Tangeretin inhibits fungal ferroptosis to suppress rice blast

Flavonoids are polyphenolic secondary metabolites that function as signaling molecules, allopathic compounds, phytoalexins, detoxifying agents and antimicrobial defensive compounds in plants. Blast caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is a serious disease affecting rice cultivation. In this study, we revealed that a natural flavonoid, tangeretin, substantially delays the formation of M. oryzae appressoria and blocks the development of blast lesions on rice plants. Our data suggest that tangeretin has antioxidant activity that interferes with conidial cell death/ferroptosis, which is critical for M. oryzae pathogenicity. Tangeretin showed a ferroptosis inhibition efficacy comparable to the well-established liproxstatin-1. Furthermore, overexpression of the NADPH oxidases NOX1 or NOX2 significantly decreased sensitivity toward tangeretin treatment, suggesting Nox-mediated lipid peroxidation as a possible target for tangeretin in regulating redox signaling and ferroptosis in M. oryzae. Our nursery and field tests showed that application of tangeretin can effectively mitigate overall disease symptoms and prevent leaf blast. Our study reveals the plant-derived fungal ferroptosis inhibitor tangeretin as a potential and novel antifungal agrochemical for the sustainable prevention of the devastating blast disease in important cereal crops.