Environmental factors are increasingly implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and this study investigated whether bisphenol S (BPS), a widely used endocrine disruptor, induces autism-like phenotypes using mouse and neuronal models. Prenatal and lactational BPS exposure induced male-biased autism-like behaviors, including impaired sociability, increased repetitive behaviors, and anxiety-related alterations. These behavioral deficits were accompanied by prefrontal BPS accumulation, reduced regional homogeneity and c-Fos-positive neuronal activation in the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and persistent synaptic abnormalities. Chemogenetic manipulation demonstrated that dmPFC activity is critical for the core social-deficit domain of BPS-induced autism-like behaviors, and that dmPFC activation alleviated these deficits. Further investigation via rs-fMRI and whole-brain monosynaptic retrograde tracing revealed weakened functional and anatomical connectivity between the left posterior basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (BLP) and dmPFC. This was associated with reduced CaMKIIα-positive excitatory neuronal phenotype and altered excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) marker profiles in the left BLP. Targeted activation of excitatory BLP-dmPFC projections ameliorated the core social deficits within BPS-induced autism-like behaviors. Collectively, our findings indicate that prenatal and lactational BPS exposure induces autism-like behaviors by disrupting the left BLP-dmPFC circuit, accompanied by altered E/I marker profiles and synaptic abnormalities. These findings establish a neural circuit basis for BPS-related neurodevelopmental toxicity.

Excessive copper (Cu) accumulation in soils triggers phytotoxicity and severely impairs crop growth and yield. Cu absorbed by plant roots is distributed to various tissues through root-to-shoot translocation. Although phytohormones have been widely documented to mediate plant responses to heavy metal stress, the role of brassinosteroids (BRs) in regulating Cu tolerance in rice remains unclear. Here, we show that Cu stress upregulates BR biosynthesis genes in rice, exogenous BR reduces ROS accumulation and lignin deposition under Cu stress. Phenotypic and physiological analyses of a series of BR-related genetic materials revealed that enhanced BR signaling, as in OsBZR1-overexpressing lines, improved shoot and root growth under Cu stress and attenuated ROS accumulation through enhanced activity of ROS-scavenging enzymes. Interestingly, BR promoted root Cu uptake and root-to-shoot translocation under normal conditions, but under Cu stress, however, plants with enhanced BR signaling exhibited reduced Cu accumulation and uptake capacity in roots, thereby alleviating growth inhibition, OsBZR1 serves as a key downstream hub mediating BR-dependent copper tolerance. Furthermore, BR modulated root Cu uptake and root-to-shoot translocation under Cu stress through transcriptional regulation of the Cu transport-related genes OsCOPT6, OsNPF6.5, and OsYSL16. In summary, our findings reveal that BR signaling mitigates Cu toxicity by integrating ROS homeostasis with transcriptional control of Cu transporters, leading to improved growth under stress, highlighting functional roles of multiple BR signaling components in mediating rice responses to Cu stress.

Upon attack by insect herbivores, plants can perceive herbivore-derived physical and chemical cues and rapidly reallocate their resources for growth and defense. Insect herbivory specifically induces rapid systemic down-regulation of plant photosynthesis, characterized by whole-plant systemic stomatal closure. However, its underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Here, we found that the simulated herbivory (wounding + oral secretion, WOS) in tomato local (treated) leaflets triggered a decrease of more than 45.0% in stomatal conductance (gs) in the systemic (adjacent and distal) uninjured leaflets 3 h after the treatment. Local WOS treatment also induced local upregulation of jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis genes and systemic JA accumulation in wild-type tomato. Consistently, the systemic stomatal closure response was severely compromised in JA synthesis-deficient mutants (spr2 and spr8). Grafting experiments with wild-type and spr8 mutant proved that the local JA biosynthesis triggered by WOS is essential for systemic stomatal closure. In addition, JA-mediated H2O2 bursts in the systemic guard cells is vital for systemic stomatal closure triggered by local WOS treatment. Our findings reveal a crucial role of local JA biosynthesis and systemic JA-mediated H2O2 bursts in systemic stomatal responses triggered by insect herbivory in tomato.

