Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses identify quinic acid protecting eggplant from damage caused by western flower thrips

Abstract BACKGROUND Western flower thrips are considered the major insect pest of horticultural crops worldwide, causing economic and yield loss to Solanaceae crops. The eggplant ( Solanum melongena L.) resistance against thrips remains largely unexplored. This work aims to identify thrips‐resistant eggplants and dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance using the integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of thrips‐resistant and ‐susceptible cultivars. RESULTS We developed a micro‐cage thrips bioassay to identify thrips‐resistant eggplant cultivars, and highly resistant cultivars were identified from wild eggplant relatives. Metabolomic profiles of thrips‐resistant and ‐susceptible eggplant were compared using the gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS)‐based approach, resulting in the identification of a higher amount of quinic acid in thrips‐resistant eggplant compared to the thrips‐susceptible plant. RNA‐sequencing analysis identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by comparing genome‐wide gene expression changes between thrips‐resistant and ‐susceptible eggplants. Consistent with metabolomic analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs revealed that the starch and sucrose metabolic pathway in which quinic acid is a metabolic by‐product was highly enriched. External application of quinic acid enhances the resistance of susceptible eggplant to thrips. CONCLUSION Our results showed that quinic acid plays a key role in the resistance to thrips. These findings highlight a potential application of quinic acid as a biocontrol agent to manage thrips and expand our knowledge to breed thrips‐resistant eggplant. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.