WRKY36–PIL15 Transcription Factor Complex Negatively Regulates Sheath Blight Resistance and Seed Development in Rice
2025
Siting Wang | Qian Sun | Shuo Yang | Huan Chen | Depeng Yuan | Changxi Gan | Haixia Chen | Yongxi Zhi | Hongyao Zhu | Yue Gao | Xiaofeng Zhu | Yuanhu Xuan
Sheath blight (ShB) causes severe yield loss in rice. Previously, we demonstrated that the <i>sugar will eventually be exported and the transporter 11</i> (<i>SWEET11</i>) mutation significantly improved rice resistance to ShB, but it caused severe defects in seed development. The present study found that WRKY36 and PIL15 directly activate <i>SWEET11</i> to negatively regulate ShB. Interestingly, WRKY36 interacted with PIL15, WRKY36 and PIL15 directly activates <i>miR530</i> to negatively regulate seed development. WRKY36 interacted with a key BR signaling transcription factor WRKY53. AOS2 is an effector protein from <i>Rhizoctonia solani</i> (<i>R. solani</i>) that interacts with WRKY53. Interestingly, AOS2 also interacts with WRKY36 and PIL15 to activate <i>SWEET11</i> for sugar nutrition for <i>R. solani</i>. These data collectively suggest that WRKY36–PIL15 negatively regulates ShB resistance and seed development via the activation of <i>SWEET11</i> and <i>miR530</i>, respectively. In addition, WRKY36 and PIL15 are the partners of the effector protein AOS2 by which <i>R. solani</i> hijacks sugar nutrition from rice.
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