Plant Cell Reports最新文献

{"title":"Alleviating arsenic toxicity in Spinacia oleracea by modulating accumulation and speciation using fungal intergeneric fusant strains.","authors":"Mariya Naseem, Anita Gupta, Ekta Gupta, Poonam C Singh, Richa Raghuwanshi, Praveen C Verma, Pankaj Kumar Srivastava","doi":"10.1007/s00299-026-03984-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-026-03984-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Protoplast fusion has potential for developing improved hybrid strains from genetically diverse fungal groups possessing different arsenic detoxification traits to combat as toxicity in crops. Arsenic (As) contamination of agricultural soil poses a threat to the agroecosystem and food safety. Fungal capacity to mitigate As toxicity (via biosorption, methylation, volatilization, and oxidation) could be enhanced through genetic improvement using protoplast fusion. Unlike conventional microbial consortia, protoplast fusion can produce stable fusants and may overcome incompatibility among strains, though fusants should be tested for long-term stability. In this study, intergeneric protoplast fusion was carried out between As-methylating strain FNBR-FA-03 and arsenite-oxidizing strain FNBR-FA-06 to generate novel fusants with improved As detoxification efficiency. The fusants were screened based on As volatilization, arsenite oxidation, plant growth promotion, and their potential to reduce As accumulation in Spinacia oleracea L tissues. The best performing fusant strain, FU 26(4), exhibited a substantial increase in As volatilization (9.7-fold) and arsenite oxidation (3.6-fold) compared to the parent strain FNBR-FA-03 and FNBR-FA-06, respectively. The fusant FU 26(4) alleviated As stress to Spinacia oleracea L. grown in As-contaminated soil (20 mg kg^-1) in terms of a 73.4% and 62.7% decrease in leaf and root As contents, respectively. The fusants also resulted in methylation of inorganic As to relatively less toxic MMA(As⁺⁵) and DMA(As⁺⁵), detected in the plant petiole and leaf. Apart from this, the fusant strains exhibited plant growth-promoting traits, with potential to improve the overall plant growth and physiology. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of the protoplast fusion technique to develop novel fusants that combine parental traits for the sustainable bioremediation of As-contaminated soils.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148990972","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":"Circadian- and light-regulated oscillatory expression of CSA in rice leaves is required for pollen fertility.","authors":"Renhe Dong, Jingbin Li, Duoxiang Wang, Linlin Sun, Jing Yu, Wanqi Liang, Jianxin Shi, Dabing Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s00299-026-03976-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-026-03976-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>The oscillatory expression of CSA in rice leaves is regulated by the circadian clock and red/far-red light signals, mediated through DOF5 and PIL11, and is required for normal pollen fertility. Photoperiod-sensitive male-sterile lines represent a pivotal innovation in the development of hybrid rice. However, the underlying mechanisms governing photoperiod-sensitive male reproductive development remain poorly understood. Our previous studies demonstrated that the carbon starved anther (csa) mutant exhibits male sterility under short-day (SD) conditions but partial fertility under long-day (LD) conditions. In this study, we report that CSA expression follows an oscillatory rhythm in rice leaves under both SD and LD conditions, a pattern regulated by both circadian clock and light signals. Tissue-specific RNA interference knockdown of CSA in leaves was associated with reduced pollen viability, suggesting that CSA expression in leaves contributes to normal male fertility. Promoter truncation assay results indicate that distinct regions of the CSA promoter contribute differentially to the regulation of CSA expression in leaves versus anthers, and that both the CSA expression level in anthers and the rhythmic expression pattern of CSA in leaves are associated with the restoration of male fertility. Using dual-luciferase, yeast one-hybrid, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we identified two proteins, PIL11 and DOF5, which directly bind to specific motifs (an E-box and T/AAAAG motif) within the CSA promoter truncation, thereby regulating its transcription. These findings elucidate novel mechanisms linking light sensing to the expression of circadian-controlled genes, thus connecting photoperiod with male reproductive development in rice.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148982778","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":"Systemic induction of peroxidase and phenolic responses to UV radiation in Nicotiana tabacum.","authors":"Zoltán Katona, Gyula Czégény, Kristóf Csepregi, Éva Hideg","doi":"10.1007/s00299-026-03985-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-026-03985-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Systemic changes in isoperoxidase profile and phenolic composition mirror those in leaves exposed to ultraviolet radiation, underscoring the essential role of systemic responses in plant health and development. Plants respond to direct exposure to broadband ultraviolet (UV) light (280-400 nm) through localized protective and regulatory mechanisms. In our recent study using Nicotiana tabacum as a model plant, we showed that protective responses triggered by moderate, non-harmful UV doses could spread from directly treated leaves to UV-unexposed leaves situated above (systemic leaves). This study aimed to broaden the understanding of previous findings by investigating the similarities between direct and systemic plant responses, concentrating on two main aspects: class III peroxidase (POD) isozymes and the phenolic profiles of leaves. We compared the responses of directly UV-exposed and systemic