Jul 2026· Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry· Vol 74, pp. 21868-21880· 0 citations· 37 references
Medicine
TL;DR
These findings establish FaWRKY21 as a direct activator of JA biosynthesis that positively regulates defense against B. cinerea, offering molecular targets for developing elicitor-based strategies to control postharvest gray mold.
Abstract
Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is highly susceptible to gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. WRKY transcription factors and jasmonic acid (JA) are central to defense against necrotrophs, yet the regulatory interaction in strawberry remains unclear. Here, we characterized FaWRKY21, a terpinen-4-ol-responsive, Group IIc WRKY gene encoding a nuclear-localized protein. Transient overexpression in strawberry fruit enhanced defense against B. cinerea and increased endogenous JA concentrations. This enhanced defense was confirmed in transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing FaWRKY21, where AtPDF1.2 and other defense markers were upregulated. Transcriptomic and qRT-PCR analyses revealed that FaWRKY21 upregulates JA biosynthetic genes, notably FaOPR3II, FaJMT, and FaAOS-C. Yeast one-hybrid, EMSA, and dual-luciferase assays demonstrated direct binding to W-box elements in their promoters and transcriptional activation. Our findings establish FaWRKY21 as a direct activator of JA biosynthesis that positively regulates defense against B. cinerea, offering molecular targets for developing elicitor-based strategies to control postharvest gray mold.
Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is an economically important berry rich in bioactive proanthocyanidins (PAs) with healthy benefits. The AP2/ERF gene family, one of the largest transcription factors (TFs) in plants, regulates diverse biological processes. However, its role in PA biosynthesis in strawberry remains unclear. In this study, comparative genomics of 39 species revealed lineage-specific expansion of AP2/ERF, primarily driven by whole-genome/segmental duplication. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of a high-PA natural mutant identified FaERF4 as a key positive regulator. Subcellular localization confirmed that FaERF4 localizes both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Transient/stable overexpression showed that FaERF4 significantly increased PA content and upregulated flavonoid genes without affecting anthocyanin accumulation. Mechanistically, FaERF4 specifically bound to and activated the promoters of FaLAR and FaANR, thereby promoting PA biosynthesis. This study reveals a novel mechanism by which FaERF4 specifically regulates PA biosynthesis and provides a theoretical basis for metabolic engineering of functional nutrients in strawberry.
Yi-Lin Yang, Si-Qi Dai, Hao Li et al.· Journal of Agricultural and...· 0 citations
The jasmonate (JA) phytohormone signaling pathway is a key regulator of plant resistance to insect herbivores by mediating the biosynthesis of anti-herbivore metabolites and proteins. However, the JA-mediated regulatory network and its downstream defensive compounds in the monocot crop rice remain largely unknown. Here, we investigate the role of the MYB transcription factor MYB55 in JA-mediated rice defense against insect herbivores. Knockout of MYB55 enhances feeding by both brown planthopper (BPH) and leaf folder (LF), while having no effect on BPH oviposition. MYB55 directly binds to AC motifs in the promoters of initial phenylpropanoid pathway genes, including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase, and 4-coumaroyl:CoA ligase, as well as downstream lignin biosynthetic genes, and activates their transcription. In addition to lignin, accumulation of BPH- and LF-induced phenolic acid-amine conjugates (phenolamides) is significantly reduced in myb55 mutants compared with wild-type plants. The expression of MYB55 is induced by herbivory and regulated by JA signaling. Mechanistically, the core JA regulator MYC2 directly binds to the MYB55 promoter, forming a MYC2-MYB55 transcriptional cascade. Collectively, this study reveals that JA-responsive MYB55 enhances rice defense against BPH and LF by reprogramming phenylpropanoid metabolism toward lignin and phenolamide biosynthesis.
