Diverse functions of C2H2 zinc-finger transcription factors in growth regulation and stress adaptation in woody and perennial horticultural plants

Abstract

C2H2 zinc finger proteins (C2H2-ZFPs), one of the largest transcription factor families in plants, exhibit unique functional diversity in woody and horticultural species due to their modular architecture and regulatory flexibility. This review synthesizes recent advances in understanding their roles in perennial growth cycles and horticultural trait regulation, with a focus on their contributions to fruit development, secondary growth, and complex environmental adaptation. Structurally, C2H2-ZFPs harbor conserved zinc-coordinating motifs (C2H2 domains) and regulatory domains, enabling precise transcriptional control of developmental processes. In woody and horticultural plants, they integrate hormonal signals (e.g., auxin, ABA) and environmental cues (e.g., drought, photoperiod) to regulate seasonal dormancy and flowering timing in horticultural species, cambial activity for wood formation, and fruit ripening processes. Under abiotic stress, C2H2-ZFPs act as key modulators in ABA-dependent and independent pathways, governing osmotic balance, redox homeostasis, and stress memory. Meanwhile, emerging evidence also highlights their involvement in biotic stress responses. However, dissecting their regulatory networks in woody and horticultural species remains challenging due to genomic redundancy and complex regulatory layers. Future research should leverage multi-omics approaches and CRISPR-based tools to uncover their functional redundancy and species-specific adaptations, thereby advancing sustainable forestry and precision horticulture breeding under climate change.