AUTHOR=Xia Jinglin , Liu Ning , Han Junyou , Sun Jingyuan , Xu Tianyi , Liu Shouan 

TITLE=Transcriptome and metabolite analyses indicated the underlying molecular responses of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) toward Colletotrichum panacicola infection

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1182685

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2023.1182685

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Panax ginseng</italic> Meyer is one of the most valuable plants and is widely used in China, while ginseng anthracnose is one of the most destructive diseases. <italic>Colletotrichum panacicola</italic> could infect ginseng leaves and stems and causes serious anthracnose disease, but its mechanism is still unknown. Here, transcriptome and metabolism analyses of the host leaves were conducted to investigate the ginseng defense response affected by <italic>C. panacicola</italic>. Upon <italic>C. panacicola</italic> infection, ginseng transcripts altered from 14 to 24 h, and the expression of many defense-related genes switched from induction to repression. Consequently, ginseng metabolites in the flavonoid pathway were changed. Particularly, <italic>C. panacicola</italic> repressed plant biosynthesis of the epicatechin and naringin while inducing plant biosynthesis of glycitin, vitexin/isovitexin, and luteolin-7-<italic>O</italic>-glucoside. This work indicates <italic>C. panacicola</italic> successful infection of <italic>P. ginseng</italic> by intervening in the transcripts of defense-related genes and manipulating the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, which might have antifungal activities.</p>