Abstract
BACKGROUND: DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism involved in plant defense, yet its role in insect resistance remains unclear. Although herbivory remodels plant methylomes, the links between DNA methylation, resistance traits, and phytohormone signaling remain unresolved. RESULTS: We induced genome-wide hypomethylation in potato plants, Solanum tuberosum L., using the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5-azaC), and assessed their resistance to the potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella Zeller. Foliar application of 100 μm 5-azaC significantly reduced global DNA methylation in leaves and compromised resistance to Phthorimaea operculella. Larvae and adults displayed stronger feeding and oviposition preferences, respectively, for 5-azaC-treated plants and larvae gained 25.9% more weight on treated than on control plants. These dual defects were associated with marked decreases in trypsin proteinase inhibitor (TPI) accumulation and emission of the anti-herbivore volatiles such as β-caryophyllene. Moreover, hypomethylated plants had substantially lower levels of jasmonic acid (JA) and transcripts of JA biosynthetic genes. Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) restored resistance to Phthorimaea operculella by reinstating TPI accumulation and β-caryophyllene emission, whereas silencing of allene oxide cyclase gene (StAOC) caused opposite phenotype. Moreover, JA modulated genome-wide DNA methylation during herbivory and Phthorimaea operculella herbivory reduced promoter methylation of JA-related genes. CONCLUSION: Disrupting DNA methylation homeostasis compromises potato defenses and is associated with reduced JA-regulated defense outputs. Our findings reveal dynamic interplay between DNA methylation and JA-mediated herbivore defense in potato. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar 100 μm 5-azaC significantly reduced global leaf DNA methylation in potato.
- Taxon
- potato
Solanum tuberosumt0 - Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- Foliar application of 100 μm 5-azaCe0
- Outcome
- global DNA methylatione0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar application of 100 μm 5-azaC significantly reduced global DNA methylation in leaves and compromised resistance to Phthorimaea operculella.”
t0“potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar 100 μm 5-azaC compromised potato resistance to Phthorimaea operculella.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- Foliar application of 100 μm 5-azaCe0
- Interactor
- Phthorimaea operculella
Phthorimaea operculellae0pest - Outcome
- resistance to Phthorimaea operculellae0
- Direction
- compromisede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar application of 100 μm 5-azaC significantly reduced global DNA methylation in leaves and compromised resistance to Phthorimaea operculella.”
t0“potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella”
Claim · model-written summary
Potato tuber moth feeding preference was stronger for 5-azaC-treated potato plants.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- 5-azaC-treated plantse0
- Interactor
- potato tuber motht0pest
- Outcome
- feedinge0
- Direction
- strongere0
- Comparator
- control plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Larvae and adults displayed stronger feeding and oviposition preferences, respectively, for 5-azaC-treated plants and larvae gained 25.9% more weight on treated than on control plants.”
t0“potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella”
Claim · model-written summary
Potato tuber moth oviposition preference was stronger for 5-azaC-treated potato plants.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- 5-azaC-treated plantse0
- Interactor
- potato tuber motht0pest
- Outcome
- ovipositione0
- Direction
- strongere0
- Comparator
- control plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Larvae and adults displayed stronger feeding and oviposition preferences, respectively, for 5-azaC-treated plants and larvae gained 25.9% more weight on treated than on control plants.”
t0“potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella”
Claim · model-written summary
Potato tuber moth larvae gained 25.9% more weight on 5-azaC-treated potato than controls.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- treatede0
- Interactor
- potato tuber motht0pest
- Outcome
- larvae gainede0
- Direction
- moree0
- Value
- 25.9%e0
- Comparator
- control plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Larvae and adults displayed stronger feeding and oviposition preferences, respectively, for 5-azaC-treated plants and larvae gained 25.9% more weight on treated than on control plants.”
t0“potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella”
Claim · model-written summary
Compromised potato defenses were associated with decreased trypsin proteinase inhibitor (TPI) accumulation.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Outcome
- trypsin proteinase inhibitor (TPI) accumulatione0
- Direction
- decreasese0
- Qualifier
- dual defectse0
Not reportedTreatment
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These dual defects were associated with marked decreases in trypsin proteinase inhibitor (TPI) accumulation and emission of the anti-herbivore volatiles such as β-caryophyllene.”
