| Summary: | Yellow stripe-like (YSL) transporters are required for the transportation of metal-phytosiderophores and are structurally related to metal-nicotianamine complexes. Some studies also reported the involvement of YSL transporters in pathogen-induced defense. However, the molecular mechanisms of <i>YSL</i> genes involved in biotic stress responses are still not clear, especially in cereal crops. This study aimed to functionally characterize <i>TaYS1A</i> during the interaction of wheat and <i>Puccinia striiformis</i> f. sp. <i>tritici</i> (<i>Pst</i>), the causal agent of stripe rust disease. TaYS1A was localized in the cell membrane of wheat protoplasts and <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i> cells. <i>TaYS1A</i> was significantly up-regulated in wheat leaves after being infected with the avirulent <i>Pst</i> isolate CYR23 and after treatment with salicylic acid (SA). Silencing of <i>TaYS1A</i> by the virus-induced gene silencing method enhanced the susceptibility of wheat to <i>Pst</i> accompanied by reducing the accumulation of SA and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and down-regulating the transcriptions of <i>TaPR1</i> and <i>TaPR2</i>. In addition, TaYS1A was found to interact with TaNH2, a homolog of OsNH2, by yeast-two-hybrid assay, and silencing of <i>TaYS1A</i> diminished the expression of <i>TaNH2</i>. Our findings suggested the existence of positive regulation of <i>TaYS1A</i> in providing resistance against <i>Pst</i> by modulating SA-induced signaling and offered new insight into the biological role of <i>YSL</i> in wheat against pathogens.
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