Rice (Oryza sativa) production faces serious threats from multiple biotic stresses, particularly the brown planthopper, rice blast, and bacterial blight. Developing resistant cultivars is the most sustainable control strategy. Compared to race-specific resistance genes, disrupting susceptibility genes often confers broader and potentially more durable resistance. However, engineering broad-spectrum resistance against both insect pests and pathogens by editing susceptibility genes remains challenging. In this study, we employed multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 editing to simultaneously disrupt key susceptibility genes involved in distinct defense pathways: ACS2 (for brown planthopper), Bsr-D1, ERF922 or Pi21 (for fungal blast), and Xa5 (for bacterial blight). Three triple-mutant lines (abx, aex, and apx) were successfully generated, and all exhibited significantly enhanced resistance to brown planthopper, blast, and bacterial blight without compromising major agronomic traits compared to the wild type. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of multiplex susceptibility gene editing as a precise and efficient strategy for breeding rice varieties with synchronized, broad-spectrum resistance to both insect pests and pathogenic diseases.

Salt stress severely constrains crop growth and yield, posing a significant threat to global food security. Although primary transcripts of microRNAs (pri-miRNAs) are known to encode regulatory peptides (miPEPs), their functions in salt tolerance remain poorly understood. Here, we report that miPEP156e, a small peptide encoded by pri-miR156e in rice, acts as a positive regulator of salt tolerance. Application or overexpression of miPEP156e markedly enhances salt tolerance in rice, while loss-of-function mutants exhibit increased sensitivity. Transcriptomic and physiological analyses reveal that miPEP156e modulates genes involved in ion transport, ROS scavenging, and osmotic adjustment. Under salt stress, miPEP156e maintains ion balance by limiting Na⁺ accumulation and preserving K⁺, while concurrently strengthening ROS scavenging capacity. Further analysis demonstrates that miPEP156e exerts these effects by regulating the miR156-SPL2 module. Collectively, our study establishes miPEP156e as a key regulatory peptide in rice salt tolerance, providing new insights into how miPEPs help plants cope with environmental stress.

Dry direct seeding (DDS) is a water-saving and high-efficiency rice cultivation system. However, drought stress during DDS severely constrains seedling establishment. This study used the conventional rice variety Zhonghua 11 (ZH11) and the drought-tolerant hybrid Hanyou 73 to investigate the effects of exogenous silicon (Si) on seed germination and seedling growth under drought stress, and to explore the underlying mechanisms of Si-enhanced drought tolerance. Drought stress was imposed using PEG-6000 simulation and pot experiments with different soil relative water contents (60%, 45%, 25%, and 10%). Si treatment significantly alleviated simulated drought inhibition of seed germination, increasing germination percentage and index, improving seedling growth in both varieties. Under simulated DDS conditions, Si significantly improved plant height, biomass, and root development, while maintaining higher net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, transpiration rate, and chlorophyll content. Meanwhile, Si reduced oxidative damage by promoting proline accumulation, enhancing peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities in both leaves and roots, reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, and upregulating the expression of key drought-responsive genes (SNAC1, DREB1A, SKIPa, P5CS2). Furthermore, Si upregulated the expression of genes involved in abscisic acid (ABA) (ABA1, ABA2, MHZ5, ABI3) and jasmonic acid (JA) (AOS2, AOS3, JAR1, JAR2, MYC2, COI1a) biosynthesis and signaling. Compared with the wild-type, the ABA signaling mutant abi3 and the JA signaling mutant myc2 exhibited significantly attenuated improvement of plant growth by Si treatment. Collectively, Si enhances antioxidant capacity and osmotic adjustment, maintains photosynthetic function, and is associated with the activation of ABA and JA signaling pathways, which together alleviate the inhibition of rice seedling establishment under DDS-associated drought stress. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the application of Si fertilizer in DDS rice production.

