Transcriptional Response of Durum Wheat During Interaction with Debaryomyces hansenii and Fusarium graminearum

Debaryomyces hansenii, a yeast that plays an important role in several agri-food processes, is increasingly being investigated as a biological protection factor against fruit and grain pathogens because of its ability to inhibit the growth of unwanted microorganisms. Biological plant protection can be used as an alternative to pesticides, which cannot be used in organic farming. The mechanism of action associated with the biocontrol capacity of D. hansenii against Fusarium graminearum, the agent of Fusarium head blight in wheat, and its involvement in induced plant defense were studied in Triticum turgidum ssp. durum on the mRNA level. A total of 3432 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of T. turgidum ssp. durum were identified by using RNA-Seq analysis in a sample primed with D. hansenii before pathogen application in comparison to a non-protected sample. Upregulated DEGs encode the proteins involved in cell wall biosynthesis and their modification, photosynthesis, secondary metabolism, and cytoskeleton organization. Among the DEGs, candidate transcription factors as well as protein kinases involved in the signal transduction activated by D. hansenii were also shown. Priming durum wheat seedlings with D. hansenii leads to enhancing the cell wall structure, which increases plant resistance to fungal infection.