Plant Cell Reports最新文献

{"title":"Brassinolide and BZR1 are up-regulated in a parthenocarpic mutant of prickly pear.","authors":"Rameshkumar Ramakrishnan, Udi Zurgil, Danuše Tarkowská, Ondřej Novák, Miroslav Strnad, Noemi Tel-Zur, Yaron Sitrit","doi":"10.1007/s00299-025-03514-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-025-03514-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Parthenocarpic fruit development in prickly pear involves up-regulation of the transcription factor BZR1 and increased levels of brassinolide in developing ovules. We explored the complex process of parthenocarpic fruit development in prickly pear Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae) by comparing the fruits of the parthenocarpic Beer Sheva1 (BS1) mutant and revertant non-parthenocarpic fruits. The mutant plants produce flowers with enlarged ovules that develop into degenerated seed-like stony structures. Pollen tubes fail to penetrate the ovule, resulting in the formation of lignified and hard seed coat brown in colour. Some new stems on BS1 plants bear normal revertant flowers containing small and viable fertilized ovules. BS1 thus provides a unique model for elucidating the regulatory mechanisms underlying parthenocarpy in prickly pear. Our working hypothesis was that parthenocarpy is induced by elevated levels of brassinolide in the ovules of BS1. By comparing transcriptomes, we identified 7717 differentially expressed genes between BS1 and the revertant among them brassinosteroid-related genes. Quantification of the brassinosteroids confirmed higher brassinolide levels and up-regulation of the brassinosteroid positive regulator BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT1 (BZR1) in BS1 ovules compared to revertant ovules displaying normal seed development. Thereby, implicating the involvement of brassinolide in ovule development, fruit phenology, and parthenocarpy. The early flowering and fruit ripening observed in BS1 support our hypothesis that brassinolide promotes parthenocarpic fruit development and ripening.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 6","pages":"131"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12102005/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144128462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Designer circRNA_GFP reduces GFP-abundance in Arabidopsis protoplasts in a sequence-specific manner, independent of RNAi pathways.","authors":"M Hossain, C Pfafenrot, S Nasfi, A Sede, J Imani, E Šečić, M Galli, P Schäfer, A Bindereif, M Heinlein, M Ladera-Carmona, K H Kogel","doi":"10.1007/s00299-025-03512-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-025-03512-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>We demonstrate non-immunogenic circRNA as a tool for targeted gene regulation in plants, where it acts in an isoform- and sequence-specific manner, enabling future agronomic applications. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are single-stranded RNA molecules characterized by their covalently closed structure and are emerging as key regulators of cellular processes in mammals, including gene expression, protein function and immune responses. Recent evidence suggests that circRNAs also play significant roles in plants, influencing development, nutrition, biotic stress resistance, and abiotic stress tolerance. However, the potential of circRNAs to modulate target protein abundance in plants remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the potential of designer circRNAs to modulate target protein abundance in plants using Arabidopsis protoplasts as a model system. We show that PEG-mediated transfection with a 50-nt circRNA_GFP containing a 30-nt GFP-antisense sequence results in a dose- and sequence-dependent reduction of GFP reporter target protein abundance. Notably, a single-stranded open isoform of circRNA_GFP had little effect on protein abundance, indicating the importance of the closed circular structure. Additionally, circRNA_GFP also reduced GFP abundance in Arabidopsis mutants defective in RNA interference (RNAi), suggesting that circRNA activity is independent of the RNAi pathway. We also show that circRNA, unlike dsRNA, does not induce pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) in plants. Findings of this proof-of-principle study together are crucial first steps in understanding the potential of circRNAs as versatile tools for modulating gene expression and offer exciting prospects for their application in agronomy, particularly for enhancing crop traits through metabolic pathway manipulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 6","pages":"128"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12098445/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144128466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Targeted metabolic engineering of key biosynthetic genes improves triptolide production in Tripterygium wilfordii hairy roots.","authors":"Xiaomin Zhao, Li Chen, Yuan Huang, Junjie Hu, Jing Zhang, Bin Zhang, Zhiqing Ma","doi":"10.1007/s00299-025-03518-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-025-03518-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>The overexpression of key biosynthetic genes involved in triptolide production through a metabolic engineering strategy significantly enhanced triptolide accumulation in Tripterygium wilfordii hairy roots. Triptolide, the representative bioactive compound in Tripterygium wilfordii, is renowned for its potent insecticidal and pharmacological properties. In order to increase the production of triptolide, this study overexpressed several key enzyme genes related to its biosynthesis in T. wilfordii hairy roots. Specifically, the content of triptolide in hairy roots overexpressing TwTPS9 and TwTPS27 individually was found to be 1.60-fold and 1.42-fold that of the control, respectively. Co-expression of both TwTPS9 and TwTPS27 