The molecular mechanisms of disease-resistance in mandarins induced by Yarrowia lipolytica based on transcriptome technology

Abstract It has been reported that Yarrowia lipolytica can effectively control blue mold and green mold decay of mandarins (Citrus reticulata), and also the possible physiological mechanisms underlying this efficacy were studied in our previously research. However, the related molecular mechanisms were not clearly. In this study, the molecular mechanisms of disease-resistance in mandarins induced by Y. lipolytica were investigated. It was found that, after the treatment of Y. lipolytica, the related resistance enzyme activities of β-1,3-glucanase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase in mandarins were enhanced, while the malondialdehyde content was decreased. Interestingly, based on the transcriptome analysis, it was found that Y. lipolytica can induce the up-regulation of genes related to the synthesis of resistant substances; key genes in the pathway of plant-pathogen interaction; genes related to scavenging reactive oxygen species; genes related to jasmonic acid, salicylic acid and ethylene signal transduction pathway in mandarins. Furthermore, Y. lipolytica down-regulated the expression levels of genes encoding cell wall degrading enzymes. Definitively, this unravelling of the molecular mechanisms of Y. lipolytica will contribute to consolidate its potential to serve as an effective biocontrol agent against post-harvest diseases of mandarins.