Transcriptomic analysis of melon/squash graft junction reveals molecular mechanisms potentially underlying the graft union development

Oriental melon (Cucumis melo var. makuwa Makino) has become a widely planted horticultural crop in China especially in recent years and has been subjected to the grafting technique for the improvement of cultivation and stress resistance. Although grafting has a long history in horticulture, there is little known about the molecular mechanisms of the graft healing process in oriental melon. This study aims to reveal the molecular changes involved in the graft healing process. In the present work, anatomical observations indicated that the 2, 6, and 9 DAG were three critical stages for the graft healing and therefore, were selected for the subsequent high-throughput RNA-seq analysis. A total of 1,950 and 1,313 DEGs were identified by comparing IL vs. CA and CA vs. VB libraries, respectively. More DEGs in the melon scion exhibited abundant transcriptional changes compared to the squash rootstock, providing increased metabolic activity and thus more material basis for the graft healing formation in the scion. Several DEGs were enriched in the plant hormone signal transduction pathway, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and carbon metabolism. In addition, the results showed that concentrations of IAA, GA(3,) and ZR were induced in the graft junctions. In conclusion, our study determined that genes involved in the hormone-signaling pathway and lignin biosynthesis played the essential roles during graft healing. These findings expand our current understandings of the molecular basis of the graft junction formation and facilitate the improvement and success of melon grafting in future production.