resulted in significant increase in triptolide levels, reaching approximately 2.72 times that of the control. Furthermore, overexpressing TwGGPPS and TwDXS on the basis of the double gene overexpression led to the highest triptolide production, with a yield of 12.83 mg/L, increasing to 3.18-fold compared to the control. This study offers valuable examples into the efficient biosynthesis of triptolide and is expected to lay a foundation for future industrial-scale production by mitigating its resource constraints through metabolic engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 6","pages":"129"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144128449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced drought and salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis via ectopic expression of the PvMLP19 gene.","authors":"Bayram Ali Yerlikaya, Seher Yerlikaya, Abdullah Aydin, Nisa Nur Yilmaz, Sibel Bahadır, Mohamed Farah Abdulla, Karam Mostafa, Musa Kavas","doi":"10.1007/s00299-025-03520-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-025-03520-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>PvMLP19 overexpression in Arabidopsis enhances proline accumulation, mitigates oxidative stress, improves water retention, delays germination, and stimulates root growth under drought and salt stress conditions. Climate change has exacerbated the frequency and severity of drought and salinity stress, posing significant risks to agricultural productivity and food security. As sessile organisms, plants have evolved regulatory mechanisms to adapt to these challenges. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), an essential legume crop valued for its high nutritional value, is increasingly impacted by climate change-induced stressors. The PR10 protein family has been recognized as a potential contributor to enhancing plant resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. This family, also known as Bet v1, is highly conserved and consists of diverse subfamilies, including major latex proteins (MLPs), which may contribute to stress tolerance through ligand-binding and regulation of stress-related pathways. This study aimed to investigate the functional role of PvMLP19 in stress tolerance using both in silico and experimental approaches. RNA-seq analysis revealed tissue-specific expression patterns of PR10s, with PvMLP19 showing notable induction under abiotic stress. Functional validation in transgenic Arabidopsis suggested that overexpression of PvMLP19 may improve drought tolerance. Transgenic plants exhibited increased proline accumulation, reduced oxidative stress, and higher relative water content under both drought and salinity stress conditions. Furthermore, PvMLP19 overexpression was associated with delayed seed germination but promoted root development under osmotic and salinity stress. The increased stress tolerance was linked to the upregulation of stress-inducible genes, suggesting a potential regulatory role of PvMLP19 in modulating stress-response pathways. These findings position PvMLP19 as a potential candidate for genetic improvement in crops, offering a promising strategy to mitigate the impacts of climate change and ensure sustainable agricultural productivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 6","pages":"130"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12098492/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144128471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Silencing of disease susceptibility genes: an effective disease resistance strategy against fungal pathogens.","authors":"Muniba Syed, Raham Sher Khan, Sadia Nazir, Sajad Khan, Zia Ul Islam, Salimullah Khan, Nakamura Ikuo","doi":"10.1007/s00299-025-03510-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-025-03510-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Silencing of target susceptibility (S) genes in plants exhibits a promising and durable strategy for enhanced resistance to fungal pathogens by causing disruption in the host mechanisms that the pathogens exploit, offering an alternative to the traditional resistance gene-based approaches. Devastating fungal diseases have significantly reduced crop productivity, posing a potential threat to global food security. Producing disease-resistant cultivars is the most effective strategy for protecting crops against these fungal pathogens. Typically, susceptibility (S) genes in host plants facilitate the penetration and proliferation of phytopathogens. Perturbation of these S genes can potentially impede the compatibility between the host and the fungal pathogens, thereby providing broad-spectrum and lasting resistance. Consequently, the identification and targeting of S-genes have gained increasing interest in enhancing disease resistance in plants. In this review, we describe three distinct categories of S genes that function during different stages of the infection process. We focus on various gene silencing technologies, including RNA interference (RNAi), virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), and CRISPR-Cas9, to improve plant disease resistance against fungal pathogens. The numerous examples discussed here illustrate the potential of S-genes for use in plant disease-resistance breeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 6","pages":"127"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144128472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overexpression of pxAlaAT3 in Populus × xiaohei alleviates root growth inhibition under ammonium nitrogen stress.","authors":"Qingtong Yang, Gang Wang, Jing Ma, Heying Zhou, Lang He, Chunpu Qu","doi":"10.1007/s00299-025-03516-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-025-03516-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Overexpressed AlaAT3 in Populus enhances ammonium tolerance by modulating carbohydrate metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and