Bioscience Methods 2025, Vol.16, No.6, 289-298 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 294 6.2 Functional characterization and utilization of the anthracnose resistance gene CsWRKY40 When it comes to major diseases of tea trees, anthracnose is definitely an issue that cannot be avoided. In recent years, the transcription factor CsWRKY40 has gradually come into the research field. It has been found to directly promote the expression of F-box-LRR genes CsFBXL13. This regulatory relationship has been verified by subcellular localization, yeast single-hybrid and luciferase experiments, effectively enhancing the resistance of tea plants to low temperature and pathogen stress (Dou et al., 2025). Of course, CsWRKY40 is not the only candidate gene. Current transcriptome and co-expression network analyses have also identified many potential targets, including NBS-LRR disease-resistant proteins, PR genes, etc. These genes are generally upregulated in resistant varieties (Figure 2) (Tao et al., 2025; Xu et al., 2025). These materials have been gradually used for molecular marker selection and functional verification, and may also become an important entry point for improving anthrax resistance in the future. Figure 2 (a) The spore morphology of the pathogenic microorganism for inoculation; (b) lesion morphology in both control and treated groups at 7 days post-inoculation. (c) Relative expression levels of candidate gene GWHGACFB006749. (d) Relative expression levels of candidate gene GWHGACFB00356(**p < 0.01) (Adopted from Xu et al., 2025) 6.3 Exploratory application of CRISPR/Cas9 in editing defense-related genes in tea plants Although tea plants are not as mature and easy to handle as rice, CRISPR/Cas9 has also begun to be introduced into this system. Although not many reports have been made, some experiments have been attempting to edit some key defense-related genes, such as NLR immune receptors, hormone pathway-related transcription factors,
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