Plant Physiology最新文献

{"title":"CaNAC2 orchestrates Capsicum annuum fruit ripening by coordinated carotenoid and ABA metabolism under epigenetic control.","authors":"Yingying Song,Xingzhe Li,Yu Gao,Yanping Wang,Qing Cheng,Huolin Shen,Liang Sun","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf524","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf524","url":null,"abstract":"Fruit ripening in non-climacteric species such as pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is governed by a complex interplay of hormonal, transcriptional, and epigenetic factors. Here, we identified the NAC transcription factor CaNAC2 as an important regulator orchestrating pepper fruit ripening. CaNAC2 directly activated CaCCS, a key gene in capsanthin and capsorubin biosynthesis, and repressed CaCYP707A2, which encodes an ABA catabolic enzyme. Virus-induced gene silencing and overexpression assays confirmed that CaNAC2 promotes carotenoid accumulation and ABA biosynthesis, thereby accelerating ripening. Notably, CaNAC2 expression was activated by the ABA-responsive transcription factor CaABF3, forming a positive feedback loop (CaNAC2-CaCYP707A2-ABA-CaABF3) that sustained ABA accumulation in late ripening stages. Integrated DAP-seq and RNA-seq analyses revealed that CaNAC2 binds to and modulates the expression of multiple genes associated with carotenoid and ABA pathways. Moreover, DNA methylation levels at the promoters of CaNAC2, CaCYP707A2, and CaABF3 declined prior to ripening initiation, and 5-azacytidine treatment enhanced CaNAC2 expression and promoted ripening. While methylation-sensitive EMSAs suggested that cytosine methylation does not directly block transcription factor binding, elevated ABA levels suppressed DNA methyltransferase (CaCMT2) and induced demethylase (CaDML2) expression, reinforcing DNA hypomethylation. Together, these findings uncover CaNAC2 as a key integrator of hormonal and epigenetic signals and provide mechanistic insight into the coordinated transcriptional network driving pepper fruit ripening.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"88 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145305693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strigolactones inhibit axillary bud outgrowth through transcription factor MdSPL6-mediated regulation of ABA levels in apple","authors":"Xingqiang Fan, Huixia Li, Yao Xiong, Doudou Chen, Yuqing Zhang, Haochen Sun, Yi Wang, Zhenhai Han, Wei Li","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf517","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf517","url":null,"abstract":"Lateral branching contributes to plant architecture and agricultural yield. In apple (Malus domestica), the dormancy of axillary buds constrains early branching and fruit production. Among various phytohormones, strigolactones (SLs) play a pivotal role regulating axillary bud outgrowth. This study investigates the inhibitory effects of SLs on apple axillary bud growth and elucidates the underlying molecular mechanisms. Treatment with the SL analog racemic-GR24 (rac-GR24) markedly inhibited the outgrowth of axillary buds. We discovered that the transcription factor in apple SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 6 (MdSPL6) interacts with SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2-LIKE 7 (MdSMXL7), a key component of SL signaling, to regulate branching patterns. The Mdspl6 mutant exhibited enhanced lateral branching, confirming the role of MdSPL6 as a suppressor of bud growth. Through DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq), we identified apple HOMEOBOX PROTEIN53 (MdHB53) and TEOSINTE BRANCHED1, CYCLOIDEA, PCF18 (MdTCP18) as downstream target genes of MdSPL6. Overexpression of these genes led to elevated levels of abscisic acid (ABA), implicating the function of ABA in the SL-mediated inhibition of bud outgrowth. Our results demonstrate that SLs regulate apple axillary bud growth through MdSPL6 and its downstream targets by modulating ABA levels, offering insights into the genetic control of plant architecture and identifying potential targets for breeding apple varieties with optimized branching and enhanced yield.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145295597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant hydraulic traits influencing crop production in water-limited environments","authors":"Amanda A Cardoso, Moab T Andrade, Erika R Bucior, Samuel C V Martins","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf521","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf521","url":null,"abstract":"Annual crops commonly experience production losses due to soil water limitation and increased vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Crop species and genotypes vary in their ability to sustain production during drought, which reflects variations in drought resistance mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the critical influence of water transport (hydraulic conductances and stomatal traits) on the ability of crops to avoid and tolerate drought, thus sustaining