Pine wilt disease (PWD) is caused by the pine wood nematode (PWN, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) and significantly impacts pine forest ecosystems globally. This study focuses on Pinus massoniana, an important timber and oleoresin resource in China, which is highly susceptible to PWN. However, the defense mechanism of pine trees in response to PWN remains unclear. Addressing the complexities of PWD, influenced by diverse factors such as bacteria, fungi, and environment, we established a reciprocal system between PWN and P. massoniana seedlings under aseptic conditions. Utilizing combined second- and third-generation sequencing technologies, we identified 3,718 differentially expressed genes post PWN infection. Transcript analysis highlighted the activation of defense mechanisms via stilbenes, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways, terpene synthesis, and induction of pathogenesis-related proteins and resistance genes, predominantly at 72 h postinfection. Notably, terpene synthesis pathways, particularly the mevalonate pathway, were crucial in defense, suggesting their significance in P. massoniana's response to PWN. This comprehensive transcriptome profiling offers insights into P. massoniana's intricate defense strategies against PWN under aseptic conditions, laying a foundation for future functional analyses of key resistance genes. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.
Keywords: Pinus massoniana; host–pathogen interaction; pine wood nematode resistance; secondary metabolism; terpene synthesis.