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Putative Transcriptional Regulation of HaWRKY33-AOA251SVV7 Complex-Mediated Sunflower Head Rot by Transcriptomics and Proteomics

Summary

Sunflower head rot caused by a fungus is a major problem for farmers worldwide. Scientists studied how sunflower plants defend themselves against this fungus by examining a special protein called HaWRKY33. They found that this protein works with another protein (AOA251SVV7) to help sunflowers resist the disease. By identifying the specific parts of these proteins that are important for fighting off the fungus, researchers have provided tools for developing sunflower varieties that are naturally resistant to this damaging disease.

Background

Sunflower head rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a major agricultural disease affecting global sunflower production. The HaWRKY33 transcription factor has been shown to play a role in plant disease resistance, but its specific mechanism against S. sclerotiorum remains unclear.

Objective

To elucidate the transcriptional regulatory mechanism of HaWRKY33 in sunflower defense responses against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum through transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. The study aimed to identify key amino acid residues critical for disease resistance function.

Results

A single dominant physiological race MCG1 was identified among 66 isolates. Transcriptomic analysis identified 9,443 differentially expressed genes between resistant and susceptible varieties. HaWRKY33 was found to be involved in the plant-pathogen interaction pathway. Yeast two-hybrid screening and AlphaFold 3 analysis revealed strong interactions between HaWRKY33 and AOA251SVV7 proteins, with ARG-189 and GLU-344 identified as critical interaction amino acids.

Conclusion

The HaWRKY33-AOA251SVV7 protein complex regulates sunflower defense responses against S. sclerotiorum through the plant-pathogen interaction pathway. The identification of key amino acid residues, particularly ARG-189, provides insights for future molecular breeding and gene editing strategies to enhance sunflower resistance to head rot disease.
  • Published in:Plants (Basel),
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: 41095160
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