Ya-Ze Kong, Zhi-Xin Wu, Meng-Yu Liu et al.· Plant, Cell and Environment· 0 citations
The soil-borne fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae (V. dahliae) is the causal agent of Verticillium wilt (VW), a vascular disease that severely threatens global cotton production. Although cell wall lignification represents a cornerstone of plant immunity, the precise regulatory circuits that bridge this structural reinforcement with Verticillium dahliae resistance in cotton have yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that the NAC transcription factor GhNAC043 is a key positive regulator of this defense. GhNAC043 expression was rapidly induced upon V. dahliae infection. Silencing GhNAC043 in cotton compromised resistance, reducing lignin accumulation and downregulating lignin biosynthesis genes. Conversely, heterologous overexpression of GhNAC043 in Arabidopsis enhanced VW tolerance. We further identified GhBPM2 as a nuclear interaction partner of GhNAC043. Profiling of the transcriptome demonstrated that the GhNAC043-GhBPM2 module alters the expression profile of genes pivotal for jasmonic acid (JA) and abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction. Collectively, these results highlight a previously unknown regulatory pathway in which the GhNAC043-GhBPM2 complex drives lignin deposition through the modulation of JA and ABA signaling, thereby fortifying cotton against VW infection.
Zhaoyuan Ba, Juyun Zheng, Ying Liu et al.· Plant physiology and biochem...· 0 citations
The AhDef1 gene functionally validated in this study emerges as a promising candidate for engineering fungal disease resistance and aflatoxin mitigation in peanut and potentially other susceptible crops.
Nirmala Kumari Gupta, Jaykumar Patel, Gohil Mrunaliniba Yuvrajsinh et al.· Current Issues in Molecular...· 0 citations
ABSTRACT Phytophthora root rot, a devastating disease caused by Phytophthora sojae, poses a significant threat to worldwide soybean ( Glycine max ) production. Therefore, enhancing crop resistance to this pathogen is a major breeding objective. However, the signalling mechanisms underlying the response of soybean plants to P. sojae infection, and the networks and targets of key transcription factors TFs, are not yet fully understood. Here, we reveal the mechanisms and function of GmERF109, which differs in expression between soybean cultivars resistant and susceptible to P. sojae race 1 and encodes an AP2/ERF transcription factor. Molecular evaluation and disease resistance analysis show that GmERF109 is a nucleus‐localized transcription factor that positively regulates soybean resistance to P. sojae. We also demonstrate that GmERF109 targets and activates the expression of GmG4DT‐like, a gene whose role in the biosynthesis of the phytoalexin glyceollin was confirmed through overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi) analyses. GmG4DT‐like also enhances P. sojae resistance. GmG4DT‐like and GmERF109 greatly increased the content of the glyceollin I isomer. Overall, our results suggest that GmERF109 enhances glyceollin accumulation by positively regulating the expression of its target gene GmG4DT‐like, thereby improving soybean resistance to P. sojae. These findings provide novel insights into soybean resistance to Phytophthora root rot and will be useful in efforts to create resistant soybean cultivars.
Glyphodes pyloalis Walker is a devastating phytophagous pest of mulberry (Morus spp.) that severely compromises leaf yield and quality, thereby threatening sericultural productivity. Although jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) are well-established regulators of plant antiherbivore defenses, their specific roles in modulating mulberry responses to G. pyloalis herbivory remain poorly understood. Here, we employed an integrative approach combining herbivory bioassays, exogenous hormone treatment, physiological analysis, and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to dissect JA- and SA-mediated defense networks in mulberry. Exogenous application of both hormones enhanced chlorophyll content, with JA exerting the strongest effect. However, they differentially modulated antioxidant enzyme activities, with SA primarily elevating superoxide dismutase (SOD) and JA enhancing peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT). Transcriptomic and functional-enrichment analyses showed that JA-responsive DEGs were predominantly associated with photoprotection, carbohydrate metabolism, phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, MAPK signaling, ABC transporters, and defense-related enzyme functions. By comparison, SA-responsive DEGs were strongly associated with photosynthesis-related gene expression, chloroplast organization, carbon metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and systemic immune-related processes. Notably, several key transcription factors, including MaHDZIP1, MaLBD28, MaGATA5, MaTALE2, MaARF4, MaSBP1 and MaSBP12, were upregulated under both hormone treatments. Collectively, these findings indicate that exogenous JA and SA treatments elicited overlapping yet distinct defense-related responses in mulberry. This work provides an integrated physiological and transcriptomic framework for the future development of hormone-mediated strategies against G. pyloalis in sericulture.
Sheraz Ahmad, Rahat Sharif, Xiao-Tong Feng et al.· Horticulturae· 0 citations
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