plant communications，december 23, 2025
abstract
. 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 strainsof 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.
plant communications，if=11.6
