Aug 2026· Biotechnology Journal· Vol 21· 0 citations· 32 references
Medicine
TL;DR
It is demonstrated that endochitinase overexpression activates defense signaling and improves broad‐spectrum resistance, representing a promising strategy for developing disease‐resistant tomato cultivars.
Abstract
Engineering broad‐spectrum disease resistance remains a major challenge in crop improvement because most resistance genes are effective against a limited range of pathogens. Pathogenesis‐related (PR) proteins, particularly endochitinases, are promising targets for enhancing plant immunity due to their antimicrobial activity and ability to activate defense responses. Here, we generated transgenic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants overexpressing an endochitinase gene to assess their potential for enhanced resistance against bacterial and fungal pathogens. Three independent overexpression lines and the wild type were evaluated for transgene expression, chitinase activity, defense‐related gene expression, and resistance after inoculation with Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. perforans (Xep) and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The transgene was strongly expressed in all transgenic lines, whereas chitinase activity increased by up to fivefold compared with the wild type. Endochitinase overexpression activated defense responses, with marked induction of PR1 expression, reaching a maximum increase of over 480‐fold, and enhanced expression of defense‐associated genes, including SlACS and SlACO. Compared with the wild type, the most responsive transgenic lines showed reductions of up to 79.7% in bacterial spot severity and 85.6% in white mold severity. These findings demonstrate that endochitinase overexpression activates defense signaling and improves broad‐spectrum resistance, representing a promising strategy for developing disease‐resistant tomato cultivars.
This integrated approach combines the advantages of microbial biocontrol with RNAi precision, establishing Y. lipolytica as a versatile chassis for sustainable crop protection and offers a scalable, eco-friendly alternative to chemical fungicides for gray mold management.
Mengjie Liu, Hengshui Shen, Jie Li et al.· Journal of Integrative Plant...· 0 citations
It is demonstrated that CmVQ23 functions as a positive regulator of resistance to Verticillium dahliae by orchestrating ROS/HR-mediated cell death, antioxidant defense, phenylpropanoid pathway activation, and phytohormone signaling crosstalk, offering a promising genetic resource for improving Verticillium wilt resistance in crops.
The AhDef1 gene functionally validated in this study emerges as a promising candidate for engineering fungal disease resistance and aflatoxin mitigation in peanut and potentially other susceptible crops.
Nirmala Kumari Gupta, Jaykumar Patel, Gohil Mrunaliniba Yuvrajsinh et al.· Current Issues in Molecular...· 0 citations
StERF87 directly activates StPR1a via GCC-box binding and integrates SA/ET signaling to enhance bacterial wilt resistance. Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is an important food crop worldwide, yet its yield is severely constrained by bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. We used RNA-Seq to study gene expression in ‘Z1076-1’ at 0, 1, and 2 days post-inoculation (dpi) with R. solanacearum (10⁶ CFU mL⁻1). We identified 6663 differentially expressed genes at 1 dpi and 7390 at 2 dpi. Calcium signaling and MAPK cascade genes were upregulated at 1 dpi. PR protein and ROS-related genes showed stronger induction at 2 dpi. The ethylene-responsive transcription factor StERF87 was continuously upregulated. Its expression increased 4.7-fold at 2 dpi, with FPKM values over 100. We selected this gene for functional analysis. Transgenic potato plants overexpressing StERF87 showed lower disease severity and reduced bacterial growth in both whole plants and tuber slices. StERF87 is a transcriptional activator that directly binds the GCC-box in the StPR1a promoter to activate its transcription. After R. solanacearum inoculation, StERF87 overexpression also increased PR1b1 expression, elevated salicylic acid and ethylene levels, reduced jasmonic acid accumulation, and altered the activities of ROS-scavenging enzymes including SOD, POD, and CAT. These results show that StERF87 regulates potato defense against R. solanacearum and may be useful for breeding bacterial wilt-resistant varieties.
Ru Yu, Min Gao, Lin Cai et al.· Plant Cell Reports· 0 citations
It is shown that expression of AVR2 is strongly induced in root-and xylem-colonizing hyphae three days post inoculation, and it is found that Avr2 has to be nuclear localized to trigger an I-2 -dependent cell death response.
Benavides Ma, Cornelissen F. L. W., Takken· 0 citations
Chile is a global leader in the fruit industry; however, the sector faces significant yield losses due to phytopathogens and an urgent need to reduce reliance on chemical fungicides. Induction of plant defenses and priming offer sustainable alternatives by activating the plant’s innate immune system. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of native Pseudomonas protegens strains and their formulations to trigger plant defense responses in five agronomically important fruit crops: kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa), walnut (Juglans regia), cherry (Prunus avium), blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), and grapevine (Vitis vinifera). Under controlled conditions, a randomized block design was implemented with four treatments, including P. protegens strains and their formulations, as well as a chemical elicitor (acibenzolar-S-methyl) as a positive control. Foliar treatments were applied, and leaf tissues were sampled at 1 day, 7 days, and 14 days post-inoculation. Transcriptional responses were quantified via qPCR using the ΔΔCt method, targeting key defense-related genes, including pathogenesis-related proteins (pr1, pr2, pr3, pr5, pr10) and enzymes of the phenylpropanoid and signaling pathways (pal, chs, ppo, lox9, glc). This study provides a molecular framework for understanding how biological inducers modulate defense-related gene expression in perennial crops. The results highlight the potential of native bacteria to be integrated into sustainable integrated pest management programs, offering an alternative strategy to trigger defense-related transcriptional activation in fruit perennial crops.
Braulio Ruíz, M. Sanz, Yerko Lovera et al.· Agronomy· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
