LncRNA109897-JrCCR4-JrTLP1b forms a positive feedback loop to regulate walnut resistance against anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides .

Walnut anthracnose induced by is a disastrous disease that severely restricts the development of the walnut industry in China. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in adaptive responses to disease, but their roles in the regulation of walnut anthracnose resistance response are not well defined. In this study, transcriptome analysis demonstrated that a -induced lncRNA, lncRNA109897, located upstream from the target gene , upregulated the expression of . JrCCR4 interacted with JrTLP1b and promoted its transcriptional activity. In turn, JrTLP1b induced the transcription of to promote its expression. Meanwhile, transient expression in walnut leaves and stable transformation of further proved that lncRNA, JrCCR4, and JrTLP1b improve the resistance of . Collectively, these findings provide insights into the mechanism by which the lncRNA109897-JrCCR4-JrTLP1b transcriptional cascade regulates the resistance of walnut to anthracnose.