Transcription factor ScWRKY4 in sugarcane negatively regulates the resistance to pathogen infection through the JA signaling pathway

Abstract

ABSTRACTWRKY transcription factor, the transcriptional regulators unique to plants, plays an important role in plant defense response to pathogen infection. However, the disease resistance mechanism ofWRKYgene in sugarcane remains unclear. Previously, we identified aScWRKY4gene, a member of class IIc of the WRKY gene family, from the sugarcane cultivar ROC22. This gene could be induced by the stresses of salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Interestingly, the expression of theScWRKY4gene was down-regulated in smut-resistant sugarcane cultivars but up-regulated in smut-susceptible sugarcane cultivars underSporisorium scitamineumstress. Besides, stable overexpression of theScWRKY4gene inNicotiana benthamianaenhanced susceptibility toFusarium solanivar.coeruleumand caused the down-regulated expression of immune marker-related genes. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis indicated that, the expression of mostJAZgenes was suppressed in plant signal transduction pathway. In addition, ScWRKY4 could interact with ScJAZ13 and repress the expression of ScJAZ13. We thus hypothesized that theScWRKY4gene was involved in the regulatory network of plant disease resistance, most probably through the JA signaling pathway. The present study depicted the molecular mechanism of theScWRKY4gene involved in sugarcane disease resistance and laid the foundation for the subsequent investigation.HighlightTransgenic plants overexpressing theScWRKY4gene negatively regulated resistance to pathogen by inhibiting the expression of theJAZgenes.