Integrated Transcriptome and MicroRNAome Analysis Reveals Dynamic Responses Underlying ZmWAK-Mediated Resistance to Head Smut in Maize
- 1State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-Breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Abstract
The maize wall-associated kinase gene ZmWAK confers partial resistance to head smut caused by Sporisorium reilianum, yet how it coordinates dynamic immune responses remains poorly understood. Here, we integrated transcriptome and microRNAome analyses of near-isogenic maize lines differing at the ZmWAK locus to dissect the regulatory landscape underlying ZmWAK-mediated resistance during mesocotyl infection. We found that ZmWAK was associated with a stage-specific defense trajectory characterized by dynamic shifts in phytohormone networks, intermediate cellular reprogramming, and late-stage cell wall remodeling. A conserved extracellular defense signature was maintained through sustained activation of apoplastic oxidoreductase-associated processes. Meanwhile, ZmWAK-associated miRNAs were preferentially reprogrammed during peak pathogen proliferation, and their predicted targets were enriched in phenylpropanoid metabolism, lignin biosynthesis, secondary metabolism, and apoplastic oxidoreductase activity. These patterns suggest that transcriptional and post-transcriptional responses converge on extracellular redox and cell wall-associated defense processes. Together, our findings define a dynamic, multilayered regulatory landscape associated with ZmWAK-mediated quantitative resistance and provide insights into how resistance loci coordinate temporal immune responses during pathogen infection.
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BibTeX
@article{he2026integrated,
title = {{Integrated Transcriptome and MicroRNAome Analysis Reveals Dynamic Responses Underlying ZmWAK-Mediated Resistance to Head Smut in Maize}},
author = {Shengfeng He and Yuanliang Liu and Wenqian Fan and Qianqian Zhang and Suining Deng and Mingliang Xu},
journal = {Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/jof12100726},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13706160},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrated Transcriptome and MicroRNAome Analysis Reveals Dynamic Responses Underlying ZmWAK-Mediated Resistance to Head Smut in Maize
AU - Shengfeng He
AU - Yuanliang Liu
AU - Wenqian Fan
AU - Qianqian Zhang
AU - Suining Deng
AU - Mingliang Xu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/jof12100726
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13706160
AB - The maize wall-associated kinase gene ZmWAK confers partial resistance to head smut caused by Sporisorium reilianum, yet how it coordinates dynamic immune responses remains poorly understood. Here, we integrated transcriptome and microRNAome analyses of near-isogenic maize lines differing at the ZmWAK locus to dissect the regulatory landscape underlying ZmWAK-mediated resistance during mesocotyl infection. We found that ZmWAK was associated with a stage-specific defense trajectory characterized by dynamic shifts in phytohormone networks, intermediate cellular reprogramming, and late-stage cell wall remodeling. A conserved extracellular defense signature was maintained through sustained activation of apoplastic oxidoreductase-associated processes. Meanwhile, ZmWAK-associated miRNAs were preferentially reprogrammed during peak pathogen proliferation, and their predicted targets were enriched in phenylpropanoid metabolism, lignin biosynthesis, secondary metabolism, and apoplastic oxidoreductase activity. These patterns suggest that transcriptional and post-transcriptional responses converge on extracellular redox and cell wall-associated defense processes. Together, our findings define a dynamic, multilayered regulatory landscape associated with ZmWAK-mediated quantitative resistance and provide insights into how resistance loci coordinate temporal immune responses during pathogen infection.
SN - 2309-608X
ER -