yield. We also summarize scientific gaps to be addressed in the future. Limited transpiration traits, including reduced stomatal density/conductance and increased stomatal sensitivity to soil drought and high VPD, constitute important drought avoidance mechanisms. Drought avoidance is suggested to result in soil water conservation for the critical reproductive stage and yield stability under moderate and terminal droughts. As crop fields experience increasingly drier soils and greater VPD, tolerance mechanisms might become critical to crop production. Osmotic adjustment stands as an important tolerance mechanism that improves crop production during severe droughts. Preventing xylem embolism and/or refilling embolized xylem upon rehydration represent drought tolerance mechanisms critical for plant survival during drought, but their contribution to crop production during droughts is unknown. Time for hydraulic failure combines drought avoidance and tolerance, and its importance for crop production during moderate and severe droughts should be assessed.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145295596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-omics-based insights into tomato adaptation to multifactorial stress combination","authors":"Lidia S Pascual, Enrique Serna, Abdul Ghani, Zhen Lyu, Manish Sridhar Immadi, Trupti Joshi, Mohit Verma, José L Rambla, Aurelio Gómez-Cadenas, Ron Mittler, Sara I Zandalinas","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf519","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf519","url":null,"abstract":"Multifactorial stress combination (MFSC) is emerging as a major constraint to crop productivity under different climate change scenarios. While the physiological impacts of MFSC have been previously characterized in different plant species, the molecular and metabolic effects of MFSC remain poorly defined. Here, we used an integrative multi-omics approach to dissect the response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants to a MFSC of up to six low-intensity abiotic stressors. Our analysis uncovered a complexity-dependent molecular program in tomato. Transcriptomic analysis identified a core set of 194 transcripts commonly altered across all stress conditions, along with 155 transcription factors (TFs) specifically regulated under high-complexity conditions (4-, 5-, and 6-stress combinations). Focusing on heat-associated MFSC responses, we identified 103 transcripts uniquely responsive to these conditions, including two TFs (Zinc finger TF 32 and a B3 family protein) that may act as master regulators of all heat-associated MFSCs. Metabolomic profiling revealed a pronounced reprogramming of primary metabolism under MFSC, marked by decreased levels of tricarboxylic acid intermediates and accumulation of sugars, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and branched-chain amino acids, suggesting a trade-off that favors osmoprotection and redox homeostasis over energy-intensive processes. Comparative analyses across tomato, Arabidopsis, Chlamydomonas, rice, and soybean highlighted a conserved molecular signature associated with MFSC. Integrated omics correlation analysis uncovered functional links among phytohormone signaling, photosynthetic efficiency, and key MFSC-related transcripts and metabolic hubs. Together, we reveal a coordinated and complexity-dependent molecular program in tomato, offering insights into plant adaptation to MFSC and identifying candidate regulatory and metabolic markers for engineering climate-resilient crops.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"94 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145295590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The CmDOF6 Transcription Factor Controls Chrysanthemum Plant Height by Repressing CmGA20ox1 via CmTCP8","authors":"Jing Tang, Peixue Liu, Qi Yu, Han Wang, Xuefeng Zhang, Jialin Peng, Jingxuan Ye, Lijie Zhou, Sumei Chen, Fadi Chen, Weimin Fang, Aiping Song","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf509","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf509","url":null,"abstract":"Plant height is a crucial index for evaluating plant architecture, which affects plant adaptability and ecological niche. The plant hormone gibberellic acid (GA) greatly influences plant height. The DNA binding with one finger (DOF) transcription factor family members play an important role in plant growth, development and response to plant hormones. However, the regulatory network mediating the DOF–GA interplay remains unclear. Here, we identified CmDOF6, a member of the group Ⅲ DOF transcription factor family, as a regulator of chrysanthemum plant height. CmDOF6 overexpression reduced plant height and the content of bioactive GAs (GA1, GA3, GA4, GA7) as well as upstream GAs (GA9, GA15, GA20). In addition, CmDOF6 overexpression repressed the GA biosynthesis gene CmGA20ox1, although CmDOF6 does not directly regulate CmGA20ox1. Notably, RNA-seq and DAP-seq analyses revealed CmTCP8 as a candidate CmDOF6 target. We present several lines of evidence suggesting that CmDOF6 binds the CmTCP8 promoter and represses its expression. Furthermore, our study also verified the ability of CmTCP8 to bind the CmGA20ox1 promoter and promote its expression. Due to the overexpression of CmDOF6, the promotion effect of CmTCP8 on CmGA20ox1 was weakened, ultimately leading to reduced GA levels. