Antifungal Effects and Mechanism of Dihydrochelerythrine Against Fusarium oxysporum

<i>Fusarium</i> species are destructive phytopathogens that cause devastating crop diseases worldwide. The development of botanical pesticides offers a promising strategy for sustainable disease management. This study investigated the antifungal efficacy and mechanism of dihydrochelerythrine (DHC) against <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i>. In vitro assays demonstrated that DHC exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect by compromising fungal cell membrane integrity, resulting in the leakage of water-soluble carbohydrates and intracellular proteins. Transcriptomic profiling revealed substantial alterations in global gene expression patterns following DHC exposure. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis classified the differentially expressed genes into two principal categories: Biological Process and Molecular Function. Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis identified 13 significantly up-regulated and 5 down-regulated pathways. Our integrated analysis demonstrates that the antifungal activity of dihydrochelerythrine involves multi-target synergism: it directly disrupts cellular integrity by damaging the cell membrane, while concurrently downregulating key metabolic and signaling pathways, including MAPK signaling, porphyrin metabolism, and mitophagy, thereby impairing stress response and energy homeostasis. These findings identify promising molecular targets-such as ABC transporters and the MAPK pathway.