{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T09:08:40Z","timestamp":1776071320368,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,11]],"date-time":"2026-04-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775865600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100012166","name":"National Key Research and Development Program of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2021YFD1400300"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021YFD1400300"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100012166","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Larix olgensis, a keystone timber species in Northeast China, is increasingly threatened by Neofusicoccum laricinum-induced shoot blight, a devastating disease that compromises forest health and necessitates sustainable management strategies. Here, we demonstrate that the endophytic bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JL54 elicits multifaceted defense responses in L. olgensis, enhancing resistance to pathogen infection. Greenhouse assays revealed that JL54 pretreatment reduced disease incidence by 12.5% and achieved 43.75% control efficacy while maintaining host vigor. Histochemical analyses identified JL54-induced rapid hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation, extensive lignin deposition, and localized programmed cell death (PCD), indicative of a primed immune response. Transcriptomic analyses uncovered distinct temporal defense patterns: early-stage responses (0 h post-inoculation) were characterized by upregulation of cutin, suberin, and wax biosynthesis pathways, reinforcing physical barriers, whereas late-stage responses (12 h post-inoculation) were dominated by ribosome- and proteostasis-related pathways (e.g., heat shock proteins [HSPs], glutathione S-transferases [GSTs]) to mitigate cellular damage. Biochemical assays corroborated these findings, with JL54 colonization reducing membrane lipid peroxidation (27.2% decrease in malondialdehyde content) and significantly elevating the activity of key defense enzymes, including peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and GST. Phytohormone profiling implicated jasmonic acid (JA) as the central mediator of induced systemic resistance (ISR), with JL54-potentiated JA signaling preceding pathogen containment. Collectively, these results demonstrate that JL54 contributes to a coordinated defense strategy in L. olgensis, integrating structural reinforcement (cuticle\/lignin), oxidative stress management, and JA-mediated immune priming. These insights advance the understanding of endophyte-conferred resistance in conifers and highlight JL54\u2019s potential as a biocontrol agent for sustainable forestry.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants15081181","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T07:29:29Z","timestamp":1776065369000},"page":"1181","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Integrative Transcriptomic and Biochemical Profiling Reveals Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JL54 Primes Larix olgensis Defenses Against Neofusicoccum laricinum Attack"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-5901-1509","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiangyu","family":"Zhao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Forestry in South China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-0978-8573","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fengze","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Forestry in South China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lingyu","family":"Kong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Forestry in South China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-5970-1621","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yanru","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Forestry in South China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kexin","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Forestry in South China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3457-9180","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yinjuan","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Forestry in South China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4477-5831","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xun","family":"Deng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Forestry Protection, Heilongjiang Forestry Academy, Harbin 150040, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Liwen","family":"Song","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Jilin Provincial Academy of Forestry Science, Changchun 130033, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9792-9972","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ke","family":"Wei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jiajin","family":"Tan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Forestry in South China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"85","article-title":"Effects of thinning on Larix olgensis plantation stem form based on TLS","volume":"47","author":"Gao","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. 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