A TaSnRK1α-TaCAT2 model mediates resistance to Fusarium crown rot by scavenging ROS in common wheat

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a serious underlying disease to threaten wheat yield and quality recently. Here, we identify a catalase antioxidant enzyme (TaCAT2) through genome wide association study (GWAS) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) in two nested bi-parental populations. We verify the function of TaCAT2 regulating wheat FCR resistance by genetic transformation. Moreover, we screen a sucrose non-fermenting-1-related protein kinase alpha subunit (TaSnRK1α) interacting with TaCAT2, and subsequently find that TaSnRK1α phosphorylates TaCAT2. We next identify an FCR-resistance haplotype TaCAT2^Ser214, and confirm that Ser214 of TaCAT2 is a key phosphorylation site for TaSnRK1α. We also find that TaSnRK1α results in higher protein accumulation in TaCAT2^Ser214 than in TaCAT2^Thr214, which possibly contribute to scavenging ROS (reactive oxygen species) in TaCAT2^Ser214 wheat plants. Furthermore, the function of TaSnRK1α regulating FCR resistance is verified by genetic transformation. Taken together, we propose a TaSnRK1α-TaCAT2 model to mediate FCR resistance by scavenging the ROS in wheat plants.