OsWRKY53 dictates wound responses in rice through fine-tuning crosstalk between PEP and PSK-mediated signalling

Abstract

Wounding is a major event during the multitude of stresses that plants face in their natural environment. Wound response is very dynamic and involves the integration of various regulatory networks culminating in successful wound-induced downstream signalling. Plants depend on endogenous molecular signals predominantly, small peptides, to initiate wound responses. Transcriptional response is paramount in dictating a successful wound response. Here we show the involvement of a WRKY transcription factor (TF) named OsWRKY53 that is upregulated upon wounding as well as wound-derived plant elicitor peptide (PEP), OsPep2 treatments. OsWRKY53 is involved in the positive regulation of gene expression of OsPep2-responsive genes. OsWRKY53 displays altered DNA occupancy in response to OsPep2 treatment over time, correlating with the altered gene expression. OsWRKY53 undergoes phosphorylation upon OsPep2 perception, and this contributes to the enhanced stability of the protein. Further, OsWRKY53 is involved in the simultaneous activation and suppression of OsPep2-responsive and phytosulfokine (PSK)-responsive genes, respectively. In agreement with these findings, perturbed expression of OsWRKY53 leads to compromised transcriptional responses post-wounding. Collectively, we establish that OsWRKY53 acts at the intersection of PEP and PSK-mediated transition of wound responses.