Increase in ribosomal proteins activity: Translational reprogramming in Vanilla planifolia Jacks., against Fusarium infection

Background: Upon exposure to unfavorable environmental conditions, plants need to respond quickly to maintain their homeostasis. For instance, physiological, biochemical and transcriptomical changes must occur during interactions with pathogens, this causing the triggering of pathogen- and plant-derived molecules. In the case of Vanilla planifolia Jacks., a worldwide economically important crop, it is susceptible to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vanillae. This pathogen causes root and stem rot in vanilla plants that finally leads to plant death. To further investigate how vanilla plants respond at the transcriptional level upon infection with F.oxysporum f. sp. vanillae, we employed the RNA-Seq approach to analyze the dynamics of whole-transcriptome changes during two-time frames of the infection. Results: Analysis of global gene expression profiles indicated that a major transcriptional change occurs at 2 dpi, in comparison to 10 dpi, whereas 3420 genes were found with a differential expression at 2 dpi, only 839 were identified at 10 dpi. The analysis of the transcriptional profile at 2 dpi suggests that vanilla plants prepare to counter the infection by gathering a pool of translational regulation-related transcripts. Conclusions: We propose that the plant-pathogen interaction at early stages causes a transcriptional reprogramming coupled with a translational regulation. Altogether, this study provides the identification of molecular players that could help to fight the most damaging disease of vanilla, where ribosomal proteins and regulation of the translational mechanism are critical. These are insights into the defense responses of V. planifolia Jacks., providing the basis for the understanding of the plant early response towards biotic stress.