antioxidant system-related metabolic processes. Alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT) is a critical enzyme involved in the nitrogen assimilation process in plant cells, catalyzing the reversible transfer of an amino group from alanine to α-ketoglutarate. This reaction is essential for maintaining metabolic homeostasis. Previous studies have suggested that AlaAT plays a role in alleviating ammonium toxicity in plants. To investigate this hypothesis, transgenic Populus × xiaohei plants overexpressing AlaAT3 were generated, and their phenotypic, physiological, and transcriptional traits were compared with those of wild-type (WT) plants. Under treatment with 3 mM NH₄⁺ ammonium nitrogen, the transgenic plants exhibited significantly enhanced root biomass. Compared with WT plants, the transgenic lines demonstrated higher activities of GS, SOD, and CAT enzymes, while POD activity was notably reduced. Levels of soluble protein, free amino acids, sucrose, starch, soluble sugars, and proline were significantly elevated, whereas concentrations of O₂^-, and NH₄⁺ were markedly reduced. Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant enrichment in glutathione metabolism, peroxisome, nitrogen metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism pathway in the transgenic plants, with corresponding genes displaying notable transcriptional changes. Regulatory network analysis identified key transcription factors, including WRKY53, DOF3.4, and DOF1.5, as potential regulators of ammonium toxicity resistance in these transgenic lines. These findings demonstrate that AlaAT3 overexpression enhances Populus × xiaohei tolerance to NH₄⁺ by modulating glutathione metabolism, peroxisome, nitrogen metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism pathway. This study provides candidate genes and lays a strong foundation for future research into the mechanisms underlying NH₄⁺ tolerance in Populus plants overexpressing AlaAT3.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 6","pages":"126"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144120663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"RcPLATZ8 as a novel negative regulator of flowering in Rosa chinensis.","authors":"Yifang Peng, Qi Li, Yao Gong, Qian Yang, Qijing Dong, Yu Han","doi":"10.1007/s00299-025-03513-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-025-03513-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Comprehensive analysis of the RcPLATZ gene family in Rosa chinensis reveals RcPLATZ8 as a novel negative regulator of flowering, offering insights for targeted breeding to manipulate flowering traits. Flowering regulation in Rosa chinensis is essential for improving ornamental and commercial traits, but its molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified and characterized ten members of the PLANT AT-RICH SEQUENCE AND ZINC-BINDING (PLATZ) protein family in R. chinensis through genome-wide analysis and protein domain validation using the Pfam database. Among these, we focused on RcPLATZ8, a novel negative regulator of flowering. Expression analysis via RT-qPCR revealed that RcPLATZ8 is predominantly expressed in floral organs, including stamens, pistils, and petals, and exhibits significant responsiveness to key plant hormones, such as abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellins (GA), and jasmonic acid (JA). Functional assays showed that overexpression of RcPLATZ8 in Arabidopsis resulted in delayed flowering and increased leaf number, whereas silencing RcPLATZ8 in R. chinensis led to early flowering. Furthermore, Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) identified that RcPLATZ8 is part of the 'red module,' which is strongly associated with flowering-time regulatory genes, including SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP). These findings provide new insights into the molecular regulation of flowering in roses, demonstrating that RcPLATZ8 may plays a key role in integrating hormonal signals and floral development. Our study not only expands the functional understanding of the PLATZ family but also offers potential strategies for molecular breeding aimed at improving flowering traits for horticultural applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 6","pages":"125"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144111773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcriptional response of cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) roots to salt stress and the role of DNA methylation.","authors":"Shree P Pandey, Chen Chen, Shivam Singh, Jalak N Maniar, Avinash Mishra, Suman Bakshi, V K Mishra, Sandeep Sharma","doi":"10.1007/s00299-025-03515-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-025-03515-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Our study unravels a complex multi-layered molecular response of peanut roots to salinity, where reprograming of gene-expression is partly executed by changes in methylome via RdDM pathway and exerted through transcription factors. