Find in Library

Ca²⁺ plays a crucial role as a secondary messenger in plant development and response to abiotic/biotic stressors. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs/CPKs) are essential Ca²⁺ sensors that can convert Ca²⁺ signals into downstream phosphorylation signals. However, there is limited research on the function of CDPKs in the context of wheat–<i>Puccinia striiformis</i> f. sp. <i>tritici</i> (<i>Pst</i>) interaction. In this study, we aimed to address this gap by identifying putative <i>CDPK</i> genes from the wheat reference genome and organizing them into four phylogenetic clusters (I-IV). To investigate the expression patterns of the <i>TaCDPK</i> family during the wheat–<i>Pst</i> interaction, we analyzed time series RNA-seq data and further validated the results through qRT-PCR assays. Among the <i>TaCDPK</i> genes, <i>TaCDPK7</i> exhibited a significant induction during the wheat–<i>Pst</i> interaction, suggesting that it has a potential role in wheat resistance to <i>Pst</i>. To gain further insights into the function of <i>TaCDPK7</i>, we employed virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to knock down its expression which resulted in impaired wheat resistance to <i>Pst</i>, accompanied by decreased accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), increased fungal biomass ratio, reduced expression of defense-related genes, and enhanced pathogen hyphal growth. These findings collectively suggest that <i>TaCDPK7</i> plays an important role in wheat resistance to <i>Pst</i>. In summary, this study expands our understanding of wheat CDPKs and provides novel insights into their involvement in the wheat–<i>Pst</i> interaction.