Comparative transcriptional analysis of Persea americana MYB, WRKY and AP2/ERF transcription factors following Phytophthora cinnamomi infection

Abstract

Plant cells undergo extensive transcriptional reprogramming following pathogen infection, with these reprogramming patterns becoming more complex when pathogens, such as hemibiotrophs, exhibit different lifestyles. These transcriptional changes are often orchestrated by MYB, WRKY and AP2/ERF transcription factors (TFs), which modulate both growth and defence‐related gene expression. Transcriptional analysis of defence‐related genes in avocado (Persea americana) infected with Phytophthora cinnamomi indicated differential immune response activation when comparing a partially resistant and susceptible rootstock. This study identified 226 MYB, 82 WRKY, and 174 AP2/ERF TF‐encoding genes in avocado, using a genome‐wide approach. Phylogenetic analysis revealed substantial sequence conservation within TF groups underscoring their functional significance. RNA‐sequencing analysis in a partially resistant and susceptible avocado rootstock infected with P. cinnamomi was indicative of an immune response switch occurring in either rootstock after 24 and 6 h post‐inoculation, respectively. Different clusters of co‐expressed TF genes were observed at these times, suggesting the activation of necrotroph‐related immune responses at varying intervals between the two rootstocks. This study aids our understanding of avocado immune response activation following P. cinnamomi infection, and the role of the TFs therein, elucidating the transcriptional reprogramming disparities between partially resistant and susceptible rootstocks.