Exploring resistance to potato wart: quantitative proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in cultivated potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

Potato wart is a soil-borne disease of cultivated potatoes caused by the fungus Synchytrium endobioticum. While genomic studies have advanced our understanding of its pathology, the mechanism of host invasion remains unclear. To address this gap, label-free LC-MS/MS proteomics was used to analyse uninfected and infected tuber tissue from two potato cultivars, both susceptible to infection. A total of 1362 proteins, including 21 putatively identified S. endobioticum proteins, were quantified using data-dependent acquisition. Heat shock proteins, patatins, and protease inhibitors were significantly downregulated in infected tubers, suggesting suppression of defence responses. Conversely, aconitate hydratase, succinate dehydrogenase, and disulphide reductase were significantly upregulated following infection, indicating enhancement of metabolic processes and stress-related functions. Additionally, an observed increase in tubulin levels suggests possible cytoskeletal reorganization. Notably, no statistical differences in protein expression levels were observed between uninfected and infected but non-warted tuber material. These results improve our understanding of host-pathogen interactions involved in this pathosystem.