AUTHOR=Xiao Kunqin , Qiao Kaibin , Cui Wenjing , Xu Xun , Pan Hongyu , Wang Fengting , Wang Shoudong , Yang Feng , Xuan Yuanhu , Li Anmo , Han Xiao , Song Zhuojian , Liu Jinliang 

TITLE=Comparative transcriptome profiling reveals the importance of GmSWEET15 in soybean susceptibility to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1119016

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1119016

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Soybean sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) is a disease caused by <italic>Sclerotinia sclerotiorum</italic> that causes incalculable losses in soybean yield each year. Considering the lack of effective resistance resources and the elusive resistance mechanisms, we are urged to develop resistance genes and explore their molecular mechanisms. Here, we found that loss of <italic>GmSWEET15</italic> enhanced the resistance to <italic>S. sclerotiorum</italic>, and we explored the molecular mechanisms by which <italic>gmsweet15</italic> mutant exhibit enhanced resistance to <italic>S. sclerotiorum</italic> by comparing transcriptome. At the early stage of inoculation, the wild type (WT) showed moderate defense response, whereas <italic>gmsweet15</italic> mutant exhibited more extensive and intense transcription reprogramming. The <italic>gmsweet15</italic> mutant enriched more biological processes, including the secretory pathway and tetrapyrrole metabolism, and it showed stronger changes in defense response, protein ubiquitination, MAPK signaling pathway-plant, plant-pathogen interaction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and photosynthesis. The more intense and abundant transcriptional reprogramming of <italic>gmsweet15</italic> mutant may explain how it effectively delayed colonization by <italic>S. sclerotiorum</italic>. In addition, we identified common and specific differentially expressed genes between WT and <italic>gmsweet15</italic> mutant after inoculation with <italic>S. sclerotiorum</italic>, and gene sets and genes related to <italic>gmsweet15</italic>_24 h were identified through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. Moreover, we constructed the protein–protein interaction network and gene co-expression networks and identified several groups of regulatory networks of <italic>gmsweet15</italic> mutant in response to <italic>S. sclerotiorum</italic>, which will be helpful for the discovery of candidate functional genes. Taken together, our results elucidate molecular mechanisms of delayed colonization by <italic>S. sclerotiorum</italic> after loss of <italic>GmSWEET15</italic> in soybean, and we propose novel resources for improving resistance to SSR.</p>