Molecular Aspects Revealed by Omics Technologies Related to the Defense System Activation in Fruits in Response to Elicitors: A Review

Fruit losses and wastage are mainly due to postharvest diseases; their control is reduced with pesticides. The excessive use of synthetic fungicides has caused harmful effects on human health and the environment, so it is therefore necessary to reduce their use. The development of new innocuous strategies has led to the use of compounds of natural or biological origin with the capacity to induce the plant defense system, which improves the fruit's response against future pathogen attacks in addition to reducing the incidence of postharvest diseases. These compounds are known as elicitors. Although the use of molecular tools such as RT-qPCR or the measurement of the enzymatic activity of molecular markers makes it possible to determine the activation of the plant defense system in response to the application of an elicitor compound, in recent years, omics technologies such as the transcriptome, proteome, or metabolome have provided new and interesting information that helps to elucidate the molecular aspects involved in the activation of the plant defense system in response to the application of elicitors. This review summarizes recent advances in molecular aspects, highlighting the contribution of omics technologies to a better understanding of fruit defense mechanisms induced by different elicitors.

Automated summary

Fruit losses and wastage are reduced by controlling postharvest diseases with pesticides. However, the excessive use of synthetic fungicides has negative effects on health and the environment, necessitating the search for new, harmless strategies. Elicitors, compounds of natural or biological origin, can induce plant defense systems and improve fruit's response against pathogens. Omics technologies, such as transcriptome and proteome analysis, have contributed to understanding the molecular aspects of plant defense system activation in response to elicitors.