Silicon (Si) serves as a beneficial element that enhances plant resistance to both abiotic and biotic stresses. Although its positive effects have been widely investigated, the molecular mechanisms by which silicon improves stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) remain unclear. Here, we show that Si displayed an optimal improved effect at concentrations of 2-4 mM in hydroponic system, and Si enhanced rice tolerance to drought and blast disease by maintaining reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and reducing root cell damage. In addition, Si at 4 mM upregulated the ABA biosynthesis gene OsNCED3, stress- and ABA-responsive genes OsDREB2A and OsLEA5, as well as the catalase gene OsCatB, while suppressing the drought-responsive negative regulator OsWRKY5, thereby enhancing drought tolerance through an ABA-dependent signaling pathway. Si at 4 mM enhanced resistance to rice blast by activating defense-related genes OsPBZ1, OsPR10a, OsPR5 and OsWRKY45 while simultaneously boosting ROS-scavenging capacity. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Si enhances rice tolerance to drought and blast disease through the coordinated modulation of ABA signaling, ROS homeostasis, and stress-related gene expression.

BPF is a ubiquitous environmental chemical that has been shown to affect neurodevelopmental toxicity from animals to humans. Whether BPF exposure affects neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation is unknown. Here, we utilized a method of permeabilization of Drosophila embryos to analyze the effects of exposure to 0.5 mM, 1 mM, and 2 mM BPF on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. Our results showed that BPF exposure reduced the number of neuroblasts and intermediate neural progenitors during the embryonic stage, which caused the neuron/glial cell ratio to be out of balance, with a decrease in the number of neurons and an increase in the number of glial cells. BPF exposure caused neurotoxicity by reducing the activities of the antioxidant enzymes CAT and SOD, the downregulation of the transcriptional levels of oxidative stress-related genes, which triggered oxidative damage. As a result, embryonic BPF exposure affected the development of the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) by reducing the number of axon branches and synaptic buttons, decreasing the number of peristaltic contractions, and reducing larval locomotion. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that embryonic BPF exposure disrupts neural stem cell proliferation, causing neurodevelopmental toxicity and abnormal larval behavior.

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic element that significantly threatens plant growth and human health. Brassinosteroids (BRs) and salicylic acid (SA) are crucial phytohormones involved in plant growth and defense. While the mechanisms by which BRs and SA individually regulate various plant biological processes have been extensively studied, their interaction with Cd in rice (Oryza sativa L.) remains poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that SLENDER GRAIN (OsSLG), a BR biosynthesis-related gene, plays a critical role in regulating in rice. Overexpression of OsSLG enhanced Cd tolerance, whereas OsSLG RNA interference (RNAi) lines (OsSLG-Ri) exhibited hypersensitivity to Cd stress. Exogenous BR treatment improved the Cd tolerance of the wild type and rescued the Cd-sensitive phenotype of OsSLG-Ri. Furthermore, OsSLG overexpression significantly reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Cd accumulation, this reduction was attributed to the downregulation of genes involved in Cd absorption and transport, as well as the upregulation of genes associated with Cd detoxification and ROS scavenging. In addition, OsSLG enhanced the photosynthetic capacity and mineral element content in rice plants, improving their ability to cope with Cd stress. Gene expression analysis showed that OsSLG promoted the expression of the SA pathway genes, and phenotypic analysis confirmed that SA positively regulates Cd tolerance in rice. Notably, BR-induced Cd tolerance was diminished in SA biosynthesis-deficient rice plants overexpressing SA hydroxylase genes OsS5H1 and OsS5H2, suggesting that the SA pathway is necessary for BR-mediated Cd tolerance. In conclusion, our findings highlight OsSLG as a key player in elucidating the interplay between BR and SA under Cd stress.

