Integrated transcriptomic and metabonomic analysis reveal mechanisms of disease resistance in apples induced by Wickerhamomyces anomalus

The antagonistic yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus was reported to have a biocontrol efficacy against blue mold decay of apples, and possible physiological biocontrol mechanisms were investigated in our previous research. However, the molecular mechanisms related to the resistance response were unclear. In this study, the related molecular mechanisms of disease-resistance in apples induced by W. anomalus based on transcriptomic and metabonomic analysis were investigated. The results of the transcriptome data showed that W. anomalus induced the up-regulation of genes related to resistance, plant signal transduction, genes involved in regulating the synthesis of resistance related substances, and genes related to antioxidant and stress resistance. Integrated transcriptomic and metabonomic analysis indicated that multiple genes involved in the phenylpropane biosynthesis pathway, ubiquinone and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis pathway and phenylalanine metabolism pathway were up-regulated, and the contents of corresponding metabolites were also increased, so as to improve the disease resistance of apple fruit.