A Ca(2+) sensor-transcription factor cascade regulates cell-wall fortification and broad-spectrum disease resistance in rice.

The OsVAL2-OsDOF3-OsCSE module promotes lignin deposition and confers broad-spectrum disease resistance in rice, with ROD1 sequestering OsVAL2 to suppress this immune pathway.

• Why it matters: Understanding how rice immune responses are regulated is vital for developing disease-resistant crops, as current knowledge of molecular mechanisms remains limited.
• What they did: Researchers characterized an immune signaling cascade involving OsVAL2, OsDOF3, and OsCSE, demonstrating that this module enhances cell-wall fortification and disease resistance, and that ROD1 interacts with OsVAL2 to inhibit this pathway.
• The result: The study uncovers a spatiotemporal regulatory mechanism controlling immune homeostasis in rice, emphasizing the importance of cell-wall remodeling in broad-spectrum disease resistance.