Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42115335›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

Comparative transcriptome analysis unravels genotype-specific defense strategies in anthracnose-resistant and susceptible litchi cultivars.

Zhaowei Xu, Jiefeng Liu, Junsheng Zhao, Sha Li, Lejun Ouyang, Chao Shen, Ling Zhang, Yongguo Zhao, Junxia Wang, Guangyuan Lu

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Zhaowei XuGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Production and Intelligent Agricultural Equipment for Agricultural Products, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China.
Jiefeng LiuCollege of Biological and Food Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China.
Junsheng ZhaoMaoming Agricultural Technology Extension Center, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China.
Sha LiCollege of Biological and Food Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China.
Lejun OuyangCollege of Biological and Food Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China.
Chao ShenCollege of Biological and Food Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China.
Ling ZhangGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Production and Intelligent Agricultural Equipment for Agricultural Products, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China.
Yongguo ZhaoGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Production and Intelligent Agricultural Equipment for Agricultural Products, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China. zhaoyongguo@gdupt.edu.cn.
Junxia WangIntegrative Microbiology Research Centre, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, Guangdong, China. junxiawang@scau.edu.cn.
Guangyuan LuCollege of Biological and Food Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, Guangdong, China. luguangyuan@gdupt.edu.cn.

Funding

Guangdong Provincial Key Areas R&D Programs 2021B0707010003, 2018B020202011Guangdong Provincial Key Areas Special Projects for Higher Education Institutions 2020ZDZX1056Guangdong Provincial Special Funds for Science and Technology Innovation Strategy 2021S0065, 2021S0064Maoming Science and Technology Program Project MMSZX2025007National Litchi and Longan Industrial Technology System-Maoming Comprehensive Experimental Station CARS-32-17
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Anthracnose disease, caused by Colletotrichum species, poses a significant threat to global litchi production, yet the molecular mechanisms governing host resistance remain poorly understood. To dissect the genetic basis of anthracnose resistance, we employed a comparative transcriptomic approach using two contrasting cultivars: 'YuJinQiu' (DR, disease-resistant genotype) and 'BaiTangYing' (DS, disease-susceptible genotype). Field evaluations and controlled infection assays demonstrated evident phenotypic divergence, with DR exhibiting delayed disease progression and 43.7% smaller lesion areas compared to DS at 72 h post-inoculation (hpi). Time-resolved RNA sequencing (0-72 hpi) revealed genotype-specific transcriptional dynamics, where DR displayed fewer differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 819-1457) compared to DS (5195-5735), suggesting a more targeted and efficient defense response. Functional enrichment analyses highlighted rapid activation of innate immunity pathways in DR, including pattern-triggered immunity, MAPK signaling, and jasmonic acid/ethylene biosynthesis, whereas DS prioritized cell wall modification and compensatory secondary metabolic processes. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) pinpointed three modules tightly linked to anthracnose resistance, enriched for receptor-like kinases (RLKs), nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis genes. Hub regulators, including WRKY transcription factors (e.g., WRKY33), ubiquitin ligases, and pathogenesis-related proteins (PR1, PR5), were identified as central coordinators of defense signaling. Strikingly, DR exhibited sustained upregulation of effector-triggered immunity markers, particularly nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) genes, and early accumulation of phytoalexins, correlating with pathogen suppression. Experimental validation via qRT-PCR confirmed the reliability of transcriptomic data. Our study unravels the multilayer regulatory network underlying litchi anthracnose resistance, providing not only a mechanistic model of cultivar-specific responses but also a robust gene toolkit for accelerating the development of resistant cultivars through marker-assisted breeding.

Indexed as

ColletotrichumDisease ResistanceLitchiPlant DiseasesTranscriptomeGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, PlantGenotypePlant ProteinsPlant ProteinsAnthracnose resistanceHormone signalingLitchi chinensisPTI-ETI crosstalkTranscriptomeWRKY transcription factors

Identifiers

PMID42115335
PMCPMC13350996

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.