Integrated transcriptomic analysis reveals transcriptional changes associated with begomovirus infection in the...

Emilia sonchifolia L. (E. sonchifolia) is a traditionally medicinal plant widespread in tropical and subtropical regions and is valued for its diverse bioactive properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor activities. In October 2021, two groups of E. sonchifolia-one non-symptomatic (Mock) and the other exhibiting yellow vein symptoms (Vln)-were identified from an experimental nursery in Yulin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The virus infecting symptomatic plants was isolated, sequenced, and confirmed to be closely related to Emilia yellow vein virus Fz1 (EYVV-Fz1) from Fujian province, and was designated Emilia yellow vein virus Gx (EYVV-Gx).

To reveal gene expression changes and enriched biological pathways in response to begomovirus infection in the medicinal plant E. sonchifolia, transcriptome analysis between Mock and Vln plants was conducted using integrated Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT)-seq and Illumina-seq technologies.

A total of 195 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, and enriched in pathways related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, cell wall remodeling, hormone signaling, transcriptional regulation, as well as stress and immune related responses. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) validations revealed that gene expression was group-dependent and tissue-specific.

These findings provide new insights into infection-associated transcriptional responses of E. sonchifolia under natural begomovirus infection and represent the first transcriptomic analysis of this species based on the combined use of Illumina and SMRT sequencing. This study provides a valuable resource for future molecular studies and may support improvements in cultivation strategies for medicinal plants.