Immune-enriched phyllosphere microbiome in rice panicle exhibits protective effects against rice blast and rice false smut diseases.

Activation of immune responses leads to an enrichment of beneficial microbes in rice panicle. We therefore selected the enriched operational taxonomy units (OTUs) exhibiting direct suppression effects on fungal pathogens, and established a simplified synthetic community (SynCom) which consists of three beneficial microbes. Application of this SynCom exhibits protective effect against fungal pathogen infection in rice.

Bacillus cereus NJ01 induces SA- and ABA-mediated immunity against bacterial pathogens through the EDS1-WRKY18 module.

Emerging evidence suggests a beneficial role of rhizobacteria in ameliorating plant disease resistance in an environment-friendly way. In this study, we characterize a rhizobacterium, Bacillus cereus NJ01, that enhances bacterial pathogen resistance in rice and Arabidopsis. Transcriptome analyses show that root inoculation of NJ01 induces the expression of salicylic acid (SA)- and abscisic acid (ABA)-related genes in Arabidopsis leaves. Genetic evidence showed that EDS1, PAD4, and WRKY18 are required for B. cereus NJ01-induced bacterial resistance. An EDS1-PAD4 complex interacts with WRKY18 and enhances its DNA binding activity. WRKY18 directly binds to the W box in the promoter region of the SA biosynthesis gene ICS1 and ABA biosynthesis genes NCED3 and NCED5 and contributes to the NJ01-induced bacterial resistance. Taken together, our findings indicate a role of the EDS1/PAD4-WRKY18 complex in rhizobacteria-induced disease resistance.