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the CmDOF6–CmTCP8–CmGA20ox1 pathway regulates chrysanthemum plant architecture.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"123 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145295592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Natural allelic variation in the CBF2 transcription factor is a pivotal factor controlling cold resistance in potato","authors":"Ye Chen, Yufan Chu, Jin Wang, Shengxuan Liu, Yingtao Zuo, Chunguang Yao, Jianke Dong, Qingwei Wang, Tiantian Liu, Wei Tu, Jun Qin, Lin Chen, Botao Song","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf428","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf428","url":null,"abstract":"Frost stress poses a serious threat to the potato industry. C-repeat binding factors (CBF) are key transcription factors involved in plant cold responses and the adaptive evolution of land plants. However, their function and underlying mechanisms in potato remain poorly understood. This study analyzed homologous CBF2 genes from 46 potato genotypes and revealed significant structural variations, including a critical site (site A) that is closely associated with cold tolerance. There are at least two site A types, including the cold-tolerant Solanum commersonii type and the cold-sensitive Solanum tuberosum type. Overexpression of ScCBF2 significantly enhanced potato cold tolerance, whereas StCBF2 overexpression had a limited effect. We demonstrated that both ScCBF2 and StCBF2 improve cold resistance by regulating Glutathione S-transferase Tau (GSTU)- and ZAT10-mediated reactive oxygen species scavenging systems. Notably, ScCBF2 uniquely upregulated Galactinol synthase 3 (GolS3), promoting raffinose biosynthesis. Compared to StCBF2, ScCBF2 exhibited a stronger binding affinity to the GolS3 promoter, resulting in higher transcriptional activation. Overexpression of ScGolS3 increased leaf raffinose content and cold tolerance. Furthermore, we confirmed the critical role of site A in the ScCBF2–GolS3 regulatory pathway. In summary, this study highlights the functional divergence caused by structural variations in CBF2, with differential regulation of GolS3 contributing to cold tolerance. Our work provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cold tolerance in potato and offers potential targets for improving frost resistance in this vital crop.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145295593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nectary starch degradation affects nectar chemical composition, but not nectar sugars, in Arabidopsis thaliana","authors":"Erik Martin Solhaug, Michelle Roulier, Hongyuan Zhang, Martina Zanella, Samuel Christian Zeeman, Diana Santelia","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf515","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf515","url":null,"abstract":"Attracting and rewarding pollinators is important for the reproduction of many flowering plants, and floral nectar plays a central role in plant-pollinator relationships as the primary reward. Nectar production by floral organs called nectaries coincides with a build-up and degradation of nectary starch in many species. While this temporal connection might suggest that nectar sugars are produced from nectary starch, direct evidence to support this idea is lacking. Here, we performed genetic manipulations to test how nectary starch contributes to nectar production in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Additionally, we conducted semi-targeted metabolomics experiments to identify which nectar compounds (NCs) depend on nectary starch for their production and secretion. While nectar sugar levels were not consistently lower in plants defective in nectary starch metabolism, mutants producing more nectary starch consistently produced less nectar sugar. We also detected a number of differentially accumulated NCs connected to biotic stress in starch-related mutants, including salicylic acid. Our results suggest that, in Arabidopsis, nectary starch is not required as a carbohydrate source to produce nectar sugars per se, but nectary starch metabolism is important for the production and secretion of specialized NCs, which may help nectaries respond to stress. NCs identified from our metabolomics experiment provide the foundation for further investigations into the functional and physiological importance of nectary starch in nectar and floral biology.