# Transcriptomic Profiling of Quinoa Reveals Distinct Defense Responses to Exogenous Methyl Jasmonate and Salicylic Acid

## TL;DR

This study explores how quinoa plants respond at the gene level to two plant hormones, methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid, revealing distinct defense mechanisms.

## Contribution

The study provides the first transcriptomic analysis of jasmonic acid and salicylic acid signaling in quinoa, identifying differentially expressed genes linked to defense responses.

## Key findings

- Methyl jasmonate treatment induced genes related to lignin biosynthesis and JA production in quinoa.
- Salicylic acid treatment upregulated genes for monoterpenoids and glucosinolates, which are chemical defense compounds.
- Differentially expressed genes from both treatments can serve as molecular markers for defense responses in quinoa.

## Abstract

Plant defense responses are mediated by hormones such as jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA). JA and SA are known to trigger a range of different defense responses in model plants but little is described in crops like quinoa. Here, we present the first molecular description of JA and SA signaling at the transcriptomic level in quinoa. The transcriptomes of quinoa cv. Kurmi seedlings treated with 100 µM methyl JA or 1 mM SA for 4 h were analyzed, using on average 4.1 million paired-end reads per sample. Quinoa plants treated with JA showed 1246 differentially expressed (DE) genes and plants treated with SA showed 590 DE genes. The response to JA included the induction of genes for the biosynthesis of JA (8/8 genes) and lignin (10/11 genes), and displayed a strong association with treatments with Trichoderma biocontrol agents. The SA treatment triggered the upregulation of genes for the biosynthesis of monoterpenoids and glucosinolates, both having defense properties. Overall, this suggest that JA and SA promotes the biosynthesis of lignin polymers and chemical defense compounds, respectively. Overall, the DE genes identified can be used as molecular markers in quinoa for tracking plant-hormone pathway involvements in defense responses.