Kazuya Maeda
Setsunan University
Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Eishin Iwao
Setsunan University
Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Takumi Kawase
Setsunan University
Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Kohki Saito
Setsunan University
Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Hirotoshi Sushida
Institute of Food Research, NARO
Tukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Takuya Sumita
The University of Shiga Prefecture
Hikone, Shiga, Japan
Yuichiro Iida
Setsunan University
Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Tomato leaf mold disease, caused by the biotrophic fungus Cladosporium fulvum (syn. Fulvia fulva), poses a significant economic threat to tomato cultivation globally. During infection, C. fulvum produces small secreted proteins, called effectors, which promote colonization of the leaf apoplast. Tomato Cf resistance genes encoded receptor-like proteins recognize corresponding effectors and trigger a hypersensitive response. However, C. fulvum frequently evolves new races that overcome these genetic defenses, complicating control efforts. Additionally, the pathogen has developed resistance to chemical fungicides, highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives like biocontrol agents. Coincidentally, we found that mycoparasitic fungus Hansfordia pulvinata growing over C. fulvum legion on tomato leaves and disease progression was inhibited on these leaves. In this study, we focused on the tripartite interaction among tomato, C. fulvum and H. pulvinata via transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq. The transcript data revealed that effector genes of C. fulvum were highly expressed in the presence of H. pulvinata. Furthermore, H. pulvinata increased the expression level of genes encoding secreted proteins. During the mycoparasitism, genes associated with amino acid metabolism in H. pulvinata and C. fulvum were markedly downregulated, while those in tomato were upregulated. These findings suggested that tomato plants may provide their amino acids to H. pulvinata for the establishment of the mycoparasitism.