Endophytic of Tomato Resisted the Damage from Whitefly by Mediating the Accumulation of Plant-Specialized Metabolites.

acts as an endophytic fungus that controls herbivorous pests by stimulating plant defenses and inducing systemic resistance. Through multiomics analysis, 325 differential metabolites and 1739 differential expressed genes were observed in tomatoes treated with by root irrigation; meanwhile, 152 differential metabolites and 1002 differential genes were observed in tomatoes treated by local leaf spraying. Among the upregulated metabolites were α-solanine, 5--caffeoylshikimic acid, clerodendrin A, and peucedanin, which demonstrated anti-insect activity. These differential metabolites were primarily associated with alkaloid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and tryptophan metabolism pathways. Furthermore, the gene silencing of UDP-glucose:sterol glucosyltransferase, a gene involved in α-solanine synthesis, indicated that could inhibit the reproduction of whiteflies by regulating α-solanine. This study highlighted the ability of to modulate plant secondary metabolites and emphasized the significance of understanding and harnessing multitrophic interactions of endophytic for sustainable agriculture.