The Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper Genes Family Regulates the Jinggangmycin Mediated Immune Response of Oryza sativa to Nilaparvata lugens, and Laodelphax striatellus

Abstract

The homeodomain-leucine zipper (HDZIP) is an important transcription factor family, instrumental not only in growth but in finetuning plant responses to environmental adversaries. Despite the plethora of literature available, the role of HDZIP genes under chewing and sucking insects remains elusive. Herein, we identified 40 <i>OsHDZIP</i> genes from the rice genome database. The evolutionary relationship, gene structure, conserved motifs, and chemical properties highlight the key aspects of <i>OsHDZIP</i> genes in rice. The <i>OsHDZIP</i> family is divided into a further four subfamilies (i.e., HDZIP I, HDZIP II, HDZIP III, and HDZIP IV). Moreover, the protein-protein interaction and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that <i>OsHDZIP</i> genes regulate plant growth and response to various environmental stimuli. Various microRNA (miRNA) families targeted HDZIP III subfamily genes. The microarray data analysis showed that <i>OsHDZIP</i> was expressed in almost all tested tissues. Additionally, the differential expression patterns of the <i>OsHDZIP</i> genes were found under salinity stress and hormonal treatments, whereas under brown planthopper (BPH), striped stem borer (SSB), and rice leaf folder (RLF), only <i>OsHDZIP3</i>, <i>OsHDZIP4</i>, <i>OsHDZIP40</i>, <i>OsHDZIP10</i>, and <i>OsHDZIP20</i> displayed expression. The qRT-PCR analysis further validated the expression of <i>OsHDZIP20</i>, <i>OsHDZIP40</i>, and <i>OsHDZIP10</i> under BPH, small brown planthopper (SBPH) infestations, and jinggangmycin (JGM) spraying applications. Our results provide detailed knowledge of the <i>OsHDZIP</i> gene family resistance in rice plants and will facilitate the development of stress-resilient cultivars, particularly against chewing and sucking insect pests.