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a major oilseed crop of global importance, whose production is severely impacted by salinity. Here, we have explored the transcriptional response of peanut roots to salinity stress using deep sequencing. Further, we have unravelled the salinity-induced changes in peanut root methylome. When peanut seedlings were grown under high-salt conditions for 7 days, their root and shoot growth was significantly impaired. A large-scale transcriptional reprogramming was recorded where 1926 genes were down- and 3260 genes were up-regulated due to salt stress in peanut roots. The molecular response of peanut root comprised several layers of regulators, which included the genes related to ion transport, osmolyte accumulation, signal transduction, and salt stress-responsive genes. Several negative regulators are also differentially expressed in peanut roots, which may contribute to its susceptibility. This response is regulated by a large number of transcription factors (TFs) and epigenetically by changes in DNA methylation. The DNA methylation changes in roots were highly complex and context dependent when exposed to salt stress. An inverse relationship between the changes in gene expression and methylation status was partially observed for several important gene sets and TFs. A treatment with 5'-azacytidine recovered the inhibitory impact of salt stress in peanut roots. Thus, a complex multilayered molecular response to salinity in peanut roots was observed. A part of this response may be modulated by the reprogramming of RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway. This investigation also serves as a resource for future gene-mining and methylation studies for improving peanut resistance to salt stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 6","pages":"124"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144111777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing genetic transformation efficiency of melon (Cucumis melo L.) through an extended sucrose-removal co-culture.","authors":"Xiang Li, Chenchen Cao, Ying Liu, Pablo Bolaños-Villegas, Jiyu Wang, Ranran Zhou, Juan Hou, Qiong Li, Wenwen Mao, Panqiao Wang, Lili Li, Chen Luo, Junlong Fan, Yan Guo, Zhiqiang Cheng, Jianbin Hu","doi":"10.1007/s00299-025-03521-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-025-03521-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>The genetic transformation efficiency of melon was elevated by extending co-culture duration and removing sucrose from the medium, and a gene editing tendril-less mutant was generated via this optimized transformation. In plants, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT) is a valuable technique for characterizing gene function and developing varieties with new traits. However, melon, as a cash crop, has proven to be recalcitrant to AMT. During AMT, the co-culture phase is crucial for the successful integration of T-DNA into the host genome by Agrobacterium tumefaciens (A. tumefaciens). To enhance the AMT efficiency in melon, we optimized the co-culture regime by extending the co-culture duration and removing sucrose from the medium. Extending the co-culture duration to 7 days, compared to the usual 2 to 4 days, allowed A. tumefaciens to infect melon explants at its optimal capacity. The removal of sucrose not only prevented excessive proliferation of A. tumefaciens during the extended culture but also reduced the triggering of a defense response in melon explants. Compared to the sucrose-addition co-culture for 4 days, sucrose-removal co-culture for 7 days increased the efficiency of melon transformation by 14 folds. In addition, this optimized co-culture has a synergistic effect with AtGRF5 overexpression on enhancing AMT in melon. Using this optimized transformation protocol, we successfully obtained tendril-less melon plants by knocking out CmTCP1 gene via gene editing, which holds significant breeding potential. The transformation method detailed in this study may serve as a robust tool for gene biology research and plant breeding in melons and may potentially lead to enhanced AMT in other plant species.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 6","pages":"123"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144094566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond the trinity: unraveling a fourth clade in the PEBP gene family in plants.","authors":"Miguel A Burton, Carlos E Rodríguez-López, José E Cetz-Chel, Rafael Urrea-López, Alejandro Pereira-Santana","doi":"10.1007/s00299-025-03505-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-025-03505-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Proposal for a new fourth PEBP gene group (SFT-like) in a genomic context different from 21 the other three. FT/TFL groups evolved from MFT, but then became sub-, neo-functionalized. The phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) gene family plays crucial roles in plant development, principally involved in flowering time regulation and seed development. Traditionally, PEBP genes are classified into three clades: MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 (MFT), FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), and TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL). We used phylogenomic and microsynteny network analyses to explore the PEBP family across 275 plant genomes from different lineages. The phylogenetic tree of the identified 3707 PEBP proteins allows us to visualize a fourth clade within the PEBP family. This new clade, named SFT (Sibling of FT/TFL), is closely related to the MFT clade but sister to the branch point of FT/TFL subfamilies, suggesting a long-standing evolutionary divergence. In addition, the SFT subfamily is in a different genomic context, whereas FT and TFL share a common origin with MFT. Motif analyzes show differences between this new clade and those already reported, suggesting functions other than flowering or seed development. The Ka/Ks analysis also suggests that SFT clade had fewer duplication events, so these genes could have an important function for the plant that had not yet been elucidated. These findings offer new insights into the evolutionary history and functional diversification of PEBP genes in plants. This study provides an update on the classification of the PEBP family. By understanding the syntenic relationships and evolutionary dynamics within the PEBP family, this research sets the stage for future functional studies on PEBP genes in plant biology, particularly the recently identified SFT clade.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 6","pages":"122"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144094564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}