Impact of Postharvest Storage on the Infection and Colonization of Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium expansum on Nectarine

Significant Enrichment of Potential Pathogenic Fungi in Soil Mediated by Flavonoids, Phenolic Acids, and Organic Acids

It is well established that root exudates play a crucial role in shaping the assembly of plant rhizosphere microbial communities. Nonetheless, our understanding of how different types of exudates influence the abundance of potential pathogens in soil remains insufficient. Investigating the effects of root exudates on soil-dwelling pathogenic fungi is imperative for a comprehensive understanding of plant-fungal interactions within soil ecosystems and for maintaining soil health. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of the principal components of root exudates-flavonoids (FLA), phenolic acids (PA), and organic acids (OA)-on soil microbial communities and soil properties, as well as to investigate their mechanisms of action on soil potential pathogenic fungi. The results demonstrated that the addition of these components significantly modified the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities, with OA treatment notably altering the composition of dominant microbial taxa. Furthermore, the introduction of these substances facilitated the proliferation of saprophytic fungi. Additionally, the incorporation of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and organic acids led to an increased abundance of potential pathogenic fungi in the soil, particularly in the FLA and PA treatments. It was observed that the addition of these substances enhanced soil fertility, pH, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Specifically, FLA and PA treatments reduced the abundance of dominant microbial taxa, whereas OA treatment altered the composition of these taxa. These findings suggest that the inclusion of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and organic acids could potentially augment the enrichment of soil potential pathogenic fungi by modulating soil properties and enzymatic activities. These results offer valuable insights into the interactions between plants and fungal communities in soil ecosystems and provide a scientific foundation for the management and maintenance of soil health.

High-Quality Genome Resource of Gilbertella persicaria Causing Peach Soft Rot

Peach soft rot caused by Gilbertella persicaria is an economically important disease. Here, we report a high-quality complete and annotated genome sequence of G. persicaria strain TFLB-J, isolated from peach fruit in Yuanyang county of Henan Province, China. The assembly consists of 91 scaffolds with an estimated genome size of 33.59 Mb and N₅₀ length of 0.92 Mb, encoding 13,296 predicted protein-coding genes. The whole-genome sequence could provide gene resources for further study of pathogenic effectors and comparative genomics of peach soft rot pathogens.

Citrus Postharvest Green Mold: Recent Advances in Fungal Pathogenicity and Fruit Resistance

As the major postharvest disease of citrus fruit, postharvest green mold is caused by the necrotrophic fungus Penicillium digitatum (Pd), which leads to huge economic losses worldwide. Fungicides are still the main method currently used to control postharvest green mold in citrus fruit storage. Investigating molecular mechanisms of plant-pathogen interactions, including pathogenicity and plant resistance, is crucial for developing novel and safer strategies for effectively controlling plant diseases. Despite fruit-pathogen interactions remaining relatively unexplored compared with well-studied leaf-pathogen interactions, progress has occurred in the citrus fruit-Pd interaction in recent years, mainly due to their genome sequencing and establishment or optimization of their genetic transformation systems. Recent advances in Pd pathogenicity on citrus fruit and fruit resistance against Pd infection are summarized in this review.