水稻WRKY77受茉莉酸和稻瘟菌诱导，且具有小种特异性。超表达WRKY77增加了茉莉酸的积累和提高了对稻瘟菌的抗性，而RNAi干涉植株表现相反，说明WRKY77是水稻抗病的正调控因子。本项目将利用WRKY77敲除突变体等材料分析该基因对茉莉酸和水稻抗病信号途径的影响；通过ChIP-seq、RNA-seq、酵母双杂交和免疫共沉淀等方法获得WRKY77的靶标基因和互作蛋白，并挑选1-2个新基因进行后续研究；分析茉莉酸和稻瘟菌处理对WRKY77磷酸化修饰的影响以及磷酸化对WRKY77蛋白功能的影响。研究对明确WRKY77在茉莉酸介导的水稻抗病途径中的作用有意义。

Expression levels of rice WRKY77 was induced by jasmonate treatment and inoculation of rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae in a race-specific manner. Accumulation of JA and its analogs was increased in WRKY77 overexpression plants and decreased in its RNAi lines. Plant with increased WRKY77 expression exhibited enhanced resistance to M. oryzae, suggesting that WRKY77 is a positive regulator against the fungal pathogen. In this project, we will try to know how WRKY77 functions in the JA-mediated defense pathway of rice using its knock-out and overexpressing plants. We will figure out the target genes of WRKY77 and its interacting components by ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, yeast-two hybrid, immune coprecipitation, and so on methods, and select 1-2 unique genes for further studies. Also, we will analyze phosphorylation status of WRKY77 in response to JA treatment and pathogen infection and effects of WRKY77 phosphorylation on its biochemical functions and stability. The goal of this study is to figure out how WRKY77 functions in JA-mediated in the rice innate immunity.