GhWRKY1-like enhances cotton resistance to Verticillium dahliae via an increase in defense-induced lignification and S monolignol content

Cotton is one of the most important economic crops and is cultivated globally. Verticillium wilt, caused by the soil-borne hemibiotrophic fungus Verticillium dahliae, is the most destructive disease in cotton production for its infection strategies and great genetic plasticity. Recent studies have identified the accumulation of lignin is a general and basal defense reaction in plant immunity and cotton resistance to V. dahliae. However, the functions and regulatory mechanisms of transcription factors in cotton defense-induced lignification and lignin composition alteration were less reported. Here, we identified a WRKY transcription factor GhWRKY1-like from upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) as a positive regulator in resistance to V. dahliae via directly manipulating lignin biosynthesis. Further analysis revealed that GhWRKY1-like interacts with the promoters of lignin biosynthesis related genes GhPAL6 and GhCOMT1, and activates the expression of GhPAL6 and GhCOMT1, which led to enhanced total lignin especially S monomers biosynthesis. These results demonstrate that GhWRKY1-like enhances Verticillium wilt resistance via an increase in defense-induced lignification and broaden our knowledge of the roles of lignification and the lignin composition in plant defense responses.