Pulsed electric field (PEF) has previously been recognized as a method of gentle food processing, and its use has been shown to be helpful in reducing the levels of toxigenic Fusarium micromycetes developed during malting. The aim of this study was to describe the effects of PEF on gene expression and metabolite production at the pre-finishing stage of barley malting by using a novel multi-omics data-driven approach. The study helps to uncover the processes occurring in the germinated grain and discusses the up-/downregulation of genes and metabolites in relation to fungal infection and/or PEF-induced abiotic stress. Among the factors upregulated by PEF and previously described as supportive against Fusarium diseases, we identified the increased expression of genes encoding vegetative gp1-like protein, which positively correlated with flavonoids, (methylsulfanyl)prop-2-enoates, triterpenoid glycosides, and indole alkaloids. On the other hand, some genes associated with barley resistance to fungal infection were also overexpressed in the untreated control (in particular, genes encoding ethylene response factor 3-like, putrescine hydroxycinnamoyltransferase 3-like, and dirigent protein 21-like). This study provides the first 'data-driven' basic research results that contribute to the understanding of the role of PEF as an effective fungal decontamination strategy and allows the formulation of new hypotheses related to Fusarium pathogen crosstalk.

• Keywords
• Fusarium micromycetes, abiotic stress, barley, metabolomics, multi-omics, pulsed electric field, transcriptomics,
• MeSH
• Decontamination * methods   MeSH
• Electricity * MeSH
• Fusarium * pathogenicity   MeSH
• Hordeum * microbiology   genetics   metabolism   growth & development   MeSH
• Edible Grain * microbiology   genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Multiomics MeSH
• Plant Diseases microbiology   MeSH
• Gene Expression Regulation, Plant MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

For several decades, dirigent (DIR) domain-containing proteins have been assumed to be green lineage-specific, responsible for the defence response and lignan/lignin biosynthesis. Despite their high potential in terms of biotechnology and chemistry, to date there have been very few well-studied plant DIRs. However, recent achievements in sequencing technologies have allowed for discovery of DIR genes in bacteria. This prospective study suggests expansion of the focus of research to consider the existence of bacterial DIRs. It also considers the outlook for understanding DIR functioning with respect to the fields of green lineage evolution, organic synthesis, and biotechnology.

• MeSH
• Bacteria genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Bacterial Proteins genetics   MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Lignans biosynthesis   MeSH
• Lignin biosynthesis   MeSH
• Multigene Family MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Protein Domains MeSH
• Plant Proteins genetics   MeSH
• Publication type
• Letter MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Bacterial Proteins MeSH
• Lignans MeSH
• Lignin MeSH
• Plant Proteins MeSH