Transcriptome analysis reveals the mechanism of zinc ion-mediated plant resistance to TMV in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Zinc ions (Zn) are used to promote plant growth and treat multiple diseases. However, it is still unclear which pathways in plants respond to Zn. In this study, we found that supplying (CHCOO)Zn can effectively delay tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) replication and movement in Nicotiana benthamiana. To further understand the regulatory mechanism of antiviral activity mediated by Zn, we examined the transcriptomic changes of leaves treated with Zn. Three days after treatment, 7575 differential expression genes (DEGs) were enriched in the Zn treatment group compared with the control group. Through GO and KEGG analysis, the pathway of phosphatidylinositol signaling system and inositol phosphate metabolism were significantly enriched after treated with Zn, and a large number of ethylene-responsive transcription factors (ERFs) involved in inositol phosphate metabolism were found to be enriched. We identified ERF5 performed a positive effect on plant immunity. Our findings demonstrated that Zn-mediated resistance in N. benthamiana activated signal transduction and regulated the expression of resistance-related genes. The results of the study uncover a global view of mRNA changes in Zn-mediated cellular processes involved in the competition between plants and viruses.