Methylesterases (MESs) hydrolyze carboxylic ester and are important for plant metabolism and defense. However, the understanding of MES’ role in strawberries against pathogens remains limited. This study identified 15 FvMESs with a conserved catalytic triad from the Fragaria vesca genome. Spatiotemporal expression data demonstrated the upregulated expression of FvMESs in roots and developing fruits, suggesting growth involvement. The FvMES promoter regions harbored numerous stress-related cis-acting elements and transcription factors associated with plant defense mechanisms. Moreover, FvMES2 exhibited a significant response to Botrytis cinerea stress and showed a remarkable correlation with the salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed an efficient binding potential between FvMES2 and methyl salicylate (MeSA). The role of FvMES2 in MeSA demethylation to produce SA was further confirmed through in vitro and in vivo assays. After MeSA was applied, the transient overexpression of FvMES2 in strawberries enhanced their resistance to B. cinerea compared to wild-type plants.

中文翻译：

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对草莓中甲酯酶基因家族的分析揭示了 FvMES2 在水杨酸甲酯介导的草莓灰霉病抗性中的作用的新见解


甲酯酶 (MES) 水解羧酸酯，对于植物代谢和防御很重要。然而，对于 MES 在草莓抵抗病原体方面的作用的了解仍然有限。这项研究从草莓基因组中鉴定出 15 个具有保守催化三联体的 FvMES。时空表达数据表明 FvMES 在根和发育中的果实中表达上调，表明生长参与。 FvMES 启动子区域含有大量与胁迫相关的顺式作用元件和与植物防御机制相关的转录因子。此外，FvMES2 对灰葡萄孢胁迫表现出显着的反应，并与水杨酸 (SA) 信号通路显着相关。分子对接显示 FvMES2 和水杨酸甲酯 (MeSA) 之间具有有效的结合潜力。通过体外和体内测定进一步证实了FvMES2在MeSA去甲基化产生SA中的作用。施用 MeSA 后，与野生型植物相比，草莓中 FvMES2 的瞬时过度表达增强了草莓对灰霉病菌的抗性。