Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Candidate Hub Genes and Putative Pathways in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> Roots Responding to <i>Verticillium longisporum</i> Infection
<i>Verticillium longisporum</i>, a soil-borne fungus responsible for Verticillium wilt, primarily colonizes members of the Brassicaceae family. Using <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> roots as an experimental host, we systematically identify <i>V. longisporum</i>-respon...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Current Issues in Molecular Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/7/536 |
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| Summary: | <i>Verticillium longisporum</i>, a soil-borne fungus responsible for Verticillium wilt, primarily colonizes members of the Brassicaceae family. Using <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> roots as an experimental host, we systematically identify <i>V. longisporum</i>-responsive genes and pathways through comprehensive transcriptomic analysis, alongside screening of potential hub genes and evaluation of infection-associated regulatory mechanisms. The GSE62537 dataset was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. After performing GEO2R analysis and filtering out low-quality data, 222 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 184 were upregulated. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed on these DEGs. A protein–protein interaction network was constructed using the STRING database. CytoHubba and CytoNCA plugins in Cytoscape v3.10.3 were used to analyze and evaluate this network; six hub genes and four functional gene modules were identified. The GeneMANIA database was used to construct a co-expression network for hub genes. Systematic screening of transcription factors within the 14 DEGs revealed the inclusion of the hub gene <i>NAC042</i>. Integrative bioinformatics analysis centered on <i>NAC042</i> enabled prediction of a pathogen-responsive regulatory network architecture. We report <i>V. longisporum</i>-responsive components in <i>Arabidopsis</i>, providing insights for disease resistance studies in Brassicaceae crops. |
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| ISSN: | 1467-3037 1467-3045 |