Scorpion peptide LqhIT2 activates phenylpropanoid pathways via jasmonate to increase rice resistance to rice leafrollers.

LqhIT2 is an insect-specific toxin peptide identified in Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus that can be toxic to lepidoptera pests. However, whether LqhIT2 induces insect resistance in rice, and how the LqhIT2 influences the biochemical metabolism of rice plants remains unknown. Here, purified LqhIT2-GST fusion protein had toxicity to rice leafrollers. Meanwhile, in vitro and field trials showed that LqhIT2 transgenic rice plants were less damaged by rice leafrollers compared to the wild type plants. Introducing LqhIT2 primed the elevated expression of lipoxygenase, a key component of the jasmonic acid biosynthetic pathway, together with enhanced linolenic acid, cis-(+)-12-oxophytodienoic acid, jasmonic acid, and jasmonic acid-isoleucine levels. In addition, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, a key gene of the phenylpropanoid pathway, was up-regulated. Correspondingly, the contents of downstream products of the phenylpropanoid pathway such as flavonoids and lignins, were also increased in LqhIT2 transgenic plants. These changes were paralleled by decreased starch, glucose, and glucose-6-phosphate accumulation, the key metabolites of glycolysis pathway that supplies the raw material and intermediate carbon products for phenylpropanoids biosyntheses. These findings suggest that, in addition to its own toxicity against pests, LqhIT2 activate the phenylpropanoid pathway via jasmonate-mediated priming, which subsequently increases flavonoid and lignin content and improves insect resistance in rice.