WRKY53: A Key Player in Stress Responses and Growth Regulation in Rice

doi:10.1016/j.rsci.2025.08.008

Abstract

Abstract:

As sessile organisms, plants must adapt various stresses. Accordingly, they have evolved several plant-specific growth and developmental processes. WRKY53 is a member of the WRKY transcription factor family, which plays a crucial role in rice growth and development, stress response, and hormone signal transduction. This review discusses the role of WRKY53 in stress response, focusing on its functions in cold tolerance, salt tolerance, disease resistance, and pest defense, and explores its role in regulating rice leaf senescence and seed germination. This article also proposes future research directions, including functional genomics studies, protein interaction network analyses, hormone signal transduction pathways, genetic improvement strategies, applications of gene editing technologies, molecular basis of stress responses, cross- species functional conservation, and bioinformatics and comparative genomics research. This review highlights the importance of WRKY53 in rice biology and provides new perspectives and strategies for future research and genetic improvement of rice.

Key words: WRKY53, rice, stress response, signal transduction, growth and development, genetic improvement

An Shuaizu, Lü Jun, Ma Zemin, Gao Xuanlin, Zhang Biaoming, Yang Pingfang, Ke Yinggen. WRKY53: A Key Player in Stress Responses and Growth Regulation in Rice[J]. Rice Science, 2026, 33(1): 30-38.

Figures/Tables 2

Fig. 1. Functions of WRKY53 in rice. The red ‘↑’ represent positive regulation, and the blue ‘┬’ represent negative regulation. In this network diagram, WRKY53 is at the center and connected to three major categories of biological processes: abiotic stress, biotic stress, and growth and development. These broad categories are further divided into specific physiological and developmental processes, such as cold tolerance, salt tolerance, and bacterial blight. Each process is linked to specific molecular mechanisms or signaling pathways, demonstrating the role of WRKY53 in regulating the response of rice to various stresses and developmental processes.

Fig. 2. WRKY53-centered gene network. The red ‘↑’ represent positive regulation, and the blue ‘┬’ represent negative regulation. In this network diagram, WRKY53 is at the center and is connected to multiple signaling pathways.

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