Domenico Di Cosmo

Brown rot, caused by Monilinia fructicola, poses a significant threat to global peach production, but the molecular interactions underlying host defence and pathogen colonisation remain incompletely defined. In this study, we used dual RNA-Seq to simultaneously capture the gene expression profiles of Prunus persica and M. fructicola during early infection (12 and 24 h post-inoculation). High-depth sequencing enabled a detailed analysis of transcriptional dynamics in both organisms. P. persica displayed a delayed yet robust defence response with marked activation of immune signalling, oxidative burst, cell wall fortification, hormone signalling, and secondary metabolism at 24 hpi. M. fructicola initiated infection rapidly, first expressing cell wall-degrading enzymes, then upregulating protein synthesis, energy metabolism, effector proteins, phytotoxins, and stress adaptation genes. Integrated analysis revealed a tightly coordinated interplay between fungal virulence strategies and peach defence mechanisms, including cell wall modification and immune responses. These findings provide a comprehensive framework for host–pathogen dynamics, offering actionable insights for developing resistant peach cultivars for field cultivation and for targeted strategies to improve post-harvest disease management and fruit shelf-life.

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is a globally significant crop increasingly affected by a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. Plant biostimulants offer a promising approach to enhance plant resilience by modulating key physiological and metabolic processes. This study aimed to demonstrate that the preventive application of a Fabaceae-based biostimulant can prime grapevine defense pathways, thereby improving plants’ ability to endure potential stress conditions. Indeed, resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses in plants involves common pathways, including Ca²⁺ and ROS signaling, MAPK cascades, hormone cross-talk, transcription factor activation, and induction of defense genes. Grapevine leaves were subjected to high-throughput transcriptomic analysis coupled with qPCR validation 6 and 24 h following treatment application. Differentially expressed genes were visualized using MapMan to identify the major metabolic and signaling pathways responsive to the treatment. This integrative analysis revealed several defense-related pathways triggered by the biostimulant, with representative protein families showing both up- and downregulation across key functional categories. Overall, the results indicate that a wider array of pathways associated with stress tolerance and growth regulation were stimulated in treated plants compared to untreated controls. These findings support the conclusion that a preventive biostimulant application can effectively prime grapevine metabolism, enhancing its preparation to cope with forthcoming environmental challenges.