Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most important crops in the world, but its yield and quality are seriously affected by diverse diseases. Identifying broad-spectrum resistance genes is crucial for developing effective strategies to control the disease in maize. In a genome-wide study in maize, we identified a G-type lectin receptor kinase ZmLecRK1, as a new resistance protein against Pythium aphanidermatum, one of the causal pathogens of stalk rot in maize. Genetic analysis showed that the specific ZmLecRK1 allele can confer resistance to multiple pathogens in maize. The cell death and disease resistance phenotype mediated by the resistant variant of ZmLecRK1 requires the co-receptor ZmBAK1. A naturally occurring A404S variant in the extracellular domain of ZmLecRK1 determines the ZmLecRK1-ZmBAK1 interaction and the formation of ZmLecRK1-related protein complexes. Interestingly, the ZmLecRK1 susceptible variant was found to possess the amino acid S404 that is present in the ancestral variants of ZmLecRK1 and conserved among the majority of grass species, while the resistance variant of ZmLecRK1 with A404 is only present in a few maize inbred lines. Substitution of S by A at position 404 in ZmLecRK1-like proteins of sorghum and rice greatly enhances their ability to induce cell death. Further transcriptomic analysis reveals that ZmLecRK1 likely regulates gene expression related to the pathways in cell wall organization or biogenesis in response to pathogen infection. Taken together, these results suggest that the ZmLecRK1 resistance variant enhances its binding affinity to the co-receptor ZmBAK1, thereby enhancing the formation of active complexes for defense in maize. Our work highlights the biotechnological potential for generating disease-resistant crops by precisely modulating the activity of ZmLecRK1 and its homologs through targeted base editing.

中文翻译：

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玉米 ZmLecRK1 的自然变异决定了它与 ZmBAK1 的相互作用和对多种病原体的抗性模式


玉米 （Zea mays） 是世界上最重要的作物之一，但其产量和质量受到多种疾病的严重影响。鉴定广谱抗性基因对于开发控制玉米病害的有效策略至关重要。在一项玉米全基因组研究中，我们确定了一种 G 型凝集素受体激酶 ZmLecRK1，作为一种针对 Pythium aphanidermatum 的新抗性蛋白，Pythium aphanidermatum 是玉米茎腐病的致病病原体之一。遗传分析表明，特异性 ZmLecRK1 等位基因可赋予玉米对多种病原体的抗性。由 ZmLecRK1 的耐药变体介导的细胞死亡和疾病耐药表型需要共受体 ZmBAK1。ZmLecRK1 细胞外结构域中天然存在的 A404S 变体决定了 ZmLecRK1-ZmBAK1 相互作用和 ZmLecRK1 相关蛋白复合物的形成。有趣的是，发现 ZmLecRK1 易感变体具有存在于 ZmLecRK1 祖先变体中的氨基酸 S404，并且在大多数草种中是保守的，而 ZmLecRK1 与 A404 的抗性变体仅存在于少数玉米自交系中。在高粱和水稻的 ZmLecRK1 样蛋白中，在 404 位用 A 取代 S 大大增强了它们诱导细胞死亡的能力。进一步的转录组学分析表明，ZmLecRK1 可能调节与响应病原体感染的细胞壁组织或生物发生通路相关的基因表达。综上所述，这些结果表明 ZmLecRK1 抗性变体增强了其与共受体 ZmBAK1 的结合亲和力，从而增强了玉米中用于防御的活性复合物的形成。 我们的工作通过靶向碱基编辑精确调节 ZmLecRK1 及其同源物的活性，突出了产生抗病作物的生物技术潜力。