TALEN-mediated plant genome editing has the advantages of high specificity, independence from epigenetic modification, lack of PAM limitation, and feasibility for organelle editing due to no need for RNA binding. However, the assembly of TALEN vectors was difficult and laborious, affecting the popularity of TALEN genome editing in plants. In this study, a novel TALEN-based plant genome editing tool, ZQTALEN, was developed. This system comprises a total of nine plasmids categorized into three types. The TALE repeat units are obtained through PCR utilizing the template vector as the amplification template. These units are then assembled sequentially: first into donor vectors to form entry vectors, and subsequently transferred to destination vectors, resulting in the final binary vector. Characterized by the optimization of codon usage, assembly method of TALE repeat array, and vector backbone components, ZQTALEN has the advantages of easy, flexible and efficient assembly and less repeated sequences in the final vector. Using the ZQTALEN system, a TALEN binary vector was successfully constructed to target the endogenous Nramp5 gene in rice, resulting in the high-frequency acquisition of rice mutants. The ZQTALEN system has provided a versatile tool for genetic research in plants. A high-efficiency TALEN system, ZQTALEN, was devised for genome editing in plants.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is critical for providing energy and nutrients and ensuring food security for over half of the world’s population. However, like other crop plants, rice is vulnerable to various environmental stresses. To combat these stresses, plants accumulate numerous secondary metabolites known as phytoalexins. Hydroxycinnamic acid amides (HCAAs) are a widely distributed class of phenylpropanoid-derived phytoalexins with diverse biological functions. Increasing evidence highlights their pivotal roles in both abiotic and biotic stress responses, as well as in the modulation of plant growth and development. HCAAs are synthesized by inducible hydroxycinnamoyl transferases acting on the free amines and hydroxycinnamic acids, which provide HCAAs with a variety of metabolic, chemical, and functional capabilities due to diverse combinations among the parent compounds. This review synthesizes current knowledge to emphasize the importance of rice HCAAs, providing a comprehensive examination of their biosynthesis, distribution, biological functions, and regulatory mechanisms, particularly in relation to stress tolerance. Furthermore, the review seeks to further explore beneficial properties of HCAAs, as well as to advance their potential application in genetic breeding to develop elite crops.

Silicon (Si) protects plants against insect herbivores; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Polyamines (PAs) play a crucial role in plant–insect interactions. Here, the involvement of Si in putrescine (Put) metabolism and its role in rice resistance against striped stem borer (SSB, Chilo suppressalis Walker) were investigated. The results showed that SSB larval infestation led to a substantial accumulation of free Put in rice seedlings. Si application increased rice resistance against SSB and repressed the SSB attack-induced accumulation of Put, in parallel with a decreased expression of Put biosynthesis genes encoding arginine decarboxylase (ADC1 and ADC2). Moreover, Si application had no significant effect on the wounding-induced expression of ADC1 and ADC2, but attenuated the further elevation in the transcription of ADC1 and ADC2 induced by SSB larvae oral secretion. Simultaneously, Si addition reduced the Put and spermidine contents in SSB-attacked plants. Furthermore, the exogenous application of Put attenuated Si-enhanced resistance against SSB larvae, whereas exogenous D-arginine, an inhibitor of ADC, showed similar effects to Si on rice resistance against SSB. Our findings indicate that Si improves rice resistance to SSB, at least partly by reducing herbivory-stimulated putrescine accumulation.

The crucial roles of the lipase-like protein enhanced disease susceptibility 1 (EDS1) and phytoalexin deficient 4 (PAD4) in disease resistance in Arabidopsis have been identified. However, their function in rice (Oryza sativa L.) resistance to brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens Stål), the most notorious pest of rice, remains unknown. In this study, the transcript levels of OsEDS1 and OsPAD4 were rapidly altered by BPH infestation. Mutation in either OsPAD4 or OsEDS1 resulted in increased rice susceptibility to BPH, which was associated with increased honeydew excretion and an increased host preference of BPH. Furthermore, mutation in either OsPAD4 or OsEDS1 led to decreased basal levels of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) in the absence of BPH, along with the depressed expression of the defense-responsive genes OsPAL, OsICS1, OsPR1a, OsLOX1, OsAOS1 and OsJAZ11 involved in SA and JA biosynthesis and signaling. The BPH infestation-mediated elevation of SA levels and the expression of SA biosynthesis and signaling genes was dampened in eds1 and pad4 plants, whereas BPH infestation-mediated depressions of JA levels and the expression of JA biosynthesis and signaling genes were reversed in eds1 and pad4 plants. Taken together, our findings indicated that both OsPAD4 and OsEDS1 positively regulate rice resistance to BPH.

