论文题目：ZmDREB1A controls plant immunity via regulating salicylic acid metabolism in maize
论文作者：Chunxia Zhang, Huanbo Zhang, Wanping Lin, Jiahao Chai, Xiaoqing Shangguan and Tianyong Zhao
论文摘要：DREB1A, a pivotal transcription factor, has long been known to regulate plant abiotic stress tolerance. However, its role in plant biotic stress tolerance and the underlying mechanisms have remained a mystery. Our research reveals that the maize ZmDREB1A gene is up-regulated in maize seedlings when the plants are infected by Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani). The maize ZmDREB1A knock-out mutant exhibits increased disease resistance against the pathogen R. solani. Further investigation showed that ZmDREB1A regulates salicylic acid (SA) metabolism by inhibiting ZmSARD1 gene and activating ZmSAGT gene expression. Additionally, the SA level was increased while the SAG level was decreased in zmdreb1a mutant seedlings when the plants were infected with the pathogen R. solani. Furthermore, overexpression of ZmSAGT in Arabidopsis reduced plant resistance to Pst DC3000 by decreasing SA levels and increasing SAG levels. These data demonstrate that ZmDREB1A regulates the metabolism of SA and controls plant immune response in maize.
DREB1/CBF是参与植物响应冷胁迫反应的关键转录因子，在调控植物响应冷胁迫反应中发挥重要功能。西北农林赵天永课题组前期研究发现玉米DREB1A通过调控棉子糖合成提高植物耐冷性（Han, et al, 2020, ZmDREB1A regulates RAFFINOSE SYNTHASE controlling raffinose accumula, Plant and Cell Physiology. 61: 331-341）。近日，该团队在The Plant Journal发表题为“ZmDREB1A controls plant immunity via regulating salicylic acid metabolism in maize”的研究论文，发现玉米DREB1A通过调控水杨酸代谢负调控植物抗病性。研究人员发现ZmDREB1A在玉米幼苗中受纹枯病病原菌立枯丝核菌（R.Solani）侵染诱导表达。进一步研究表明ZmDREB1A通过抑制或激活水杨酸代谢通路关键基因ZmSARD1和ZmSAGT的表达来调控水杨酸（SA）代谢。其中，ZmSARD1是SA合成的正调控因子，ZmSAGT负责将SA转变为非活性形式的水杨酸葡萄糖（SAG）。玉米DREB1A突变体在受到纹枯病病原菌R.Solani侵染时，与野生型对照相比，SA水平升高，SAG水平降低，抗病性显著提高。在拟南芥中过量表达ZmSAGT降低了SA水平，提高了SAG水平，降低了植物对病原菌Pst DC3000的抗性。该研究结果表明转录因子ZmDREB1A调控植物耐冷与抗病性之间的平衡。
论文链接：https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/tpj.17226