WRKY10 transcriptional regulatory cascades in rice are involved in basal defense and Xa1-mediated resistance

Abstract

WRKY proteins play essential roles as negative or positive regulators of pathogen defense. This study explored the roles of different OsWRKY proteins in basal defense and Xa1-mediated resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) infection in rice. Assays of disease in OsWRKY10KD and OsWRKY88KD lines following infection with an incompatible Xoo race, which induced Xa1-mediated resistance in wild-type plants, showed that OsWRKY10 and OsWRKY88 were positive regulators of Xa1-mediated resistance. OsWRKY10 also acted as a positive regulator in basal defense by directly or indirectly activating transcription of defense-related genes. OsWRKY10 activated the OsPR1a promoter by binding to specific WRKY binding sites. Two transcriptional regulatory cascades of OsWRKY10 were identified in basal defense and Xa1-mediated resistance. In the first transcriptional regulatory cascade, OsWRKY47 acted downstream of OsWRKY10 whereas OsWRKY51 acted upstream. OsWRKY10 activated OsPR1a in two distinct ways: by binding to its promoter and, at the same time, by indirect activation through OsWRKY47. In the second transcriptional regulatory cascade, OsWRKY47 acted downstream of OsWRKY10, and OsWRKY88 acted upstream. These OsWRKY10 transcriptional regulatory cascades played important roles in basal defense and Xa1-mediated resistance to enable the mounting of a rapid immune response against pathogens.