The OsWRKY7-OsVQ3 module regulates seedling-stage cold tolerance in rice

Area of Science:

• Plant Biology
• Genetics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Cold stress significantly impacts rice yield and quality, threatening global food security.
• WRKY transcription factors are crucial in plant responses, but their role in rice cold tolerance is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify rice WRKY genes involved in cold stress response.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanism of OsWRKY7 and its interaction with OsVQ3 in regulating cold tolerance.
• To investigate the role of natural variation in OsWRKY7 in rice adaptation to different latitudes.

Main Methods:

• Gene knockout and overexpression in rice.
• Transcriptome profiling (RNA-Seq) under cold stress.
• Biochemical analyses (co-immunoprecipitation) to study protein interactions.
• Analysis of natural variations in OsWRKY7 promoter sequences.

Main Results:

• OsWRKY7 acts as a negative regulator of cold tolerance; its knockout enhances tolerance, while overexpression increases sensitivity.
• OsWRKY7 directly targets cold-sensitive genes (OsPP2C27, OsXLG4) and modulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathways.
• OsVQ3 physically interacts with OsWRKY7, inhibiting its function; OsVQ3 knockout reduces cold tolerance.
• A japonica-specific OsWRKY7 promoter haplotype (Hap3) is associated with enhanced cold tolerance in high-latitude rice varieties.

Conclusions:

• The OsWRKY7-OsVQ3 module is a critical regulator of cold stress response in rice.
• Natural variation in the OsWRKY7 promoter contributes to latitude-specific adaptation.
• This study provides insights into breeding cold-resistant rice varieties by targeting the OsWRKY7 regulatory pathway.