Beyond R-Genes: Dissecting Metabolic and Nutrient-Driven Wheat Rust Resistance Through Induced Mutagenesis

Elevated CO₂ enhances tomato tolerance to Botrytis cinerea through transcriptional and metabolic defence reprogramming

Atmospheric CO₂ concentration is projected to rise substantially over the coming decades, yet its impact on the molecular mechanisms governing plant immunity remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated how elevated CO₂ (eCO₂; 650 ppm) combined with increased temperature (+5 °C) influences tomato responses to Botrytis cinerea through integrated phenotypic, metabolomic, transcriptomic, and gene regulatory network (GRN) analyses across eight cultivars. Although cultivars displayed contrasting susceptibility under ambient conditions, eCO₂ consistently enhanced tolerance across all genetic backgrounds. Multi-omics analyses revealed a partial uncoupling between transcriptional and metabolic responses during infection, with repression of photosynthesis- and carbon metabolism- related genes contrasting with the accumulation of carbon- and amino acid-derived metabolites. Under eCO₂, this metabolic disruption was attenuated, preserving metabolic homeostasis during infection. GRN reconstruction identified a conserved WRKY–ERF regulatory module underlying the growth–defence trade-off, while functional perturbation demonstrated that its contribution to resistance depends on both genotype and environmental context, highlighting the importance of basal defence mechanisms. Targeted metabolomics further revealed that eCO₂ promotes a metabolically primed state characterized by reinforcement of structural and chemical defence barriers rather than stronger activation of inducible immune responses. Together, our findings show that enhanced tolerance under eCO₂ emerges from coordinated reorganization across regulatory and metabolic networks, providing a systems- level framework for understanding plant immunity and improving crop resilience under future climate scenarios.

A comprehensive exploration of molecular aspects of rice-Ustilaginoidea virens interactions

Molecular insights of host–pathogen interactions offer decoding of sustainable strategies for developing resilient cultivars and effective management of false smut disease, highlighting stage-specific pathogenicity genes and rice defense mechanisms that control false smut disease development.

Deciphering the Molecular Interplay Between Wheat and Puccinia striiformis f. sp. Tritici: Mechanisms of Interaction and Resistance Strategies.

Current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat-Pst interactions are synthesized, key advances in understanding their reciprocal communication are highlighted, and emerging directions for developing durable resistance are discussed.

Breaking the growth-defense trade-off in cereal crops: CRISPR/Cas and moonlighting proteins in biotic stress resistance

Integrative transcriptomic and proteomic analysis reveals the regulatory mechanisms underlying oilseed rape resistance to Leptosphaeria biglobosa

A temporally ordered, multi-layered defense network in B. napus is revealed, characterized by sequential metabolic reprogramming, immune signaling activation, and structural reinforcement, providing mechanistic insights into L. biglobosa resistance.

Salicylic acid signaling integrates immunity and metabolic regulation to govern nonhost resistance in potato against Phytophthora capsici.

Nonhost resistance (NHR) provides durable and broad-spectrum protection against non-adapted pathogens, yet its regulatory mechanisms in crops remain poorly understood. Here, we show that salicylic acid (SA) signaling plays a critical role in potato NHR against the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici. SA-deficient NahG transgenic plants developed spreading water-soaked lesions following inoculation, whereas wild-type plants exhibited only localized necrosis. Exogenous SA treatment partially restored resistance in NahG lines, supporting an important role for SA in potato NHR. Transcriptome analysis revealed that SA deficiency suppressed defense-associated pathways, including MAPK signaling and pathogenesis-related (PR) gene expression, while inducing photosynthesis- and carbohydrate metabolism-associated genes. In addition, transcriptomic data suggested altered hormone-associated signaling, including induction of ABA-, IAA-, and JA-related pathways, indicating broad transcriptional changes in response to SA deficiency. Functional assays further demonstrated that silencing ERF1B enhanced susceptibility, whereas silencing WRKY53 increased resistance, suggesting distinct transcriptional regulatory roles downstream of SA signaling. Together, these findings support a central role for SA in coordinating immune signaling and metabolic responses during potato nonhost resistance. This study provides new insights into the regulatory framework underlying potato-oomycete interactions.