t0“potato defenses”
Claim · model-written summary
Compromised potato defenses were associated with decreased emission of the anti-herbivore volatiles such as β-caryophyllene.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Outcome
- emission of the anti-herbivore volatiles such as β-caryophyllenee0
- Direction
- decreasese0
- Qualifier
- dual defectse0
Not reportedTreatment
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These dual defects were associated with marked decreases in trypsin proteinase inhibitor (TPI) accumulation and emission of the anti-herbivore volatiles such as β-caryophyllene.”
t0“potato defenses”
Claim · model-written summary
Hypomethylated potato plants had lower jasmonic acid levels.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- hypomethylatede0
- Outcome
- levels of jasmonic acid (JA)e0
- Direction
- lowere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Moreover, hypomethylated plants had substantially lower levels of jasmonic acid (JA) and transcripts of JA biosynthetic genes.”
t0“potato defenses”
Claim · model-written summary
Hypomethylated potato plants had lower JA biosynthetic gene transcripts.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- hypomethylatede0
- Gene
- JA biosynthetic genese0
- Outcome
- transcripts of JA biosynthetic genese0
- Direction
- lowere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Moreover, hypomethylated plants had substantially lower levels of jasmonic acid (JA) and transcripts of JA biosynthetic genes.”
t0“potato defenses”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MeJA restored potato resistance to Phthorimaea operculella.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA)e0
- Interactor
- Phthorimaea operculellaPhthorimaea operculellae0pest
- Outcome
- resistance to Phthorimaea operculellae0
- Direction
- restorede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) restored resistance to Phthorimaea operculella by reinstating TPI accumulation and β-caryophyllene emission, whereas silencing of allene oxide cyclase gene (StAOC) caused opposite phenotype.”
t0“potato defenses”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MeJA reinstated potato TPI accumulation.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA)e0
- Outcome
- TPI accumulatione0
- Direction
- reinstatinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) restored resistance to Phthorimaea operculella by reinstating TPI accumulation and β-caryophyllene emission, whereas silencing of allene oxide cyclase gene (StAOC) caused opposite phenotype.”
t0“potato defenses”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MeJA reinstated potato β-caryophyllene emission.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA)e0
- Outcome
- β-caryophyllene emissione0
- Direction
- reinstatinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) restored resistance to Phthorimaea operculella by reinstating TPI accumulation and β-caryophyllene emission, whereas silencing of allene oxide cyclase gene (StAOC) caused opposite phenotype.”
t0“potato defenses”
Claim · model-written summary
Silencing StAOC produced the opposite potato defense phenotype from MeJA application.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- silencing of allene oxide cyclase gene (StAOC)e0
- Gene
- allene oxide cyclase gene (StAOC)e0
- Outcome
- opposite phenotypee0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) restored resistance to Phthorimaea operculella by reinstating TPI accumulation and β-caryophyllene emission, whereas silencing of allene oxide cyclase gene (StAOC) caused opposite phenotype.”
t0“potato defenses”
Claim · model-written summary
JA modulated genome-wide DNA methylation during herbivory in potato.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Compound
- JAe0
- Outcome
- genome-wide DNA methylatione0
- Qualifier
- during herbivorye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Moreover, JA modulated genome-wide DNA methylation during herbivory and Phthorimaea operculella herbivory reduced promoter methylation of JA-related genes.”
t0“potato defenses”
Claim · model-written summary
Phthorimaea operculella herbivory reduced promoter methylation of JA-related genes in potato.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Interactor
- Phthorimaea operculellaPhthorimaea operculellae0pest
- Gene
- JA-related genese0
- Outcome
- promoter methylation of JA-related genese0
- Direction
- reducede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Moreover, JA modulated genome-wide DNA methylation during herbivory and Phthorimaea operculella herbivory reduced promoter methylation of JA-related genes.”
t0“potato defenses”
The same questions in other papers
(-)-methyl jasmonate · molecular: metabolites · Solanum tuberosum (potato)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
application · Phthorimaea operculella · Solanum tuberosum (potato)Positive and negative results
2 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
application · molecular: expression · Solanum tuberosum (potato)Positive and negative results
2 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.