The release of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) has been recognized to be an important strategy for plant adaptation to herbivore attack. However, whether these induced volatiles are beneficial to insect herbivores, particularly insect larvae, is largely unknown. We used the two important highly polyphagous lepidopteran pests Spodoptera frugiperda and S. litura to evaluate the benefit on xenobiotic detoxification of larval exposure to HIPVs released by the host plant maize (Zea mays). Larval exposure of the invasive alien species S. frugiperda to maize HIPVs significantly enhanced their tolerance to all three of the well-known defensive compounds 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA), chlorogenic acid, and tannic acid in maize and the two commonly used insecticides methomyl and chlorpyrifos. HIPV exposure also improved the larval tolerance of S. litura third instars to chlorogenic and tannic acids. Furthermore, larval exposure to either maize HIPVs or DIMBOA induced the activities of cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s), glutathione-s-transferase (GST), and carboxylesterase (CarE) in the midguts and fat bodies of the two insects, while the induction was significantly higher by the two components together. In addition, the expression of four genes encoding uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferases (UGT33F28, UGT40L8) and P450s (CYP4d8, CYP4V2) showed similar induction patterns in S. frugiperda. Cis-3-hexen-1-ol, an important component in maize HIPVs, also showed the same functions as maize HIPVs, and its exposure increased larval xenobiotic tolerance and induced the detoxification enzymes and gene expression. Our findings demonstrate that HIPVs released by the pest-infested host plants are conductive to the xenobiotic tolerance of lepidopteran insect larvae. Hijacking the host plant HIPVs is an important strategy of the invasive alien polyphagous lepidopteran pest to counter-defend against the host plant’s chemical defense.

Oleogels with solid-like properties can serve as substitutes for fats, thereby avoiding the consumption of high levels of saturated fatty acids. In this study, we developed a protein-polysaccharide composite network oleogel using whey protein isolate (WPI) and sodium alginate (SA) through an emulsion-templated method. Analysis with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces between WPI and SA, which bolstered the oleogel's structure. The enhanced oxidative stability and oil binding capacity of the WPI-SA composite oleogels were attributed to these interactions, as compared to the WPI single-network oleogel. Large-amplitude oscillatory shear testing demonstrated that the WPI-SA composite oleogels exhibited good plastic behavior and irreversible shear thinning, whereas the WPI single-network oleogel displayed more viscous behavior and shear-thinning characteristics. In applications, replacing pork fat entirely with the WPI-SA composite oleogel in Harbin red sausage resulted in a product with similar texture and sensory qualities to the original sausage. These results suggested that the WPI-SA composite oleogel could be a potential suitable fat substitute in the food industry, particularly for meat products.

Retrograde signaling regulates plant senescence, but the role of vacuoles in this process remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that rice vacuolar H+-ATPase subunit A (OsVHA-A) localizes to both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Sucrose treatment increased OsVHA-A expression and nuclear accumulation, while darkness reduced it. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) initially promoted OsVHA-A nuclear translocation but decreased it upon prolonged exposure. Downregulation of OsVHA-A expression accelerated MeJA-induced rice leaf senescence but delayed darkness-induced senescence. MeJA treatment also significantly upregulated the expression of OsMYC2 and OsMAPK6 in OsVHA-A-RNAi plants compared to wild-type plants. Moreover, OsVHA-A downregulation notably increased the level of expression of genes associated with sugar signaling and transport under dark conditions. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry and molecular docking analyses identified interactions between OsVHA-A and OsTPR1, OsMed14, sucrose transporters, and enzymes involved in sucrose metabolism. The binding of OsVHA-A with OsTPR1 and OsSUS1 was confirmed by BiFC. These findings highlight the multifunctional role of OsVHA-A in coordinating organelles and nuclear signaling, providing new insights and potential strategies for manipulating senescence to improve rice yield and quality.

