme assays and metabolic profiling of transgenic tea plants identified CsNudix1-cyto as a key hydrolase responsible for GP accumulation, and geraniol production. Integrative transcriptome analyses and molecular validation revealed that CsMYB88 and CsMYB200 directly activate both CsNudix1-cyto and CsTPS1, thereby promoting geraniol biosynthesis in young leaves. Intriguingly, CsMYB200 activates the CsMYB88 promoter, forming a MYB cascade amplifying downstream geraniol biosynthetic genes. Furthermore, bisulfite sequencing demonstrated developmental stage–specific hypermethylation of a CpG island in the CsMYB200 promoter in mature leaves, which is associated with coordinated repression of CsMYB200, CsMYB88, CsNudix1-cyto, and CsTPS1, and decline in geraniol accumulation. Together, these findings establish a Nudix/TPS-mediated biosynthetic pathway controlled by a MYB transcriptional cascade and epigenetic regulation, providing a mechanistic framework for leaf position–dependent aroma formation in tea plants.

Ge-Fei Tu, Long Cheng, Li Huang et al. · Horticulture Research · 0 citations

Open access Jul 2026

Cs WRKY30-initiates activation network of multi chemical defense events to confer resistance in tea plant to Colletotrichum camelliae

A CsWRKY30-centered transcriptional network crucial for immunity activation is elucidates, establishing an important theoretical and molecular foundation for breeding disease-resistant tea cultivars.

Lu Liu, You-Qin Du, Yongbi Liao et al. · Horticulture Research · 0 citations