Stripe Rust Effector Pst08755 Targets Wheat Receptor-Like Cytoplasmic Kinase TaRLCK176 to Inhibit Host Immunity

Wheat stripe rust, caused by the Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a devastating disease that threatens global wheat production. Pst deploys numerous effectors to manipulate host processes during infection. Receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs) coordinate complex defense responses against microbial pathogens, but their roles in wheat immunity remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified a wheat TaRLCK176, the ortholog of OsRLCK176, plays a positive role in wheat resistance to Pst. Stable overexpression of TaRLCK176 in wheat confers broad-spectrum resistance against Pst. Additionally, TaRLCK176 is targeted by the stripe rust effector Pst08755, which promotes the degradation of TaRLCK176, thereby suppresses chitin-induced MAP kinase activation, and facilitates Pst infection. In summary, our results reveal that Pst effector Pst08755 targets and promotes the degradation of TaRLCK176, suppressing host immunity. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms of Pst pathogenicity and wheat defense.