Transcription Factors HmeWRKY33 and HmeWRKY51 Regulate the Susceptibility of Pitaya to Canker Disease

2025/01/30 by Rongzheng Luo, Rong Zhang, Jia‐Xuan Chen +7 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Botanical Research and Applications #Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases #Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies

paper · doi:10.1094/pdis-08-24-1589-re

openalex publication_date 2025/01/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

Pitaya canker disease, caused by Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, is the primary threat to pitaya cultivation, significantly compromising fruit quality and reducing yield. WRKY transcription factors are essential regulators in plant pathogen recognition and defense mechanisms, yet their specific roles in the development of pitaya canker disease remain largely unexplored. In this study, five genes (HmeWRKY33, HmeWRKY51, HmePR1, HmeHsp70, and HmeSERK) associated with pitaya canker disease were identified through RNA-Seq analysis. The expression levels of HmeWRKY33 and HmeWRKY51 were upregulated following N. dimidiatum infection. Transient transformation revealed that these five genes negatively influenced the resistance of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves to canker disease while promoting the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and inducing cell death. Yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase reporter assays revealed that HmeWRKY33 directly activated the expression of HmeSERK, while HmeWRKY51 directly inhibited the expression of HmePR1 and HmeHsp70, coparticipating in regulating the susceptibility of ‘Youcihuanglong’ pitaya to canker. These findings provide a theoretical basis for breeding new canker-resistant pitaya varieties through genetic transformation.

Citations

• Pattern-recognition receptors are required for NLR-mediated plant immunity
• Mutual potentiation of plant immunity by cell-surface and intracellular receptors
• Analysis of Relative Gene Expression Data Using Real-Time Quantitative PCR and the 2−ΔΔCT Method
• JrWRKY21 interacts with JrPTI5L to activate the expression of JrPR5L for resistance to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in walnut

Discussions

• Pitaya canker disease is the primary threat to pitaya cultivation, significantly compromising fruit quality and reducing yield. Rongzheng Luo et al. identified five genes associated with pitaya canker [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]