Dufulin-Binding Protein OsJAZ5 Functions in Rice Stress Tolerance

Dufulin is a novel immuno-inducer in plants, used to control viral diseases. Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting plant growth. OsJAZ5 is a member of the JAZ (JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN) protein family, which are key regulators of the JA (jasmonic acid) response. In this study, Dufulin promoted expression of the gene OsJAZ5 in the salt stress response process of rice, and the interaction between Dufulin and OsJAZ5 was confirmed using microscale thermophoresis (MST) and molecular docking studies. We further explored the function of OsJAZ5 protein, using yeast functional complementation studies, physiological and biochemical data of OsJAZ5-overexpressed plants, and transcriptome data to determine its role in enhancing rice salt tolerance, and found that OsJAZ5 indirectly promotes JA-signaling transduction through its interacting proteins OsMYL1 and OsMYL2. In conclusion, OsJAZ5 is a functional target for Dufulin to achieve enhanced rice salt tolerance, and overexpression of OsJAZ5 can improve rice tolerance to salt stress.