中国农业大学Mingliang Xu及其研究组的最新研究发现，ZmWAKL-ZmWIK-ZmBLK1-ZmRBOH4模块对玉米灰叶斑病（GLS）具有定量抗性。这一研究成果发表在2024年1月18日出版的国际学术期刊《自然—遗传学》上。

研究人员证明，编码细胞壁相关受体激酶样蛋白的基因ZmWAKL是抗GLS主要定量抗病基因座上的致病基因。抗性等位基因编码的ZmWAKLY蛋白能自我结合，并与质膜上的富含亮氨酸重复免疫相关激酶ZmWIK相互作用。ZmWAKLY/ZmWIK受体复合物与受体样胞质激酶（RLCK）ZmBLK1相互作用并使其磷酸化，后者又使其下游的NADPH氧化酶ZmRBOH4磷酸化。

病原体感染时，ZmWAKLY的磷酸化活性会短暂增加，开启从ZmWAKLY、ZmWIK、ZmBLK1到ZmRBOH4的免疫信号传递，最终造成活性氧爆发。因此，该研究揭示了玉米ZmWAKL-ZmWIK-ZmBLK1-ZmRBOH4受体/信号/执行模块在感知病原体入侵、传递免疫信号、激活防御反应和增强对GLS抗性方面的作用。

据悉，由真菌病原体Cercospora zeae-maydis和Cercospora zeina感染产生的灰叶斑病，是玉米（Zea mays L.）面临的一种主要叶面病害。

附：英文原文

Title: The ZmWAKL–ZmWIK–ZmBLK1–ZmRBOH4 module provides quantitative resistance to gray leaf spot in maize

Author: Zhong, Tao, Zhu, Mang, Zhang, Qianqian, Zhang, Yan, Deng, Suining, Guo, Chenyu, Xu, Ling, Liu, Tingting, Li, Yancong, Bi, Yaqi, Fan, Xingming, Balint-Kurti, Peter, Xu, Mingliang

Issue&Volume: 2024-01-18

Abstract: Gray leaf spot (GLS), caused by the fungal pathogens Cercospora zeae-maydis and Cercospora zeina, is a major foliar disease of maize worldwide (Zea mays L.). Here we demonstrate that ZmWAKL encoding cell-wall-associated receptor kinase-like protein is the causative gene at the major quantitative disease resistance locus against GLS. The ZmWAKLY protein, encoded by the resistance allele, can self-associate and interact with a leucine-rich repeat immune-related kinase ZmWIK on the plasma membrane. The ZmWAKLY/ZmWIK receptor complex interacts with and phosphorylates the receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) ZmBLK1, which in turn phosphorylates its downstream NADPH oxidase ZmRBOH4. Upon pathogen infection, ZmWAKLY phosphorylation activity is transiently increased, initiating immune signaling from ZmWAKLY, ZmWIK, ZmBLK1 to ZmRBOH4, ultimately triggering a reactive oxygen species burst. Our study thus uncovers the role of the maize ZmWAKL–ZmWIK–ZmBLK1–ZmRBOH4 receptor/signaling/executor module in perceiving the pathogen invasion, transducing immune signals, activating defense responses and conferring increased resistance to GLS.

DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01644-z

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01644-z