Similarities and divergences in the molecular response of A. thaliana and B. rapa to seed priming under herbivore pressure

ABSTRACT: Novel environmentally safe and cost-efficient alternatives to pest management are needed. Seed priming enables plants to respond faster and more effectively to stress, and has emerged as a promising and sustainable tool. We previously demonstrated that seed priming with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) or salicylic acid (SA) enhances pest resistance without growth penalties in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we investigate whether these benefits extend to crops such as Brassica rapa, and whether the underlying molecular mechanisms are conserved. We compared the effects of MeJA and SA seed priming in A. thaliana and B. rapa. In both species, primed plants display enhanced resistance against the generalist mite Tetranychus urticae and the specialist caterpillar Pieris brassicae, without compromising plant growth. Transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling revealed that, despite broadly conserved co-expression network structures, the overlap in differentially expressed genes and metabolic shifts was limited. Additionally, the magnitude and direction of priming effects varied depending on both the plant and the herbivore, revealing strong plant-pest interaction effects. B. rapa responses–characterized by SA accumulation under mite infestation and glucosinolate pathway activation under caterpillar feeding–were robust, whereas A. thaliana displayed more flexibility. These divergent outcomes likely reflect epigenetic regulation and the complex genome architecture of B. rapa. Our findings suggest that the phenotypic benefits of seed priming are conserved across Brassicaceae, but their molecular basis are shaped by plant species and pest identity, as well as context-specific interactions. This comparative study underscores the potential of tailoring priming strategies to crop species for sustainable pest management.

ORGANISM(S): Brassica rapa

PROVIDER: GSE309717 | GEO | 2026/09/23

REPOSITORIES: GEO