Fusarium head blight (FHB), which is caused by Fusarium graminearum (Fg),
is a highly significant and destructive disease affecting wheat. It results in
decreased grain yield and contamination with mycotoxins. Understanding the
molecular mechanisms of wheat resistance to FHB is crucial to develop effective
strategies for managing this disease. Our research has identified a
susceptibility gene, Lpx3, which is encoded by the 9-lipoxygenase
(9-LOX) gene and is involved in the biosynthesis of oxylipins, which might be
involved in fungal development and inter-kingdom communication. Fungal
infection of wheat cells trigger dynamic changes of gene expression in both Fg
and wheat, resulting in intricate interactions between the pathogen and the
host. Dual RNA-seq for wheat and fungal transcripts was done to gain insights
on the mechanism of Lpx3-knockdown-conferred resistance to FHB. In this
study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the wheat transcriptome and Fg
transcriptome in planta during the infection of susceptible (Bobwhite BW)
and resistant (Lpx3 RNAi in BW background) wheat lines after 72 h of
infection. Our analysis revealed a regulation of significant number of genes in
both wheat and Fg that are involved in processes such as plant hormone
signal transduction, fatty acid metabolism, cellulose metabolism, cell wall
degradation, fungal virulence, and pathogenicity during the infection. In
summary, we generated databases of wheat genes and in planta-expressed genes of
Fg during FHB infection which can provide valuable insight into the
interactions between wheat and Fg and the mechanism underlying Lpx3-knockdown-conferred
enhanced resistance to FHB.