In this study, we used RT-qPCR to examine how PR genes were expressed in model tomato (
Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants that had been infected with TMV or CMV. Under greenhouse conditions, the indirect ELISA data showed that both viruses were detected for
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In this study, we used RT-qPCR to examine how PR genes were expressed in model tomato (
Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants that had been infected with TMV or CMV. Under greenhouse conditions, the indirect ELISA data showed that both viruses were detected for the first time at 6 dpi. Then, the levels of accumulation increased very quickly, reaching a peak of 15 dpi. During the course of the study (1–15 dpi), the Delta C
T, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and GeNorm software tools revealed that the
β-actin gene was the most informative reference gene in the virally infected tomato tissues. For both the TMV- and CMV-infected tomato plants, the transcriptional expression levels of most tested genes changed between activation and repression, especially in the first 12 dpi. Compared to mock-inoculated plants, the expression levels of
PR-1 were induced at all time intervals except at 8 dpi for CMV and at 6, 7, and 8 dpi for TMV infection. Conversely, the greater activation and accumulation of both viruses were associated with the greater up-regulation of
PR-2 at 8 dpi, with relative expression levels of 7.28- and 5.84-fold for TMV and CMV, respectively. The up-regulated expression of
PR-3,
PR-4, and
PR-7 was shown at 4 dpi. In contrast, the
PR-5 gene was inhibited in TMV at 1 dpi until 9 dpi, and the induction of this gene at 10 dpi increased by 1.72-fold, but
PR-5 was observed to up-regulate the expression of CMV at 1 dpi. This study provides the first valuable information on the comparative transcriptional levels of these tomato genes between TMV and CMV infections.
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