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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Angharad MR GatehouseORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2026 The Author(s). Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Striped stem borer (SSB; Chilo suppressalis Walker) is one of the most destructive pests in rice production. Previous studies have demonstrated that SSB infestation induces transcription of OsT5H (tryptamine-5-hydroxylase) and biosynthesis of serotonin, a newly recognised phytohormone, and that disruption of serotonin biosynthesis significantly increases SSB resistance. However, the regulatory module modulating serotonin biosynthesis remains to be identified and characterised. Here, we reveal an OsMYB306-OsRAV11 module that regulates OsT5H transcription and serotonin biosynthesis in response to SSB infestation in rice. OsMYB306 and OsRAV11 can bind to the OsT5H promoter and repress its transcription. In the module, OsRAV11 interacts with OsMYB306 and enhances its inhibitory effect on OsT5H transcription. CRISPR/Cas9-generated knockout mutants (myb306, rav11 and myb306 rav11) exhibited elevated OsT5H expression, increased serotonin accumulation and reduced SSB resistance. Conversely, OsRAV11 overexpression reduced OsT5H transcription. Our findings establish a transcriptional regulatory framework for the biosynthesis of serotonin in response to SSB infestation. These findings inform the development of new strategies for producing SSB-resistant rice by genome editing, potentially reducing reliance on chemical pesticides for SSB control.
Author(s): Zhang J-R, Wang L, Chen Y-F, Guo X-H, Jiang M, Tan Y-Y, Wang Q, Qian Q, Gatehouse AMR, Shu Q-Y
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Plant Biotechnology Journal
Year: 2026
Pages: Epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 07/05/2026
Acceptance date: 29/04/2026
Date deposited: 18/05/2026
ISSN (print): 1467-7644
ISSN (electronic): 1467-7652
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Inc
URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70680
DOI: 10.1111/pbi.70680
Data Access Statement: All the data generated or analysed during this study are presented in the manuscript.
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