Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Inducing Effect of Bacillus siamensis on Disease Resistance in Postharvest Mango...

Area of Science:

• Plant Pathology
• Microbiology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Postharvest anthracnose, caused by *Colletotrichum gloeosporioides*, significantly impacts mango quality globally.
• Biocontrol bacteria like *Bacillus siamensis* (*B. siamensis*) show promise in managing postharvest diseases and enhancing fruit shelf-life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which *B. siamensis* induces disease resistance in postharvest mango fruit.
• To identify key genes and pathways involved in the biocontrol activity of *B. siamensis* against anthracnose.

Main Methods:

• Comparative transcriptome analysis of mango fruit treated with *B. siamensis* and control samples during storage.
• Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
• Validation of selected DEGs related to disease resistance using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).

Main Results:

• Transcriptome analysis identified 56,704 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among 234,808 unique transcripts.
• Enrichment analysis revealed significant involvement of DEGs in plant-pathogen interaction, plant hormone signal transduction, and biosynthesis of resistant substances.
• qRT-PCR validation confirmed the expression patterns of 14 disease-resistance-related DEGs, correlating well with transcriptome data.

Conclusions:

• *B. siamensis* pre-storage application effectively induces disease resistance in mango fruit, reducing anthracnose incidence.
• The biocontrol mechanism involves the modulation of multiple plant pathways, including those related to pathogen defense and hormone signaling.
• This study provides insights into the transcriptional regulation of postharvest disease resistance and supports *B. siamensis* as a viable biological strategy for maintaining mango quality.