Rice plants synthesize a unique group of diterpenoid phytoalexins (DPs) that exhibit broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activities and are biosynthesized by enzymes encoded by three biosynthetic gene clusters. However, the regulatory mechanisms of their biosynthesis remain unclear. Here, the regulatory roles of the transcription factor OsWRKY10 and its interacting VQ motif‐containing protein OsVQ8 in DPs biosynthesis and disease resistance were investigated via genetic and biochemical analyses. Their CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated knockout and over‐expressing (OE) lines, as well as crossed lines WRKY10 OE /vq8, were generated. OsVQ8 phosphorylation by mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades was examined. We found that OsWRKY10 co‐expresses with and activates a specific set of genes involved in DPs biosynthesis, thereby enhancing DPs accumulation and disease resistance against both fungal blast and bacterial blight. We demonstrate that OsWRKY10 interacts with the VQ motif‐containing protein OsVQ8, modulating DPs biosynthesis through OsVQ8 phosphorylation by the activated OsMKK4–OsMPK6 cascade upon perception of pathogen‐associated molecular patterns. Our findings highlight how the interaction between OsVQ8 and OsWRKY10 serves as a molecular switch to regulate gene clusters and the entire pathway of DPs biosynthesis in rice and provides valuable insights for genetic engineering aimed at enhancing phytoalexin production and broad‐spectrum disease resistance in staple food crops.

Symbiosis between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plants plays a crucial role in nutrient acquisition and stress resistance for terrestrial plants. microRNAs have been reported to participate in the regulation of mycorrhizal symbiosis by controlling the expression of their target genes. Herein, we found that sly-miR408b was significantly downregulated in response to mycorrhizal colonisation. Overexpression of sly-miR408b compromised mycorrhizal colonisation by Rhizophagus irregularis in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) roots. A basic blue protein gene (SlBBP) was then identified as the new target gene of miR408b in tomato. The expression of membrane-located SlBBP was induced in a copper-dependent manner. Importantly, the loss function of SlBBP decreased the root mycorrhizal colonisation. Overexpression of SlBBP decreased SOD activity, which may interfere with the process of scavenging excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mutation of RBOH1, which encodes ROS-producing enzymes NADPH oxidases, obviously reduced the arbuscule abundance in the mutant roots. Overall, our results provide evidence that sly-miR408b and its target gene SlBBP regulate mycorrhizal symbiosis in tomato through mediating ROS production.

Worldwide, cadmium (Cd) contamination severely threatens rice production and public health. Jasmonic acid (JA) is recognized to be involved in rice Cd stress responses, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we show that JA positively regulates Cd tolerance in rice by repressing Cd uptake and root-to-shoot translocation. Cd exposure rapidly elevated the endogenous JA in rice roots, which was associated with increased expression of JA synthesis and JA-responsive genes. Moreover, silencing the expression of either allene oxide synthase (OsAOS; active in JA biosynthesis) or CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1 (OsCOI1; active in JA perception) resulted in aggravated Cd toxicity and increased Cd accumulation in both the roots and shoots, as well as increased translocation from the root to the shoots. A short-term uptake experiment revealed that silencing of OsAOS and OsCOI1 enhanced root Cd uptake ability. Furthermore, the elevated transcript levels of genes for Cd uptake (OsNramp5, OsNramp1, and OsIRT1) and root-to-shoot translocation (OsHMA2) were observed in OsAOS and OsCOI1 RNAi plants in comparison with wild-type plants. Taken together, our findings suggest that JA enhances rice cadmium tolerance by suppressing Cd uptake and translocation.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a key role in plant communication with other organisms in the natural environment. However, the regulatory role of the phytohormone ethylene in volatile production in plants remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the application of an ethylene precursor and amplification of ethylene signaling make rice plants more attractive to brown planthopper (BPH) females for feeding and oviposition. A combination of transcriptome and VOCs analyses indicated that overexpression of OsEIL1, a master transcription factor in the ethylene pathway, influences the transcript levels of several terpene synthase genes as well as the production of volatile terpenes. Further investigation revealed that the expression of the limonene synthase gene, OsTPS19, was down-regulated in OsEIL1-overexpressing rice plants, leading to a decrease in limonene production and release. Genetic analysis confirmed the essential role of limonene in the OsEIL1-mediated attractiveness of rice plants to BPH. Our findings provide new perspectives for understanding the role of ethylene signaling in volatile-mediated plant-insect interactions.