leaves from the same plant with those of negative (completely UV-unexposed) and positive control (fully UV-exposed) plants. Native gel electrophoresis confirmed a general increase in POD activity in both direct and systemic UV responses, demonstrating similar rearrangements in POD isozyme patterns, which is a novel finding. Furthermore, high-performance liquid chromatography analyses of leaf extracts showed similar quantitative and qualitative alterations in phenolic profiles between UV-exposed leaves and systemic leaves. These changes included increased levels of potential POD substrates, such as chlorogenic acids and flavonoids, particularly quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, which serves as an excellent UV-absorbing compound and antioxidant. In general, our findings indicate that the extent and nature of the systemic UV response are similar to those triggered by direct exposure to UV radiation. These results highlight the potential of applying localized low-dose UV treatment to activate systemic antioxidant responses that affect plant health and their growth.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13582051/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983102","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":"Transcriptome analysis of a spontaneous male-sterile mutant in Betula platyphylla and functional characterization of the key gene BpSPL2 in regulating inflorescence development.","authors":"Minzhen Zeng, Zexuan Song, Shen Feng, Peng Huang, Xiaoqing Hu, Yang Liu, Ying Wang, Huihui Zhang, Xuemei Liu","doi":"10.1007/s00299-026-03970-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-026-03970-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>A key gene, BpSPL2, identified from male-sterile mutants of Betula platyphylla, was demonstrated to play a crucial role in regulating male inflorescence development. Pollen represents a significant allergen in birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.). Its male inflorescence develops over nearly one year and overwinters as uninucleate microspores. Therefore, elucidating the molecular basis of male sterility in this species is essential for breeding pollen-free varieties. In this study, we used wild-type (WT) plants and two types of male inflorescences (WLM and MM) derived from the same spontaneous mutant to perform phenotypic observations and transcriptome analyses at three key developmental stages: microspore mother cell, tetrad/microspore, and mature pollen before pollination. Both WLM and MM displayed impaired pollen grain maturation and defective anther dehiscence at stage 6. As floral development progressed, the numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the mutant inflorescences and WT increased markedly. KEGG enrichment analysis of these DEGs revealed that pathways, such as phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and ABC transporters, may play critical roles in birch male flower development. GO enrichment identified 31 candidate genes linked to pollen exine formation, sporopollenin biosynthetic process, and anther development (e.g., BpSPL8: SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 8, BpAPY7: Apyrase 7, BpCYP703A2: CYTOCHROME P450 703A2). Phylogenetic and co-expression analyses identified BpSPL2 as a core regulator. Overexpression of BpSPL2 arrested microsporogenesis at the microsporocyte stage, preventing tetrad formation. The arrested cells subsequently degraded during overwintering, ultimately yielding no microspores or pollen. Conversely, BpSPL2 suppression promoted microsporogenesis, and caused inflorescence and anther enlargement. These results establish BpSPL2 as a key temporal regulator of microsporogenesis in B. platyphylla. This study systematically investigated the potential molecular mechanisms underlying two distinct abnormal male flower phenotypes on a spontaneous mutant individual and elucidated the central regulatory function of BpSPL2 in male flower development. These findings provide a theoretical foundation and genetic resources for breeding pollen-free varieties of B. platyphylla.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983081","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":"The insect effector CSPs activate an atypical plant TNL immune receptor.","authors":"Weiwei Rao, Tianzhu Li, Jing Yang, Liwen Zhu, Wei Zhao, Tingting Ma","doi":"10.1007/s00299-026-03972-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-026-03972-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>CSP-mediated activation of RCSP involves noncanonical structural and catalytic mechanisms-including BB-loop deletion, α5α6-loop insertion, and atypical catalytic residues within the RCSP-TIR domain. Chemosensory proteins (CSPs), a conserved effector family in phloem-feeding insects such as aphids and the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens), induce dwarfism in Nicotiana benthamiana through recognition by the Toll-interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptor (TNL) RCSP. However, CSP-mediated RCSP activation and enzymatic mechanism remain unknown. Here, we show that TIR domain of RCSP (RCSP-TIR) exhibits unique features, including a 9-amino acid deletion in the loop between β-strand B and α-helix B (BB-loop), an 8-amino acid insertion in the loop between α5 and α6 (α5α6-loop), and substitution of the canonical catalytic glutamate with glutamine (E87Q). Structural analysis demonstrates that BB-loop deletion disrupts the canonical NAD⁺-binding pocket and prevents standard TIR tetramerization. Strikingly, AlphaFold3/DMFold modeling reveals that RCSP compensates via α5α6-loop insertion, forming a novel interface that stabilizes an atypical tetrameric architecture. Integrated approaches combining molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis demonstrate that RCSP may utilize a noncanonical NAD⁺-binding pocket and depend on dual catalytic residues (D86/Q87) to mediate weak cell death. Evolutionary analysis classifies RCSP-TIR homologs into four distinct clades, highlighting Solanaceae-specific adaptations. These findings elucidate a novel plant-insect interaction mechanism in which RCSP's structural diversification enables CSPs recognition and immune signaling reprogramming.