Determination of Anthracnose (Colletotrichum fructicola) Resistance Mechanism Using Transcriptome Analysis of Resistant and Susceptible Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)

Background: Anthracnose, mainly caused by Colletotrichum fructicola , leads to severe losses in pear production. However, there is limited information available regarding the molecular response to anthracnose in pears. Results In this study, the anthracnose-resistant variety ‘Seli’ and susceptible pear cultivar ‘Cuiguan’ were subjected to transcriptome analysis following C. fructicola inoculation at 6 and 24 h using RNA sequencing. A total of 3186 differentially expressed genes were detected in ‘Seli’ and ‘Cuiguan’ using Illumina sequencing technology. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses indicated that the transcriptional response of pears to C. fructicola infection included responses to reactive oxygen species, phytohormone signaling, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and secondary metabolite biosynthetic processes. Moreover, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and flavonoid biosynthesis were involved in the defense of ‘Seli’. Furthermore, the gene coexpression network data showed that genes related to plant–pathogen interactions were associated with C. fructicola resistance in ‘Seli’ at an early stage. Conclusion Our results showed that the activation of specific genes in MAPK and calcium signaling pathways was highly related to C. fructicola resistance in ‘Seli’ and providing several potential candidate genes for breeding anthracnose-resistant pear varieties.