D. Tsitsekian, G. Daras, D. Templalexis, F. Avgeri, L. Lotos, C. G. Orfanidou, V. Ntoukakis, V. I. Maliogka, S. Rigas

Plants have evolved well-tuned surveillance systems, including complex defence mechanisms, to constrain pathogens. TFs are master regulators of host molecular responses against plant pathogens. While PepMV constitutes a major threat to the global tomato production, there is still a lack of information on the key TFs that regulate host responses to this virus. A combinatorial research approach was applied relying on tomato transcriptome analysis, RT-qPCR validation, phylogenetic classification, comparative analysis of structural features, cis-regulatory element mining and in silico co-expression analysis to identify a set of 11 highly responsive TFs involved in the regulation of host responses to PepMV. These highly responsive TFs provide a basis to study in-depth molecular responses of the tomato–PepMV pathosystem, providing a perspective to better comprehend viral infections.

Plant Biology. March 2023