OsWRKY39 regulates phenylpropanoid metabolic reprogramming to orchestrate rice immunity against Magnaporthe oryzae

ABSTRACT:

Magnaporthe oryzae threatens global rice production, but master regulators coordinating immunity, metabolism, and growth remain elusive. Here, we identify OsWRKY39 as a central hub integrating blast resistance, phenylpropanoid metabolism, hormone homeostasis, and growth-defense trade-offs, distinct from OsWRKY45 (only activates diterpenoid phytoalexin biosynthesis). OsWRKY39 overexpression (OE) enhances blast resistance, while knockout (ko) lines are susceptible. DAP-seq/EMSA show OsWRKY39 directly targets W-box in promoters of OsPAL7, OsCKX2, OsJAZ9, and OsWRKY70. DLR assays reveal OsWRKY39 represses OsCKX2 and activates OsARF16 promoters. Transcriptomic/metabolomic analyses show OE plants reprogram phenylpropanoid metabolism to accumulate antimicrobial metabolites upon infection, whereas ko lines lose this control. OsWRKY39 elevates cytokinins (e.g., DHZR) to boost ATP/NADPH, suppresses excessive JA via OsJAZ9, and alleviates growth-resistance tradeoff via cytokinin-auxin crosstalk. BiFC confirms JA attenuates OsJAZ9-OsMYC2 interaction. Co-IP/phosphorylation assays show OsWRKY39 interacts with and is phosphorylated by OsMPK13. Our findings establish OsWRKY39 as a master regulator orchestrating rice immunity-metabolism-growth networks, minimizing growth costs and providing targets for high-yield, blast-resistant cereals.

INSTRUMENT(S): Liquid Chromatography MS - negative - reverse-phase, Liquid Chromatography MS - positive - reverse-phase

PROVIDER: MTBLS13460 | MetaboLights | 2025-12-05

REPOSITORIES: MetaboLights