Overexpression a “fruit-weight 2.2-like” gene OsFWL5 improves rice resistance
Bei Li,
Shengyuan Sun,
Xianmin Gao,
Mengxiao Wu,
Yong Deng,
Qinglu Zhang,
Xianghua Li,
Jinghua Xiao,
Yinggen Ke,
Shiping Wang
Affiliations
Bei Li
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University
Shengyuan Sun
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University
Xianmin Gao
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University
Mengxiao Wu
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University
Yong Deng
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University
Qinglu Zhang
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University
Xianghua Li
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University
Jinghua Xiao
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University
Yinggen Ke
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University
Shiping Wang
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University
Abstract Background Rice (Oryza sativa) feeds half of the world’s population. Rice grain yield and quality which are constrained by diseases and mineral nutritions have important human healthy impacts. Plant “fruit-weight 2.2-like” (FWL) genes play key roles in modulating plant fruit weight, organ size and iron distribution. Previous work has uncovered that the grains of OsFWL5-oeverexpressing rice accumulated more beneficial element zinc (Zn) and less toxic element cadmium (Cd) content. However, whether FWL genes play roles in rice resistance remains unknown. Findings Here, we validated that one of rice FWL genes OsFWL5 plays a positive role in defense to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). Overexpresion of OsFWL5 promotes H2O2 accumulation and cell death. The OsFWL5-overexpresing plants show activated flg22-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and increased resistance to Xoo, indicating that OsFWL5 functions to increase pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity in rice. The activated defense response is associated with increased the expression of genes involved in jasmonic acid (JA)-related signaling. Furthermore, Cd can induce rice resistance to Xoo, and OsFWL5 is required for Cd-induced rice defense response. Conclusion Putting our finds and previous work together, OsFWL5 could be a candiate gene for breeders to genetically improve rice resistance and grain quality.
