Chaowongdee Somruthai, Vannatim Nattachai, Malichan Srihunsa, Kuncharoen Nattakorn, Tongyoo Pumipat, Siriwan Wanwisa
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/MHESI), Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Apr 8;14(8):1159. doi: 10.3390/plants14081159.
Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) is caused by viruses such as (SLCMV). It poses a significant threat to the cassava () yield in Southeast Asia. Here, we investigated the expression of WRKY transcription factors (TFs) in SLCMV-infected cassava cultivars KU 50 (tolerant) and R 11 (susceptible) at 21, 32, and 67 days post-inoculation (dpi), representing the early, middle/recovery, and late infection stages, respectively. The 34 identified WRKYs were classified into the following six groups based on the functions of their homologs in the model plant (AtWRKYs): plant defense; plant development; hormone signaling (abscisic, salicylic, and jasmonic acid); reactive oxygen species production; basal immune mechanisms; and other related hormones, metabolites, and abiotic stress responses. Regarding the protein interactions of the identified WRKYs, based on the interactions of their homologs (AtWRKYs), WRKYs increased reactive oxygen species production, leading to salicylic acid accumulation and systemic acquired resistance (SAR) against SLCMV. Additionally, some WRKYs were involved in defense-related mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling and abiotic stress responses. Furthermore, crosstalk among WRKYs reflected the robustly restricted viral multiplication in the tolerant cultivar, contributing to CMD recovery. This study highlights the crucial roles of WRKYs in transcriptional reprogramming, innate immunity, and responses to geminivirus infections in cassava, providing valuable insights to enhance disease resistance in cassava and, potentially, other crops.
木薯花叶病（CMD）由诸如[具体病毒名称未给出]（SLCMV）等病毒引起。它对东南亚木薯产量构成重大威胁。在此，我们研究了接种后21天、32天和67天感染SLCMV的木薯品种KU 50（耐病）和R 11（感病）中WRKY转录因子（TFs）的表达情况，分别代表早期、中期/恢复期和晚期感染阶段。根据其在模式植物[拟南芥的英文未给出]（AtWRKYs）中的同源物功能，将鉴定出的34个WRKYs分为以下六组：植物防御；植物发育；激素信号传导（脱落酸、水杨酸和茉莉酸）；活性氧产生；基础免疫机制；以及其他相关激素、代谢物和非生物胁迫反应。关于鉴定出的WRKYs的蛋白质相互作用，基于其同源物（AtWRKYs）的相互作用，WRKYs增加了活性氧的产生，导致水杨酸积累和对SLCMV的系统获得性抗性（SAR）。此外，一些WRKYs参与了与防御相关的丝裂原活化蛋白激酶信号传导和非生物胁迫反应。此外，WRKYs之间的相互作用反映了耐病品种中病毒繁殖受到强烈限制，有助于木薯花叶病的恢复。本研究突出了WRKYs在木薯转录重编程、先天免疫和对双生病毒感染的反应中的关键作用，为增强木薯以及可能其他作物的抗病性提供了有价值的见解。
