Transcriptome analysis revealed endophytic <i>Beauveria bassiana</i> triggered methyl jasmonate pathway associated with resistance against stem weevil (<i>Apion corchori</i>)

The fungal entomopathogen <i>Beauveria bassiana</i> could be established as an endophyte within jute (<i>Corchorus capsularis</i>) plant through seed inoculation. The highest colonization was observed in ITCC 6063 followed by ITCC 5562 and ITCC 5408 which are statistically at par (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The lowest apion infestation was observed in ITCC 5408, ITCC 6063, ITCC 4512 and ITCC 4563 which are statistically at par (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Highest apion infestation was observed in case of two non-endophytic isolates ITCC 4644 and ITCC 4925. Transcriptome study showed that a significant number of stem-weevil (<i>Apion corchori</i>) resistant genes involved in biosynthesis of plant volatiles viz., oxidative cleavage of fatty acids, LEGO-like building blocks, salicylic acid activation pathway, methyl jasmonic acid synthesis pathway were activated in ten <i>B. bassiana</i> isolate treated plants. RNA Sequencing was used to identify 1017 DEGs between ‘endophyte colonised plant’ and ‘untreated plant’. 1117 genes were up-regulated and 279 genes were down regulated in treated plant.