Comparative Analysis of Botrytis cinerea in Response to the Microbial Secondary Metabolite Benzothiazole Using...

Benzothiazole is a microbial volatile compound with strong antifungal activity against the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea, but its mode of action against fungi remains largely unknown. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying its activity could aid the design and synthesis of similar compounds against pathogenic fungi. Based on the results of morphological and antifungal activity assays, B. cinerea was exposed to 2.5 µl/liter of benzothiazole for 12, 24, and 48 h, and an isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation-based quantitative proteomic analysis showed that 378 out of 5,110 identified proteins were differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). The majority of these DEPs were associated with carbohydrate metabolism, oxidation reduction processes, and energy production. Further analysis showed that benzothiazole inhibited mitochondrial membrane organization and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential of B. cinerea. In addition, the key enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle were downregulated after benzothiazole treatment, and a biochemical analysis indicated that inhibition of the glyoxylate cycle by benzothiazole blocked nutrient availability and interfered with adenosine triphosphate generation. This study provides markers for future research of the molecular responses of B. cinerea to benzothiazole stress.