WRKY transcription factors (TFs) play a pivotal role in plant resistance against stress. Lignin is a plant component that is of great importance in many industrial and agricultural disciplines. However, how WRKYs regulate plant lignin synthesis pathways and defense against insects is largely unknown. Here, we investigate WRKYs in , a model plant and biofactory widely used worldwide, elucidating their responses to the whitefly, a globally significant agricultural pest, and their functions in regulating plant defense by regulating lignin synthesis. Firstly, we identified a total of 118 in the genome and performed necessary bioinformatics analyses. Then, we studied nine whitefly-inducible and found that they were localized in the nucleus, significantly expressed in leaf tissues, and affected the phytohormone pathways. Meanwhile, NbWRKY21, NbWRKY45, NbWRKY81, and NbWRKY117 were proved to be involved in defense against whiteflies. Additionally, through DNA-TFs interaction experiments, we demonstrated that the WRKYs activated the expression of key genes— (), (), and ()—in the lignin synthesis pathway. Specifically, NbWRKY81 activated the and , while NbWRKY45 promoted , by binding to their promoters, affecting whitefly feeding behavior, and therefore enhancing whitefly defense. Our findings contribute to a comprehensive knowledge of the WRKYs in plant defense against herbivore insects by regulating lignin synthesis.

中文翻译：

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对烟草WRKY家族的全基因组分析揭示了调节木质素合成和烟粉虱抗性的关键成员


WRKY 转录因子 (TF) 在植物抗逆性中发挥着关键作用。木质素是一种在许多工业和农业学科中非常重要的植物成分。然而，WRKYs 如何调节植物木质素合成途径和防御昆虫的机制尚不清楚。在这里，我们研究了在世界范围内广泛使用的模型植物和生物工厂中的 WRKY，阐明了它们对粉虱（一种全球重要的农业害虫）的反应，以及它们通过调节木质素合成来调节植物防御的功能。首先，我们在基因组中总共鉴定了 118 个，并进行了必要的生物信息学分析。然后，我们研究了九种粉虱诱导因子，发现它们定位于细胞核，在叶组织中显着表达，并影响植物激素途径。同时，NbWRKY21、NbWRKY45、NbWRKY81和NbWRKY117被证明参与对粉虱的防御。此外，通过 DNA-TF 相互作用实验，我们证明 WRKY 激活了木质素合成途径中关键基因（）、（）和（）的表达。具体来说，NbWRKY81 激活 和 ，而 NbWRKY45 通过与它们的启动子结合促进 ，影响粉虱的取食行为，从而增强粉虱的防御。我们的研究结果有助于全面了解WRKYs通过调节木质素合成来防御草食性昆虫的植物。