Mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades play important roles in various biological programs in plants, including immune responses, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we identified the lesion mimic mutant rsr25 (rust spots rice 25) and determined that the mutant harbored a loss-of-function allele for OsMKK6 (MITOGEN-ACTIVATED KINASE KINASE 6). rsr25 developed reddish-brown spots on its leaves at the heading stage, as well as on husks. Compared to the wild type, the rsr25 mutant exhibited enhanced resistance to the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae) and to the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). OsMKK6 interacted with OsMPK4 (MITOGEN-ACTIVATED KINASE 4) in vivo, and OsMKK6 phosphorylated OsMPK4 in vitro. The Osmpk4 mutant is also a lesion mimic mutant, with reddish-brown spots on its leaves and husks. Pathogen-related genes were significantly upregulated in Osmpk4, and this mutant exhibited enhanced resistance to M. oryzae compared to the wild type. Our results indicate that OsMKK6 and OsMPK4 form a cascade that regulates immune responses in rice.
Keywords: OsMKK6; defense response; lesion mimic mutant; rice (Oryza sativa L.).