Abstract
BackgroundBiocontrol strategies are the best possible and eco-friendly solution to develop resistance against O furnacalis and improve the maize yield. However, the knowledge about underlying molecular mechanisms, metabolic shifts, and hormonal signaling is limited.MethodsHere, we used an axenic and a consortium of entomopathogenic Beauveria bassiana OFDH1-5 and a pathogen-antagonistic Trichoderma asperellum GDFS1009 in maize and observed that consortium applications resulted in higher chlorophyll contents and antioxidants activities [superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), proline, protease, and polyphenol oxidase (PPO)] with a decrease in O. furnacalis survival. We performed a comprehensive transcriptome and an untargeted metabolome profiling for the first time at a vegetative stage in fungal inoculated maize leaves at 0-, 12-, 24-, 48-, and 72-h post insect infestation.ResultsThe consortium of B. bassiana and T. asperellum leads to 80–95% of O. furnacalis mortality. A total of 13,156 differentially expressed genes were used for weighted gene coexpression network analysis. We identified the six significant modules containing thirteen candidate genes [protein kinase (GRMZM2G025459), acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (GRMZM5G864319), thioredoxin gene (GRMZM2G091481), glutathione S-transferase (GRMZM2G116273), patatin-like phospholipase gene (GRMZM2G154523), cytochrome P450 (GRMZM2G139874), protease inhibitor (GRMZM2G004466), (AC233926.1_FG002), chitinase (GRMZM2G453805), defensin (GRMZM2G392863), peroxidase (GRMZM2G144153), GDSL- like lipase (AC212068.4_FG005), and Beta-glucosidase (GRMZM2G031660)], which are not previously reported that are highly correlated with Jasmonic acid - Ethylene (JA-ET) signaling pathway and antioxidants. We detected a total of 130 negative and 491 positive metabolomic features using a ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS). Intramodular significance and real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) expressions showed that these genes are the true candidate genes. Consortium treated maize had higher jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and ethylene (ET) levels.ConclusionOur results provide insights into the genetics, biochemicals, and metabolic diversity and are useful for future biocontrol strategies against ACB attacks.
Highlights
Maize plants undergo several challenges during their growth, including pathogenic infections, environmental stresses, and insect attacks (Batool et al, 2020)
89.38 and 92.28% of larval mortality was observed in BT-1 treatment of 2018 and 2019, respectively, followed by 73.03 and 69.68% mortality was observed in BB-1, which was higher than insect control (IC)
Treatments include: (CK) untreated control, (BB-1) seed treatment with B. bassiana OFDH1-5, (BB-2) soil drenching with B. bassiana OFDH1-5, (TH-1) seed treatment with T. asperellum GDFS1009, (TH-2) soil drenching with T. asperellum GDFS1009, (BT-1) seed treatment with consortium of B. bassiana OFDH1-5 and T. asperellum GDFS1009, (BT-2) soil drenching with a consortium of B. bassiana OFDH1-5 + T. asperellum GDFS1009, (IC) no inoculation
Summary
Maize plants undergo several challenges during their growth, including pathogenic infections, environmental stresses, and insect attacks (Batool et al, 2020). Based on the importance of sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices (Guo et al, 2019), O. furnacalis control strategies have been shifted toward the application of biological control agents rather than harmful chemical pesticides (Mitchell et al, 2016; Batool et al, 2020). The plant herbivory response is a dynamic process that temporally and spatially regulates proteins, metabolic profiles, and transcript patterns (Ehlting et al, 2008; Barah and Bones, 2015). This suggests that it is essential to study the plant herbivory defense mechanisms at transcriptional and metabolic levels in response to insect-feeding and pre-inoculated entomopathogenic fungal strains (Li et al, 2016). Biocontrol strategies are the best possible and eco-friendly solution to develop resistance against O furnacalis and improve the maize yield. The knowledge about underlying molecular mechanisms, metabolic shifts, and hormonal signaling is limited
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