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"68 6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145295591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"OsABCG37 mediates root development and the stress response by modulating feruloylputrecine levels","authors":"Van N T Nguyen, Sunok Moon, You Jin Lim, Woonhee Baek, Kieu Thi Xuan Vo, Youngchul Yoo, Sung Chul Lee, Seok Hyun Eom, Sang Won Lee, Jong-Seong Jeon, Ki-Hong Jung","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf520","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf520","url":null,"abstract":"Hydroxycinnamate amides (HCAAs) represent a major class of phenylpropanoid metabolites prevalent throughout the plant kingdom, garnering significant interest due to their roles in various biological processes. In this study, we identified a rice (Oryza sativa) ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, OsABCG37, that influences the level of feruloylputrescine, a HCAA compound. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to mutate OsABCG37, we observed impaired development of lateral roots and root hairs. Interestingly, the loss of OsABCG37 function disrupted the emergence of lateral roots. Expression pattern analysis employing a reporter gene system showed that OsABCG37 is predominantly expressed in epidermal cells of the primary root at sites of lateral root emergence as well as in lateral roots and root hairs. The corresponding protein was located in the plasma membrane. RNA sequencing and HPLC/MS experiments revealed that the OsABCG37 mutation led to reduced levels of intracellular feruloylputrescine and cell wall–associated ferulic acid, the latter serving as an indirect indicator of wall-bound feruloylputrescine, compared to the wild type. Supplementing with exogenous feruloylputrescine partially rescued the defects in lateral root and root hair development caused by the OsABCG37 mutation. In addition to defects in root development, mutants of OsABCG37 were sensitive to biotic and abiotic stresses. Collectively, our findings suggest a role for the OsABCG37 transporter in regulating root development and stress resistance by affecting feruloylputrescine levels.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"119 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145282732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The ER-localised susceptibility factor RTP1 negatively regulates plant immunity.","authors":"Josephine H R Maidment","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf512","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf512","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145283550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The transcriptional landscape and dynamics regulating organ differentiation and dormancy in Curcuma alismatifolia","authors":"Xuezhu Liao, Mengmeng Hou, Yixuan Liu, Bing Xu, Xiaolong Huang, Christophe Bailly, Minlong Jia, Tengbo Huang, Zhiqiang Wu","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf501","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf501","url":null,"abstract":"The emergence of specialized organs represents key evolutionary innovations that enable plants to thrive in diverse environments. However, the developmental mechanisms underlying these traits, particularly those of underground storage organs like rhizomes, remain poorly understood. Siam tulip (Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep.), with its unique suite of modified organs (such as bracts, rhizomes, and tuberous roots) and dual reproductive strategies through seeds and rhizomes, serves as an ideal model for exploring organ differentiation and dormancy regulation. Through a comprehensive organ-wide transcriptomic analysis, we revealed functional differentiation and conservation across C. alismatifolia organs. For example, the outer bracts retain photosynthetic capacity similar to leaves, while the inner bracts have lost this function. The rhizome, a critical reproductive organ, acts as both a nutrient reservoir and a dormancy-driven survival mechanism in adverse conditions. Using Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), we identified transcription factors associated with ABRE cis-acting elements as key regulators of rhizome development. By integrating transcriptomic data with high-temperature and phytohormone treatments, heterologous expression, dual-luciferase reporter assays and yeast one-hybrid assays, we demonstrated the central role of cytochrome P450 (P450) genes, particularly ABA 8’-hydroxylase 1 (CYP707A1), in regulating rhizome dormancy release and high-temperature responses. Moreover, we showed that CYP707A1 is regulated by the MYB transcription factor 96 (MYB96), WRKY transcription factor 35 (WRKY35), AP2/ERF and B3 domain-containing transcription factor RAV1 (RAV1), and Two-component response regulator ARR18 (ARR18) transcription factors, offering potential strategies for year-round production. This study establishes C. alismatifolia as a powerful model for investigating the formation and specialization of evolutionary innovations like rhizomes and bracts, highlighting their adaptive mechanisms and resilience to environmental challenges in Zingiberaceae.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"182 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145282784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}