Bioscience Evidence 2025, Vol.15, No.6, 270-279 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 270 Research Report Open Access Molecular Defense Mechanisms of Sorghum Against Major Diseases Kaiwen Liang Agri-Products Application Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resouces, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding email: kaiwen.liang@hitar.org Bioscience Evidence, 2025, Vol.15, No.6 doi: 10.5376/be.2025.15.0027 Received: 30 Sep., 2025 Accepted: 05 Nov., 2025 Published: 20 Nov., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Liang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Liang K.W., 2025, Molecular defense mechanisms of sorghum against major diseases, Bioscience Evidence, 15(6): 270-279 (doi: 10.5376/be.2025.15.0027) Abstract Sorghum is a very important food and energy crop in the world, but it is often affected by many diseases, such as anthracnose, grain mold, bacterial stripe disease, and pests like aphids. These problems will cause the yield of sorghum to decline and also affect its quality. In recent years, molecular biology and multi-omics techniques have developed rapidly, which has also helped us more clearly understand the disease resistance mechanism of sorghum. Current research indicates that sorghum defuses pathogens in multiple layers. It can first identify the signals related to pathogens and then transmit these signals, such as through MAPK or some hormone routes. Then, many disease-resistant genes will be activated in sorghum, including some NLR receptors, PR proteins, antimicrobial peptides, and 3-deoxyanthocyanins, etc. Meanwhile, the metabolic process of sorghum will also be rearranged, thereby enhancing its broad-spectrum resistance to fungi, bacteria and insects. The integration of multi-omics data (such as genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics) offers us a more comprehensive picture, which includes many complex regulatory networks, such as disease-resistant genes, signaling pathways, and various metabolites. Genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, as well as molecular marker-assisted selection, also make disease-resistant breeding more precise and efficient. The utilization of the microbiome to help sorghum defend against diseases or the application of some biological control methods is also regarded as very promising. Future research needs to integrate multi-omics and systems biology to conduct a more in-depth study on how sorghum defuses against the simultaneous infection of multiple pathogens. At the same time, it is also necessary to better integrate molecular breeding with traditional breeding to enhance the efficiency of selecting disease-resistant varieties and achieve more stable and sustainable disease management. Keywords Sorghum; Molecular defense mechanism; Disease-resistant breeding; Multi-omics; Pathogen interaction 1 Introduction Sorghum bicolor is the fifth largest grain in the world and is mainly grown in arid and semi-arid regions. It can be used not only as food, but also as feed, energy crops and industrial raw materials. It is of great significance to food security and economic development. Sorghum has a strong adaptability to the environment and good nutritional value, so in many developing countries, many people take it as their staple food. Meanwhile, it is also receiving increasing attention in bioenergy and sustainable agriculture (Kazungu et al., 2023; Khaskheli et al., 2025). Although sorghum can adapt to many adverse environments, its growth is still affected by various diseases, especially those caused by fungi, bacteria and insects. Common fungal diseases include anthracnose (Colletotrichum sublineola), valley mold, stem rot, powdery mildew, rust, etc. All of them can significantly reduce the yield and quality of sorghum (Govintharaj et al., 2025). In addition, bacterial leaf spot disease (Burkholderia andropogonis) and pests (such as sugarcane aphids) can also cause serious damage (Huang et al., 2022; Rizvi et al., 2024; Ikuze et al., 2025). These diseases will not only reduce the yield, but also may accumulate some harmful toxins in crops, ultimately affecting food safety and human health (Ackerman et al., 2021). The disease resistance of sorghum mainly stems from a relatively complex molecular defense network within its body. It can first identify pathogen-related signals (PAMP), initiate the PTI response, and then generate a stronger specific response through resistance genes. Then, multiple signaling pathways within the plant will be activated, such as those related to salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene. Meanwhile, sorghum also produces antimicrobial peptides, some secondary metabolites (such as 3-deoxyanthocyanins, flavonoids and phenolic compounds), etc. to enhance defense capabilities (Pant and Huang, 2022; Fang et al., 2023). However, we still do not have a sufficient understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which sorghum responds to attacks by
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