Paper · 2026 · Agronomy

Transcriptomic Insight into Early Response of Apple Infected with Penicillium expansum Exposed to Blue LED Light

Nik Mahnič; Urban Kunej; Jernej Jakše; et al.

8
claims
13
verbatim quotes
1
citations
2
research areas
✓
Open access · cc-by

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the early response of apple fruit infected with Penicillium expansum (P. expansum) to blue light-emitting diode (LED) light (BLL) irradiation. To focus our study on the interaction between apple fruit, the pathogen, and BLL, the effect of BLL was also studied on apples without P. expansum and P. expansum grown on malt extract agar (MEA). Transcriptome analysis revealed that the most pronounced responses among biological processes were observed in inoculated apples under BLL. The upregulated processes included water transport, response to heat, and response to high light intensity. The defence response of apples was enhanced by the upregulation of thaumatin-like proteins and caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase, while the cellular response to phosphate deficiency and the regulation of multicellular organism development were downregulated. In P. expansum grown on apples under BLL, transcriptome analysis revealed downregulation of genes related to signalling, response to organic compounds, and regulation of metabolic and biosynthetic processes, while genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were upregulated. In addition, the expression of patulin cluster genes was predominantly downregulated in P. expansum. The significant upregulation of genes related to cryptochrome inhibition, defence response, and caffeic acid metabolism in apples under BLL, together with the reduced virulence of P. expansum, contributes to the inhibition of fungal growth.

Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗

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Claims 8

Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Transcriptome analysis showed the most pronounced responses among biological processes in inoculated apples under blue LED light.

Treatment
BLLe0
Interactor
Penicillium expansumPenicillium expansumt1pathogen
Outcome
most pronounced responses among biological processese0
Qualifier
inoculated applese0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Malus domestica
Malus domestica · TaxonW.carter · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Penicillium expansum
Penicillium expansum · InteractorH.J. Larsen, Bugwood.org · CC BY 3.0 us · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t1

“Penicillium expansum”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 66–86 · show in text ↑
e0

“Transcriptome analysis revealed that the most pronounced responses among biological processes were observed in inoculated apples under BLL”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 380–518 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Upregulated processes in apples included water transport, response to heat and response to high light intensity.

Outcome
water transport, response to heat, and response to high light intensitye0
Direction
upregulatede0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Malus domestica
Malus domestica · TaxonW.carter · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“Apple”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 46–51 · show in text ↑
e0

“The upregulated processes included water transport, response to heat, and response to high light intensity”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 520–626 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The defence response of apples was enhanced by upregulation of thaumatin-like proteins and caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase.

Gene
thaumatin-like proteins and caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferasee0
Outcome
defence responsee0
Direction
enhancede0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Malus domestica
Malus domestica · TaxonW.carter · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“The defence response of apples was enhanced by the upregulation of thaumatin-like proteins and caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 628–757 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Cellular response to phosphate deficiency and regulation of multicellular organism development were downregulated in apples.

Outcome
cellular response to phosphate deficiency and the regulation of multicellular organism developmente0
Direction
downregulatede0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Malus domestica
Malus domestica · TaxonW.carter · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“Apple”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 46–51 · show in text ↑
e0

“the cellular response to phosphate deficiency and the regulation of multicellular organism development were downregulated”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 765–886 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

In P. expansum grown on apples under BLL, genes related to signalling, response to organic compounds and regulation of metabolic and biosynthetic processes were downregulated.

Treatment
BLLe0
Interactor
P. expansumPenicillium expansume0pathogen
Outcome
genes related to signalling, response to organic compounds, and regulation of metabolic and biosynthetic processese0
Direction
downregulatione0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Malus domestica
Malus domestica · TaxonW.carter · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Penicillium expansum
Penicillium expansum · InteractorH.J. Larsen, Bugwood.org · CC BY 3.0 us · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“In P. expansum grown on apples under BLL, transcriptome analysis revealed downregulation of genes related to signalling, response to organic compounds, and regulation of metabolic and biosynthetic processes”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 888–1094 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

In P. expansum grown on apples under BLL, genes involved in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were upregulated.

Treatment
BLLe0
Interactor
P. expansumPenicillium expansume0pathogen
Outcome
genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolitese1
Direction
upregulatede1

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Malus domestica
Malus domestica · TaxonW.carter · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Penicillium expansum
Penicillium expansum · InteractorH.J. Larsen, Bugwood.org · CC BY 3.0 us · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“P. expansum grown on apples under BLL”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 891–928 · show in text ↑
e1

“genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were upregulated”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1102–1178 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Expression of patulin cluster genes was predominantly downregulated in P. expansum.

Interactor
P. expansumPenicillium expansume0pathogen
Gene
patulin cluster genese0
Outcome
expressione0
Direction
downregulatede0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Malus domestica
Malus domestica · TaxonW.carter · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Penicillium expansum
Penicillium expansum · InteractorH.J. Larsen, Bugwood.org · CC BY 3.0 us · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

t0

“Apple”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 46–51 · show in text ↑
e0

“the expression of patulin cluster genes was predominantly downregulated in P. expansum”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1193–1279 · show in text ↑
Mechanismauthor interpretationoriginal resultpositivebasis n/a

Claim · model-written summary

The authors conclude that upregulation of genes related to cryptochrome inhibition, defence response and caffeic acid metabolism in apples under BLL, together with reduced P. expansum virulence, contributes to inhibition of fungal growth.

Treatment
BLLe0
Interactor
P. expansumPenicillium expansume0pathogen
Gene
genes related to cryptochrome inhibition, defence response, and caffeic acid metabolisme0
Outcome
inhibition of fungal growthe0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Malus domestica
Malus domestica · TaxonW.carter · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Penicillium expansum
Penicillium expansum · InteractorH.J. Larsen, Bugwood.org · CC BY 3.0 us · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“The significant upregulation of genes related to cryptochrome inhibition, defence response, and caffeic acid metabolism in apples under BLL, together with the reduced virulence of P. expansum, contributes to the inhibition of fungal growth”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1281–1520 · show in text ↑