Defense mechanism of fig (Ficus carica) against biotic stresses: An advanced role model under Moraceae

Abstract

Ficus carica Linn (Moraceae) is one of the most important Asian deciduous trees with a wide range of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical values. Through a natural physio-chemical mechanistic approach, Ficus defends various biotic stresses like pathogens, pests, and herbivores. Pre- and post-inflectional physical defenses are included with various mechanistic approaches like accumulation of silica, calcium oxalate crystals, amorphous calcium carbonates, etc. In addition to structural integrity, it encompasses non-glandular trichomes when it helps post-inflectional injury healing. Ficus produces several different metabolites and proteins which act against herbivores. All the defense strategies are novel and act as a role models among other members of Moraceae. Defense mechanism strategies of Ficus help to cope up with various environmental hazards by flexible adaptation and modification within its physio-chemical level through secretome-metabolome alteration. The complex host defense system is oriented with host-pathogen gene expression and chemical signal transduction pathways that embroil with elicitors, enhancers, suppressors, receptors, and secondary mediated interactions. Alternately defense trade of a specific plant species is interrelated with eco-genomic evolution (associated with natural selection and population genomics trend line) used for variable selection among the entire plant genome family, such as migration and genetic drift. The eco-genomic evolutionary approach to defense mechanism needs to be more explored to enlighten a new direction of plant patho-taxonomy.