Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis reveals differential molecular mechanisms underlying resistance of native and invasive Phytolacca americana against Spodoptera litura herbivory.
- 1State Key Laboratory of Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction (VegLab), Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, and Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.
- 2State Key Laboratory of Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction (VegLab), Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, and Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China. [email protected].
- 3State Key Laboratory of Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction (VegLab), Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, and Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
In response to herbivory from insects, plants have evolved complex defense strategies. Alien plants often escape control by specialist insects in their introduced range. This release from herbivory pressure may lead to a reallocation of the defensive strategies of alien plants, thereby promoting their invasiveness. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this resource reallocation process remain unclear. In the present study, we used Phytolacca americana as a model species, and combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate the molecular basis of its invasion success under the herbivory by Spodoptera litura.Results
Herbivore assays with S. litura revealed that constitutive resistance was comparable between native and invasive P. americana, while induced resistance was significantly lower in invasive P. americana. In the native population, differentially expressed genes and differential abundance metabolites upon S. litura herbivory were mainly enriched in α‑linolenic acid metabolism, the primary pathway for jasmonic acid (JA) formation, whereas in the invasive population, they were predominantly enriched in biosynthesis of amino acids. Notably, the invasive population maintains the synthesis of certain defense metabolites like isoquercitrin, suggesting a defense strategy reconfiguration rather than a complete loss.Conclusions
Collectively, these findings suggest that invasive P. americana may employ a strategic resource reallocation from induced defense to growth metabolism, while JA-mediated induced defense was activated in native P. americana. Our results provide support for the Shifting Defense Hypothesis and advance the mechanisms of plant invasion adaptation.
Related
- Integrated Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Leaf Regulatory Mechanisms Underlying Low-Nitrogen Tolerance in Oat (Avena sativa L.)
- Integrated Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis of OsMRS2-6 in Rice Growth and Chloroplast Traits
- Integrated Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis Reveals MeJA-Mediated Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Cyclocarya paliurus Callus
- Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling uncovers a citrus terpene synthase with in vivo–in vitro catalytic divergence and psyllid-attracting ecological function
- Integrative Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Molecular Processes Associated with Differential Embryo Dehydration in Maize.
BibTeX
@article{jia2026integrated,
title = {{Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis reveals differential molecular mechanisms underlying resistance of native and invasive Phytolacca americana against Spodoptera litura herbivory.}},
author = {Feiran Jia and Huiyi Lu and Baoya He and Yupeng Geng and Yi Wang and Danfeng Liu and Bo Li},
journal = {BMC plant biology},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12870-026-09599-z},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42907739},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis reveals differential molecular mechanisms underlying resistance of native and invasive Phytolacca americana against Spodoptera litura herbivory.
AU - Feiran Jia
AU - Huiyi Lu
AU - Baoya He
AU - Yupeng Geng
AU - Yi Wang
AU - Danfeng Liu
AU - Bo Li
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC plant biology
DO - 10.1186/s12870-026-09599-z
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42907739
AB - Background In response to herbivory from insects, plants have evolved complex defense strategies. Alien plants often escape control by specialist insects in their introduced range. This release from herbivory pressure may lead to a reallocation of the defensive strategies of alien plants, thereby promoting their invasiveness. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this resource reallocation process remain unclear. In the present study, we used Phytolacca americana as a model species, and combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate the molecular basis of its invasion success under the herbivory by Spodoptera litura.Results Herbivore assays with S. litura revealed that constitutive resistance was comparable between native and invasive P. americana, while induced resistance was significantly lower in invasive P. americana. In the native population, differentially expressed genes and differential abundance metabolites upon S. litura herbivory were mainly enriched in α‑linolenic acid metabolism, the primary pathway for jasmonic acid (JA) formation, whereas in the invasive population, they were predominantly enriched in biosynthesis of amino acids. Notably, the invasive population maintains the synthesis of certain defense metabolites like isoquercitrin, suggesting a defense strategy reconfiguration rather than a complete loss.Conclusions Collectively, these findings suggest that invasive P. americana may employ a strategic resource reallocation from induced defense to growth metabolism, while JA-mediated induced defense was activated in native P. americana. Our results provide support for the Shifting Defense Hypothesis and advance the mechanisms of plant invasion adaptation.
SN - 1471-2229
ER -