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148963650","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":"Genome-wide identification and evolutionary analysis of the ERF-VII gene family in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and functional characterization of CsRAP2.2 in response to cold stress.","authors":"Qiyu Huang, Ruiqi Pan, Longna Wu, Siye Chen, JingFeng Hu, Zhengming Long, Jiaxing Zhao, Xinyuan Hao, Hu Tang","doi":"10.1007/s00299-026-03973-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-026-03973-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The ERF-VII gene family, a critical branch of the AP2/ERF superfamily, is central to plant stress adaptation. However, its evolutionary history and function in tea plant (Camellia sinensis) remain unclear. Here, we performed integrated evolutionary, genomic, and functional analyses of ERF-VII genes across 14 plant lineages and 20 tea plant cultivars. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that ERF-VII proteins originated after vascular plant divergence, coinciding with the emergence of the N-terminal MCGGA/I motif linked to the oxygen-dependent N-degron pathway. Gymnosperms retained few conserved members, whereas angiosperms exhibited lineage-specific expansion-extensive in monocots via whole-genome duplication, moderate in eudicots with functional diversification. Pan-genome analysis across 20 tea plant cultivars further revealed varietal differences in ERF-VII gene distribution. Transcriptome profiling via the Tea Plant Information Archive identified CsRAP2.2 as a cold-inducible ERF-VII member with sustained expression under low-temperature stress. Functional assays demonstrated that silencing CsRAP2.2 reduced cold tolerance, while overexpression in tea leaves and heterologous expression in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced cold tolerance by maintaining photosystem II efficiency, reducing membrane lipid peroxidation, and improving antioxidant capacity. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis positioned CsRAP2.2 as a regulatory hub integrating cold, hormone, and oxygen-sensing pathways. These results clarify the evolutionary trajectory of ERF-VII genes and establish CsRAP2.2 as a core cold-tolerance regulator in tea plant. These findings may inform future breeding of cold-resilient tea cultivars.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148956339","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":"Molecular mechanisms and agronomic strategies for thermotolerance in chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).","authors":"Mahnoor Khattak, Maria Ajmal, Hina Firdous, Zhao Yue, Nadia Sajjad, Muhammad Mubashar Zafar, Minghui Lu","doi":"10.1007/s00299-026-03974-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-026-03974-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heat stress is a primary environmental constraint on chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) productivity and fruit quality across global agricultural systems. Elevated temperatures adversely affect plant growth, flowering, fruit set, pod morphology, physiology, and metabolism. The severity of these impacts varies with the duration and intensity of heat exposure and with the stage of plant development. Reproductive development is especially vulnerable, resulting in compromised fruit formation and a decline in productivity. Heat stress disturbs photosynthesis, cellular structure integrity, and membrane stability through oxidative stress. Chili plants counter heat stress through complex molecular networks that encompass activation of antioxidant systems, heat shock protein (HSP) synthesis, osmolyte biosynthesis, and stress-responsive transcription factor expression. Recent advancements in genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics have elucidated fundamental regulatory pathways governing thermotolerance, highlighting the importance of heat-responsive genes, including CaHSPs, CaWRKYs, and CaNACs. This comprehensive review integrates contemporary understanding of physiological, biochemical, and molecular heat stress responses in chili pepper. Additionally, it evaluates potential agronomic and breeding strategies to strengthen crop adaptation to escalating global temperatures.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148956300","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":"Engineering cold stress resilience in capsicum annuum through functional genomics and precision breeding.","authors":"Ikram Ullah, Naveed Ahmad, Aashaq Hussain Bhat, Adil Hussain, Fan Wei, Wu Hongzhi","doi":"10.1007/s00299-026-03965-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-026-03965-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>This review synthesizes the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in pepper, integrating multi-omics data,genome editing, and precision breeding strategies to accelerate the development of cold-resilient cultivars. Cold stress is a significant environmental factor that affects the growth, productivity, and fruit quality of Capsicum annuum by impairing membrane integrity photosynthesis and cellular redox homeostasis. Although pepper has several endogenous cold-responsive regulators such as CaNAC035 and CabHLH035, along with antioxidant defense systems, its cold tolerance remains limited due to low transcriptional activation of key regulators, functional redundancy among cold-responsive genes, and the polygenicity of cold tolerance. These complexities, combined with low genetic diversity and linkage drag, have hindered the improvement of cold-resistant cultivars through conventional breeding. This review brings together the recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of cold stress perception, signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, metabolic reprogramming, and phytohormone interactions in pepper. Precision Breeding 2.0 is a new innovation that combines the integration of multi-omics-based target identification with next-generation genome-editing techniques, allowing precise and multiplex engineering of complex and interconnected regulatory networks instead of single genes. We cover new approaches such as engineering the DREB/CBF pathway, allele-specific editing and targeted disruption of negative regulators to enhance the pathway(s) involved in cold response. Moreover, we propose a roadmap for integration of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, high-throughput phenomics, and speed breeding to accelerate the identification, validation, and deployment of superior alleles to boost cold tolerance. This review provides a foundation for developing climate-resilient pepper cultivars by connecting functional genomics with precision genome engineering approaches to maintain productivity under variable environmental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148920471","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":"CqRVE5-CqHAI3 is the potential key gene module regulating pre-harvest sprouting in quinoa.","authors":"Xian Wang, Baoqiang Wang, Wenyu Liu, Ying Zhao, Xiaolin Zhu, Yizhen Wang, Jiali Chai, Haixun Liu, Xiaohong Wei","doi":"10.1007/s00299-026-03971-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-026-03971-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>The CqRVE5 - CqHAI3 gene module is a key regulator of seed germination at harvest, and it negativelyregulates germination by infl uencing starch metabolism. Quinoa is a crop that is both resistant to adversity and highly nutritious. Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) significantly affects quinoa yield and quality, underscoring the need to understand the mechanisms underlying quinoa's resistance to PHS. In this study, the quinoa R157 exhibited significantly greater resistance to PHS than S222. Quinoa resistance to PHS is closely associated with gibberellin/abscisic acid (GA/ABA), amylase activity, and starch metabolism. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified the transcription factor CqRVE5 and its target gene, CqHAI3, as key regulators of PHS resistance in quinoa. Both genes exhibit similar expression patterns, with preferential expression in seeds, and both are localized to the nucleus. The CqRVE5 and CqHAI3 genes were overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana. In the transgenic seeds, GA/ABA levels, amylase activity, and starch degradation rates were all reduced, leading to decreased germination capacity, indicating that both CqRVE5 and CqHAI3 negatively regulate arabidopsis seed germination. Further studies have shown that CqRVE5 can bind to the promoter region of the CqHAI3 gene and activate its expression. In summary, CqRVE5-CqHAI3 may be an important module regulating seed germination at the harvest stage. This study proposes a new potential mechanism underlying PHS regulation, offering novel insights into PHS resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148920454","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":"Auxin-responsive SlXTH3 promotes Ralstonia solanacearum infection by modulating lateral root development and root immunity in tomato.","authors":"Xiaoyu Zheng, Xuanwei Du, Junming Chen, Hui Liang, Wei Wu, Peng Wang","doi":"10.1007/s00299-026-03968-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-026-03968-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>SlXTH3 promotes tomato lateral root development and cell wall remodeling, which facilitate early root colonization by Ralstonia solanacearum and increase susceptibility to bacterial wilt. Ralstonia solanacearum is a highly destructive soil-borne bacterial pathogen whose infection typically initiates in the root system and is accompanied by remodeling of host root development and defense responses. The results of this study showed that, during the early infection of tomato roots, R. solanacearum preferentially colonized lateral root emergence sites and promoted lateral root development, thereby generating additional potential sites favorable for bacterial colonization. Further analyses revealed that, during the early stage of R. solanacearum infection, endogenous auxin accumulation was significantly induced in tomato root tissues, accompanied by the transcriptional upregulation of a group of cell wall remodeling-related genes with potential auxin responsiveness. Expression analysis showed that SlXTH3, a xyloglucan endotransglycosylase/hydrolase gene predominantly expressed in roots, was significantly upregulated during the early stage of R. solanacearum infection. Overexpression of SlXTH3 promoted lateral root formation in tomato seedlings and enhanced early colonization of tomato roots by R. solanacearum, whereas RNAi-mediated silencing of SlXTH3 showed the opposite tendency. In addition, XTH3-overexpressing lines showed increased xyloglucan endotransglycosylase (XET) activity and hemicellulose content in root tissues and suppressed flg22-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) bursts, whereas SlXTH3-silenced lines displayed stronger ROS bursts and root immune outputs. Further experiments showed that overexpression of SlXTH3 promoted disease progression and bacterial proliferation within plants, whereas silencing SlXTH3 helped attenuate disease development. Collectively, SlXTH3 is a key susceptibility factor of R. solanacearum during tomato root infection; pathogen exploitation of SlXTH3-mediated lateral root development and immune-response suppression promotes infection establishment and aggravates disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"45 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148920279","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}