Plant Communications，December 23, 2025

Abstract

Plant Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors play a critical role in plant defense, but the mechanisms regulating their expression remain incompletely understood. Here, we report that the rice CCCH-tandem zinc finger protein OsTZF1 interacts with both AvrPiz-t Interacting Protein 10 (APIP10) and the NLR protein Piz-t. OsTZF1 positively regulates rice immunity by enhancing the transcript levels of OsSGT1 and OsKS4 through binding to the AAAGC motif. However, in Piz-t-carrying plants, knockout of OsTZF1 results in increased Piz-t transcript and protein levels, resulting in enhanced resistance to virulent strains of Magnaporthe oryzae without a growth penalty. Furthermore, we demonstrate that OsTZF1 can directly bind to the AAAGC motif of Piz-t, thereby repressing its expression level. Thus, OsTZF1 functions as a dual regulator: it activating general defense genes while suppressing Piz-t-mediated resistance to virulent strains, balancing resistance and growth. These findings reveal a strategy to engineer NLR-mediated resistance in crops by fine-tuning immune regulators to achieve both disease resistance and yield stability.

Plant Communications，IF=11.6

https://www.cell.com/plant-communications/fulltext/S2590-3462(25)00444-4