The results indicate that T. kirilowii responds to RKN infection through an integrated mechanism involving physiological regulation, hormonal coordination, metabolic reprogramming, and molecular defense, with the zeatin biosynthesis pathway serving as a central hub.
Abstract
Background Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) pose a severe threat to Trichosanthes kirilowii production, but the molecular mechanisms of its response to RKN infection remain unclear. Methods An integrated multi-omics strategy that combined physiological trait analysis, hormone profiling, transcriptome sequencing, and untargeted metabolome analysis was used to systematically clarify the response mechanisms of T. kirilowii to Meloidogyne incognita infection. Results Comprehensive phenotypic observations combined with antioxidant enzyme activity measurements and hormone profiling identified 6 days post-inoculation (dpi) as a critical response timepoint, characterized by initial gall formation, minimum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peak catalase (CAT) activity, and maximal content of auxin (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), and salicylic acid (SA). Notably, cytokinin-type hormones were significantly upregulated after RKN infection, with zeatin increasing by 202% at 12 dpi and zeatin riboside reaching 38.5-fold that of the control at 24 dpi. Transcriptomic analysis identified 1,705 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), predominantly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, zeatin biosynthesis, and plant-pathogen interaction pathways. Untargeted metabolomic analysis identified 658 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs), primarily involving carboxylic acid derivatives, amino acids, phospholipids, and isopentenyl alcohol esters; combined analysis further revealed that zeatin biosynthesis was the only significantly enriched common pathway; within this pathway, changes in 8 key genes and 5 core metabolites acted synergistically and were significantly correlated with gall number, soluble sugar content, and multiple hormones. Conclusions The results indicate that T. kirilowii responds to RKN infection through an integrated mechanism involving physiological regulation, hormonal coordination, metabolic reprogramming, and molecular defense, with the zeatin biosynthesis pathway serving as a central hub. These findings provide a basis for molecular breeding and develop green control strategies against RKNs in T. kirilowii cultivation.
Findings reveal cultivar-dependent multi-omics differences accompanying contrasting clubroot phenotypes under natural field infection conditions and provide a basis for future studies of clubroot resistance in B. napus.
Chuan-Feng Xiong, Qian Liu, Xiao-Min Sun et al.· Plant Disease· 0 citations
Background: This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of Codonopsis pilosula roots to Fusarium oxysporum infection, which causes root rot and significant economic losses, and to provide a theoretical basis for breeding resistant varieties and developing effective control strategies. Methods: Root samples of C. pilosula were inoculated with F. oxysporum and harvested across five distinct intervals (0, 6, 24, 72, and 120 h after inoculation). Transcriptome sequencing was performed on 15 samples, generating 171.65 GB of clean data. De novo assembly was used to construct unigenes, followed by functional annotation and differential expression analysis. In addition, CpMAPK9 was transiently overexpressed in C. pilosula leaves to evaluate its role in jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and disease resistance. Results: A total of 94,896 unigenes were obtained. Functional analysis showed that genes involved in hormone signal transduction, the MAPK signaling pathway, and plant–pathogen interactions were consistently activated in response to infection. Among the MAPK gene family, CpMAPK9 showed significant expression changes. Transient overexpression of CpMAPK9 significantly increased JA accumulation, indicating that CpMAPK9 positively regulates JA biosynthesis and may enhance resistance to root rot. Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings indicate that CpMAPK9 actively modulates JA-mediated defense pathways in C. pilosula during F. oxysporum invasion. Our findings shed light on the intricate molecular networks that drive disease defense, offering valuable theoretical insights to guide subsequent crop improvement initiatives.
Colletotrichum higginsianum (Ch) is a typical hemibiotrophic ascomycetous fungus. The diseases it causes often lead to considerable economic losses in global cruciferous crop production. However, current knowledge is still insufficient for us to gain a deeper understanding of how host plants respond at the transcriptional level during Ch infection. Herein, we performed transcriptomic and metabolic assays between Mock and Ch- infected samples. The results showed that Ch infection significantly inhibited the shoot fresh weight and primary root length of host plants. Furthermore, gene ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways related to phenylpropanoid metabolism were highly enriched. Defense hormone salicylic acid (SA) and three metabolites belonging to the phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway were identified. Meanwhile, we screened 5 related enzyme-encoding genes and 78 transcription factors (TFs). Five WRKY, three MYB, and two NAC TFs showed significant expression changes and high correlation with enzyme genes. Our results enrich regulatory networks in crucifier pathogen responses. This work provides potential molecular candidates to support subsequent studies on the mechanisms underlying Ch resistance.
Hong Ye, Qi-Wen Gao, Yong-Jian Zou et al.· Life· 0 citations
This multi-omics framework provides detailed lipidomic and transcriptomic signatures to identify candidate genes and lipid biomarkers for marker-assisted breeding of bacterial wilt-resistant peanut varieties.
Yu-Zhuo Xia, Zhenzhen Zhang, Jian Yang et al.· Agronomy· 0 citations
Results suggest that the stronger resistance to P. nicotianae by X7 is associated with rapid coordination of defense-related transcription, phenylpropanoid and flavonoid metabolism, hormone signaling, and suppression of photosynthesis and primary metabolism.
Guo Li, Chang-Jiang Zhang, Bei Yu et al.· Plant physiology and biochem...· 0 citations
With the ubiquity of lithium‐ion batteries, lithium has emerged as a critical environmental contaminant, yet the mechanisms of its toxicity and tolerance in plants remain poorly understood. This study investigates the physiological and molecular responses of the C4 model crop foxtail millet (
Setaria italica
) to LiCl stress. Physiological analyses revealed a concentration‐dependent effect: while low Li
+
levels activated the antioxidant system, exposure to 50 mg/L LiCl triggered a severe oxidative burst, leading to the suppression of antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT), lipid peroxidation, and significant growth inhibition. Transcriptomic profiling of the cultivar “Jingu 21” identified 1562 commonly regulated differentially expressed genes, indicating that Li
+
stress disrupts Na
+
/K
+
homeostasis and reprograms metabolic pathways, including the upregulation of branched‐chain amino acid degradation and plant‐pathogen interaction pathways. To validate these findings, we analyzed five additional cultivars exhibiting differential tolerance. Comparative analysis demonstrated that the robust tolerance observed in “Jigu 22” correlated with the strong induction of key genes‐specifically the transcription factor
SiBHLH148
, the vacuolar transporter
SiNHX1
, and the lipid transfer protein
SiDIR1
‐
suggesting
their pivotal roles in maintaining ROS homeostasis and ion compartmentalization. These results elucidate the molecular basis of LiCl adaptation in foxtail millet and provide crucial genetic targets for breeding crops resilient to lithium pollution.
Wei-Juan Zhou, Yitong Zhao, Jie Zheng et al.· Food and Energy Security· 0 citations
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