Genome-Wide Characterization of the Botryosphaeria dothidea GH28 Family Reveals BdGH28_3 Contributes to Virulence on Chinese Hickory

Systematic Identification of the GH28 Gene Family in the Pathogenic Fungus Cytospora pyri and Functional Verification of the Candidate Virulence Gene VP1G_08835

Findings demonstrate that GH28 genes participate in C. pyri infection and identify VP1G_08835 as an important GH28 member required for normal growth and contributing to virulence.

Genome-Wide Identification of the PAL Gene Family in Idesia polycarpa and Transcriptomic Responses to Botryosphaeria dothidea Infection

Idesia polycarpa is a woody oil tree threatened by stem canker caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea, yet the organization and infection-responsive behavior of its phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene family remain poorly understood. Here, we identified five IpPAL genes and characterized their phylogenetic relationships, conserved features, duplication patterns, promoter cis-elements, and infection-associated expression profiles. Segmental and tandem duplication contributed to IpPAL family evolution, and all duplicated pairs showed Ka/Ks ratios below 1, consistent with purifying selection. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of contrasting Chengdu and Zhangjiajie provenances revealed distinct temporal responses. In Chengdu, IpPAL2–IpPAL4 were significantly upregulated at 24 h after inoculation, whereas all five genes were upregulated at 96 h. In Zhangjiajie, all five IpPAL genes were significantly upregulated at 24 h, while IpPAL2–IpPAL5 remained upregulated at 96 h. No IpPAL gene met the differential-expression criteria between provenances under mock conditions or at 24 h; at 96 h, IpPAL1 and IpPAL3 were lower and IpPAL5 was higher in Zhangjiajie than in Chengdu. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided complementary qualitative evidence of provenance-associated tissue responses. These findings demonstrate time- and gene-specific IpPAL responses to B. dothidea and identify candidate genes for further functional analysis.

Genome-Wide Identification and Bioinformatics Analysis of Thaumatin-like Proteins in Aegiceras corniculatum

Heterologous expression and antibacterial tests showed that recombinant AcTLP19 had no direct antifungal activity against B. cinerea or Fusarium oxysporum under the tested conditions, leaving open the possibility that it contributes to mangrove defense through indirect mechanisms, or that its antifungal activity was not captured under the specific assay conditions.

A Rhamnogalacturonan Acetylesterase Effector FsRGAE1 Enhances the Virulence of Fusarium sacchari by Localizing to the Nucleus and Suppressing Plant Immunity

Findings indicate that FsRGAE1 promotes F. sacchari virulence by suppressing host immune responses in a nuclear localization-dependent manner, providing new insights into effector-mediated F. sacchari pathogenesis and potential target for resistance breeding in sugarcane.

Pangenome Analysis Uncovers Two Pathotypes of Dickeya dadantii, the Causal Agent of Sweetpotato Stem Rot, and Identifies Virulence-Associated Genes.

The first comprehensive pangenome of D. dadantii is constructed by integrating complete PacBio HiFi sequencing of a representative strain with resequencing of 32 Chinese isolates and 23 global strains, revealing that geographic isolation and host adaptation drive genetic differentiation.

Genome-wide identification and evolutionary characterization of the BTB and TAZ (BT) gene family in cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)