Transcriptomic and Phenotypic Responses of Cucumber Trichome Density to Silver Nitrate and Sodium Thiosulfate Application

Cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.) is one of the most widely cultivated crops worldwide and is valued for its nutritional, economic, and ecological benefits. The regulation of defense mechanisms against herbivores, along with osmotic loss and environmental regulation, is greatly affected by trichomes in cucumbers. In this study, we attempted to characterize trichomes and examined fruit physiological and transcriptome profiles by RNA sequencing in cucumber breeding lines 6101-4 and 5634-1 at three stages of fruit development through foliar application with a combination of silver nitrate (AgNO₃) and sodium thiosulfate (Na₂S₂O₃) in comparison to non-treated controls. Notable increases in the number of trichomes and altered forms were observed for both inbred cultivars 6101-4 and 5634-1 against foliar application of chemical substances. RNA-seq analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in multiple pathways in cucumber trichome formation. The enrichment of differentially expressed transcripts showed that foliar application upregulated the expression of many stress-responsive and trichome-associated genes including plant hormone signal transduction, sesquiterpenoid and triterpenoid biosynthesis, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The dominant regulatory genes, such as <i>allene oxide synthase</i> (<i>AOS</i>) and <i>MYB1R1</i> transcription factor, exhibited significant modulations in their expression in response to chemical application. The RNA-seq results were further confirmed by RT-PCR-based analysis, which revealed that after chemical application, the dominant regulatory genes, such as <i>allene oxide synthase</i> (<i>AOS</i>), <i>PTB 19</i>, <i>MYB1R1</i>, <i>bHLH62-like</i>, <i>MADS-box</i> transcription factor, and <i>salicylic acid-binding protein 2-like</i>, were differentially expressed, implying that these DEGs involved in multiple pathways are involved the positive regulation of the initiation and development of trichomes in <i>C. sativus</i>. A comparison of trichome biology and associated gene expression regulation in other plant species has shown that silver nitrate (AgNO₃) and sodium thiosulfate (Na₂S₂O₃) are also responsible for hormonal and signaling pathway regulation. This study improves our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in <i>C. sativus</i> trichome development. It also emphasizes the possibility of utilizing chemical composition to modulate <i>C. sativus</i> trichome-related characteristics of <i>C. sativus</i>, leading to the improvement of plant defense mechanisms as well as environmental adaptation.