OsEPSPS Balances Disease Resistance and Plant Growth

The balance between the antagonistic traits, such as plant growth and disease resistance, is crucial for developing elite crop varieties. While the roles of plant hormones in this balance are well established, the regulatory function of secondary metabolites remains largely unexplored. Here, we report that 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (OsEPSPS), a key enzyme in the shikimate pathway, regulates both plant growth and disease resistance. Silencing the OsEPSPS gene in rice compromises the shikimate pathway but enhances the nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, resulting in the accumulations of trigonelline and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). These metabolites boost resistance to rice blast by activating plant immune responses rather than inhibiting the germination and growth of Magnaporthe oryzae. Furthermore, silencing OsEPSPS conferring disease resistance results in less growth in plant. Our findings highlight the pivotal role of OsEPSPS in coordinating plant growth and disease resistance.