Engineering a strigolactone receptor to evade viral hijacking in rice

: This highlight discusses the study by Yang et al. (Cell, 2026), which reveals an unexpected function of strigolactone (SL) signaling in rice antiviral immunity. This work shows that SL signaling promotes antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) through the ONAC131-MID1-RDR1/RDR6 pathway. Rice grassy stunt virus (RGSV) suppresses this defense through viral protein P3, which targets SL receptor DWARF14 (D14) at its DWARF3 (D3)-binding interface and stabilizes repressor D53, thereby attenuating RDR1/RDR6 expression and virus-derived small interfering RNA amplification. Structural and genetic analyses identify D102 of D14 as a critical determinant of the P3-D14 interaction but not of SL perception. Precise base editing of D102N generates transgene-free rice lines with enhanced RGSV resistance while maintaining normal growth and yield. This work establishes phytohormone receptors as editable targets for crop protection and provides a promising strategy for engineering durable antiviral resistance in rice.