Transcription factor CpWRKY50 enhances anthracnose resistance by promoting jasmonic acid signaling in papaya

Abstract

Colletotrichum brevisporum is an important fungal pathogen that causes anthracnose and has led to serious postharvest losses of papaya (Carica papaya L.) fruit in recent years. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) play vital roles in regulating plant resistance to pathogens, but their functions in papaya anthracnose resistance need further exploration. In this study, we identified a WRKY TF, CpWRKY50, which belongs to the WRKY IIc subfamily. During infection with C. brevisporum, expression of CpWRKY50 in anthracnose-resistant papaya cultivars was significantly higher than that in susceptible cultivars. CpWRKY50 was induced by methyl jasmonate, and CpWRKY50 localized in the nucleus. In yeast, full-length CpWRKY50 had transactivation activity, but CpWRKY50 variants truncated at the N or C termini did not. CpWRKY50 positively regulated papaya resistance to C. brevisporum, as demonstrated by transient overexpression of CpWRKY50 in papaya and heterologous expression of CpWRKY50 in tomato. Moreover, endogenous jasmonic acid (JA) and JA-isoleucine levels in the fruits of transgenic tomato OE lines were higher than in wild type both before and after inoculation with C. brevisporum, indicating that increased CpWRKY50 expression promotes JA accumulation. Furthermore, our results revealed CpWRKY50 directly binds to W-box motifs (TTGACC) in the promoters of two JA signaling-related genes, CpMYC2 and pathogenesis-related 4 CpPR4, thereby activating their expression. Our data support that CpWRKY50 positively regulates anthracnose resistance in papaya by promoting JA signaling. These results broaden our understanding of papaya disease resistance mechanisms and will facilitate the genetic improvement of papaya through molecular breeding.