Metabolomic Insights into MYMV Resistance: Biochemical Complexity in Mung Bean Cultivars

Yellow Mosaic Disease (YMD) caused by mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV, begomovirus) is one of the main causes of low mungbean (<i>Vigna radiata</i> L.) productivity, primarily in South Asia. Agroinoculation screening for MYMV resistance in mungbean cultivar VGGRU 1, an interspecific derivative of mungbean × rice bean and VRM (Gg)1 across replications, revealed VGGRU1 as highly resistant to MYMV infection. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis was performed on the methanolic leaf extracts of susceptible and resistant genotypes, along with necessary controls. The metabolite profiling of the susceptible and resistant genotypes, along with controls, identified 121 discriminant metabolites belonging to 24 different classes of metabolites. A maximum number of 27 metabolites were accumulated in agroinoculated VGGRU1 alone. Metabolite profiles of VGGRU1 and VRM1 were clustered hierarchically and revealed substantial variations between the genotypes. Fold change revealed the upregulation of amino acids and phenol in the resistant genotype. The resistant genotype, VGGRU1, showed significantly higher levels of key defense-related metabolites, such as amino acids and phenolics. In this study, 18 significant VIP metabolites were identified, differentiating the resistant VGGRU1 and susceptible VRM (Gg)1 genotypes.