Colonization of tomato seedlings by Fusarium incarnatum strain K23 establishes a different host response to salt stress

The Fusarium incarnatum strain K23, originally isolated from a habit-adapted wild plant Thapsia species, colonized the roots and shoots of tomato seedlings and protected them against salt stress. Comparison of expression and metabolite profile changes uncovered that the fungus completely reprogramed the tomato response to salt stress. Barely any overlap was observed among the genes and metabolites which are regulated by salt stress in uncolonized and colonized tomato seedlings. In colonized seedlings exposed to salt stress, less stress- related genes are activated than in un-colonized seedlings. Furthermore, K23 produced gibberellin and gibberellin-responsive genes were detected in all RNA samples. Our analysis demonstrates that K23 colonisation completely alters the salt-responsive gene and metabolite profiles in tomato seedlings. To investigate the effect of Fusarium incarnatum strain K23 fungus on tomato seedlings under salt stress conditions, RNA sequencing was conducted. There were four conditions: (1) Fungus with salt, (2) Fungus without salt, (3) Control with salt, and (4) Control without salt. Each condition had three replicates.