Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Common and Distinct Mechanisms for Sheepgrass (Leymus chinensis) Responses to Defoliation Compared to Mechanical Wounding

Background Herbivore grazing is a multiple-component process that includes wounding, defoliation, and saliva deposition. Despite the extensive published research on mechanical wounding and defoliation, no analysis to identify the genes that specify defoliation and mechanical wounding has been performed. Moreover, the influence of the expression of these genes on plant regrowth after defoliation remains poorly understood.