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Poster

Session: Session 2 Presenting Authors at Posters (Odds)

P-019 - Contrasting Roles of D-Clade ERFs in Tomato Defense Against Alternaria Pathogens

Wednesday, July 16, 2025
13:30 - 15:15  
Location: Confex Hall 3
Crop resistance genetics and genomics

    Presenting Author(s)

  • YC

    Yao Chen

    PhD student
    Kiel University-Institute of Phytopathology
    Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

    • Author(s)

  • CT

    Christopher Tominello-Ramirez

    Postdoctorate Researcher
    Kiel University - Institute of Phytopathology
    Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

  • RS

    Remco Stam

    PI/Professor
    Kiel University - Institute of Phytopathology
    Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Ethylene, a pivotal phytohormone in plant immunity, has an undefined mechanism in combating the early blight pathogen Alternaria. This study elucidates ethylene's role by employing its precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC), and an inhibitor, aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), to assess its impact on resistance to early blight in cultivated tomatoes. Our findings reveal distinct tomato responses to ACC and AVG applications. Through RNA-seq analysis, we identified that ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTORs (ERFs) within the D clade are instrumental in the early defense against the early blight disease complex (EBDC), with certain ERFs exhibiting heightened expression upon pathogen infection. We further investigated the functional roles of several D clade ERF genes using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), demonstrating that gene-silenced plants exhibit enhanced susceptibility to A. alternata. Conversely, transient overexpression of ERFs in tomatoes increased susceptibility to A. solani. To delve deeper into the regulatory mechanisms of ERFs on downstream genes, we conducted qPCR analyses to examine the modulation of defense responses, including jasmonic acid (JA) andpathogen-related (PR) genes in OE and silenced plants, and found that ERFs play different roles in regulation of JA signaling. Our results affirm the critical role of D clade ERFs in defending against Alternaria, providing new insights into the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions.