|
Expression of HSP90, PR1, and AGO2a during the defensive response of tomato cultivars to Tomato brown rugose fruit virus
|
Golbanoo Azizpour   , Ahmad Rohibakhsh , Davoud Koolivand * , Shahrokh Ghovvati |
| , koolivand@znu.ac.ir |
|
|
Abstract: (74 Views) |
| Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV; Tobamovirus fructirugosum) is an emerging and highly destructive pathogen threatening tomato production worldwide. This study investigated the expression patterns of three key defense-related genes: HSP90, PR1, and AGO2a in two tomato cultivars exhibiting contrasting levels of tolerance to ToBRFV infection. Four-leaf–stage plants were mechanically inoculated with a verified viral isolate, and systemic leaf samples were collected at 7, 14, and 21 days post-inoculation (dpi). Total RNA was extracted, viral presence was confirmed using specific primers, and gene expression was quantified by real-time PCR. In the tolerant cultivar, all three genes were significantly upregulated following infection. HSP90 and PR1 displayed a sustained and consistent increase across all sampling times, while AGO2a showed a marked induction at 14 dpi, reaching levels significantly higher than those in the susceptible cultivar (P < 0.0001). These expression profiles indicate the activation of stable and effective defense pathways in the tolerant cultivar. By contrast, the susceptible cultivar exhibited minimal or even decreased expression of these genes, particularly PR1, suggesting ineffective induction of antiviral defenses. The coordinated upregulation of HSP90, PR1, and AGO2a in the tolerant cultivar highlights their complementary roles in disease mitigation: HSP90 likely stabilizes defense-related proteins, PR1 serves as a marker of salicylic acid–mediated signaling, and AGO2a contributes directly to viral suppression through RNA silencing. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of rapid and sustained activation of defense genes in conferring tolerance to ToBRFV and provide a molecular basis for breeding strategies, genetic improvement, and the identification of molecular markers for resistant tomato cultivars. |
Article number: 3 |
| Keywords: disease resistance, heat shock protein (HSP90), disease susceptibility, gene silencing, PR genes, gene expression responses |
|
|
|
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Microrganisms and Viruses
Received: 2025/09/21 | Accepted: 2025/10/23 | Published: 2025/10/28
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Add your comments about this article |
|
|
|
