Transcriptome and co-expression network analysis uncover the key genes mediated by endogenous defense hormones in tea plant in response to the infestation of Empoasca onukii Matsuda
Dahe Qiao | Chun Yang | Yan Guo | Juan Chen | Zhengwu Chen
The tea green leafhopper [Empoasca (Matsumurasca) onukii Matsuda] is one of the most dominant pests in the tea production regions of China, greatly impacting tea yield and quality. Extensive studies have attributed the plant defense response to pest infestation to the activation of hormone signals, but the role of defense hormones in tea plants in response to the feeding of E. onukii is not clear. RNA-seq was performed on the leaf samples collected at different time points (6, 24 and 48 h) after feeding with E. onukii to explore the transcription characteristics of tea plant responses to feeding. The content variation characteristics of four phytohormones (JA, JA-Ile, ABA and SA) during this process were also determined. The results showed that feeding elevated the expression of key genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, α-linolenic acid metabolism and terpenoids synthesis pathways, especially in the early stage after feeding. The contents of JA, JA-Ile, and ABA dramatically increased at different time points after feeding, but the absolute content decreased over time. The change in the absolute content of SA was opposite to that of the above three hormones. Two gene co-expression networks that were significantly positively associated with these hormonal changes were constructed based on WGCNA. The screened hub genes provide useful genetic resources for exploring the hormone-mediated defense responses of tea plants against E. onukii. Our results lay the foundation for the ecological control of E. onukii and breeding of resistant tea plant cultivars.
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