Integrated transcriptomic and transgenic analyses reveal potential mechanisms of poplar resistance to Alternaria alternata infection

BACKGROUND: Populus davidiana × P. bollena is a species of poplar from northeastern China that is characterized by cold resistance and fast growth but now suffers from pathogen infections. Leaf blight caused by Alternaria alternata has become a common poplar disease that causes serious economic impacts, but the molecular mechanisms of resistance to A. alternata in P. davidiana × P. bollena are still unclear. RESULTS: In this study, the transcriptomic response of P. davidiana × P. bollena to A. alternata infection was determined via RNA-Seq. Twelve cDNA libraries were generated from RNA isolated from three biological replicates at four time points (0, 2, 3, and 4 d post inoculation), and a total of 5,930 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected (| log(2) fold change |≥ 1 and FDR values < 0.05). Functional analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly enriched for the “plant hormone signal transduction” pathway, followed by the “phenylpropanoid biosynthesis” pathway. In addition, DEGs that encode defense-related proteins and are related to ROS metabolism were also identified. Numerous transcription factors, such as the bHLH, WRKY and MYB families, were also induced by A. alternata infection. Among these DEGs, those related to JA biosynthesis and JA signal transduction were consistently activated. Therefore, the lipoxygenase gene PdbLOX2, which is involved in JA biosynthesis, was selected for functional characterization. Overexpression of PdbLOX2 enhanced the resistance of P. davidiana × P. bollena to A. alternata, whereas silencing this gene enhanced susceptibility to A. alternata infection. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of poplar resistance to A. alternata infection and provide candidate genes for breeding resistant cultivars using genetic engineering. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12870-022-03793-5.