OsEPSPS Balances Disease Resistance and Plant Growth.

Silencing OsEPSPS in rice enhances disease resistance by activating immune responses but reduces plant growth, demonstrating its role in balancing these traits.

• Why it matters: Balancing plant growth and disease resistance is essential for developing high-yield, resilient crops, yet the regulatory mechanisms beyond hormones are not well understood.
• What they did: Researchers silenced the OsEPSPS gene in rice, observing increased levels of trigonelline and NMN, which boost immunity against rice blast without directly inhibiting pathogen germination.
• The result: This work reveals OsEPSPS as a key regulator that coordinates growth and immune responses, enabling strategies to optimize crop resilience while managing growth trade-offs.