Distinct immune pathways activated by harpin proteins in Sorghum bicolor

Jaimini Patoliya; Khushali Thaker; Khushbu Rabadiya; Jalpa Patel; Tithi Trivedi; Saumya Patel; Nayan Jain; Prasant Kumar; Rushikesh Joshi

doi:10.1007/s12298-025-01601-6

Distinct immune pathways activated by harpin proteins in Sorghum bicolor

Physiol Mol Biol Plants. 2025 May;31(5):785-793. doi: 10.1007/s12298-025-01601-6. Epub 2025 Jun 3.

Authors

Jaimini Patoliya¹, Khushali Thaker¹, Khushbu Rabadiya², Jalpa Patel¹, Tithi Trivedi³, Saumya Patel³, Nayan Jain⁴, Prasant Kumar⁵, Rushikesh Joshi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380009 India.
² Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380009 India.
³ Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380009 India.
⁴ Department of Life Science, University School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380009 India.
⁵ Ingress BioSolutions Pvt Ltd, Ahmedabad, 382470 India.

PMID: 40568477
PMCID: PMC12185832 (available on 2026-05-01)
DOI: 10.1007/s12298-025-01601-6

Abstract

This study investigates how two harpin proteins, HrpZ and Hpa1, modulate plant immunity as potential alternatives to pesticides. Despite the established importance of SA in immunity, its regulatory complexity and gene expression dynamics are partially elucidated. We examined the effect of HrpZ and Hpa1 on the SA signalling pathway and the expression of seven marker genes (NPR1, EDS1, CAD1, NSL1, AED3, AED4, WRKY8) identified through existing microarray dataset analysis and analysed by qRT-PCR and HPLC. Our findings reveal distinct modes of action: HrpZ strongly activates SA-mediated immunity by upregulating SA levels and SA-responsive genes. Conversely, Hpa1 does not significantly impact SA levels but upregulates AED3 and AED4, suggesting an alternative, SA-independent defence mechanism. This research provides valuable insights into harpin-induced plant immunity, paving the way for targeted biostimulant development in sustainable agriculture.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01601-6.

Keywords: Harpin; Hormonal signalling; Pathogen resistance; Plant immunity; Salicylic acid pathway.