Fig 1.
Biocontrol effect of the T. asperellum M45a strain on watermelon Fusarium wilt.
The inoculation of T. asperellum M45a (M45a). The noninoculated control (CK). A: Hydroponic test of the effect of M45a treatment on watermelon wilt control; B: The effect of different treatments on the incidence of FW disease on watermelon in the field; C: The effect of different treatments on watermelon growth and FW on the 20th day in the field (*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01).
Fig 2.
Dynamic changes in the rhizosphere of watermelon infected with M45a-GFP.
A, B: Colonization results of the root elongation zone on Days 3 and 7, respectively; C, D: colonization results of the root hair zone on Days 3 and 7, respectively.
Fig 3.
Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in watermelon roots at different stages.
The application of T. asperellum M45a (TF). The noninoculated control (F). A: Numbers of DEGs in the roots of watermelon treated with T. asperellum M45a and challenged with FON at different time points; B: Venn diagram of DEGs in the roots of watermelon pretreated with T. asperellum M45a and challenged with FON at different time points. C: Hierarchical cluster analysis of differentially expressed genes in the roots of watermelon treated with T. asperellum M45a and challenged with FON at different time points.
Fig 4.
KEGG pathway (A) classification of differentially expressed genes.
Application of T. asperellum M45a (TF). The noninoculated control (F).
Fig 5.
DEGs in phenylpropanoid metabolic pathways were analyzed for T. asperellum M45a biocontrol of Fusarium wilt.
Application of T. asperellum M45a (TF). The noninoculated control (F). A: T. asperellum M45a is involved in the regulation of the watermelon phenylpropane synthesis pathway against FON; B: qRT–PCR analysis of the DEGs; C: Effect of T. asperellum M45a inoculation on the activities of lignin and cinnamic acid (*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01).
Fig 6.
Effect of T. asperellum M45a inoculation on the activities of soil metabolites.
A: PCA and PLS-DA between the M45a treatment and CK; B: KEGG enrichment of the differential metabolites of soils; C: Heatmap of the correlation between differential metabolites and differential microorganisms (*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01).
Fig 7.
The predicted pathway of inhibiting Fusarium wilt and the biocontrol mechanism of T. asperellum M45a with its host fungus F. oxysporum.