Unveiling the mechanism of broad-spectrum blast resistance in rice: The collaborative role of transcription factor OsGRAS30 and histone deacetylase OsHDAC1.

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, significantly impacts grain yield, necessitating the identification of broad-spectrum resistance genes and their functional mechanisms for disease-resistant crop breeding. Here, we report that rice with knockdown OsHDAC1 gene expression displays enhanced broad-spectrum blast resistance without effects on plant height and tiller numbers compared to wild-type rice, while rice overexpressing OsHDAC1 is more susceptible to M. oryzae. We identify a novel blast resistance transcription factor, OsGRAS30, which genetically acts upstream of OsHDAC1 and interacts with OsHDAC1 to suppress its enzymatic activity. This inhibition increases the histone H3K27ac level, thereby boosting broad-spectrum blast resistance. Integrating genome-wide mapping of OsHDAC1 and H3K27ac targets with RNA sequencing analysis unveils how OsHDAC1 mediates the expression of OsSSI2, OsF3H, OsRLR1 and OsRGA5 to regulate blast resistance. Our findings reveal that the OsGRAS30-OsHDAC1 module is critical to rice blast control. Therefore, targeting either OsHDAC1 or OsGRAS30 offers a promising approach for enhancing crop blast resistance.