The Plant Journal最新文献

{"title":"WL1 regulates grain width development in rice","authors":"Yi Zhang,&nbsp;Mi Wei,&nbsp;Jing You,&nbsp;Bingyi Qiu,&nbsp;Jichao Zhang,&nbsp;Jianyan Mu,&nbsp;Wenwen Xiao,&nbsp;Kailong Zhao,&nbsp;Gang Wei,&nbsp;Wenjing Yu,&nbsp;Yinghua Ling,&nbsp;Xianchun Sang,&nbsp;Guanghua He,&nbsp;Ting Zhang","doi":"10.1111/tpj.70418","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70418","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Grain size is a pivotal factor that significantly influences grain yield. However, the genetic basis is mostly unknown. Here, we found that our previously identified <i>wl1</i> mutant, which regulates leaf width development through the APC/C^TAD1-WL1-NAL1 pathway, also exhibits a wide grain phenotype with increased cell expansion and proliferation in glume. Genetic analysis showed that the APC/C^TAD1-WL1 module also regulates grain width in a common pathway. Further, WL1 can bind to the regulatory regions of <i>Narrow Leaf 2</i> (<i>NAL2</i>) (a grain width positive regulatory gene) directly to repress its expression by downregulating histone acetylation levels of the chromatin to regulate grain width development. Meanwhile, we also found that WL1 participates in the cytokinin signaling pathway and regulates grain width by interacting with cytokinin B-type response regulator RRB2 and inhibiting its transcriptional activation activity on A-type response regulator <i>OsRR6</i>. In summary, this study established a pivotal WL1-mediated grain size regulation pathway, which is crucial for understanding grain development and improving crop yield.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":233,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Journal","volume":"123 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144832722","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":"CsNAC29 transcription factor activates α-farnesene emission to resist gray blight disease in tea plant (Camellia sinensis)","authors":"Qingshan Xu,&nbsp;Zinan Zhuang,&nbsp;Long Cheng,&nbsp;Jiayi Jin,&nbsp;Huicong Ma,&nbsp;Huirui Chen,&nbsp;Wen Xiang,&nbsp;Xinyu Wang,&nbsp;Ziyan Zhao,&nbsp;Junyan Zhu,&nbsp;Shuyuan Liu,&nbsp;Youben Yu","doi":"10.1111/tpj.70421","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70421","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>α-Farnesene is one of the most widely distributed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in plants, playing a significant role in both flavor formation and defense mechanisms. However, the regulatory mechanisms and physiological functions of α-farnesene biosynthesis in tea plants remain largely unexplored. In this study, α-farnesene was identified as a key compound associated with resistance to gray blight disease. We characterized an α-farnesene synthase gene (<i>CsAFS2.1</i>) and its alternative splicing isoforms (<i>CsAFS2.2</i> and <i>CsAFS2.3</i>), which were differentially induced upon pathogen infection, with <i>CsAFS2.1</i> showing the highest level of induction. Through subcellular localization studies, <i>in vitro</i> enzymatic assays, and <i>in vivo</i> functional verification, we demonstrated that all three isoforms catalyze the conversion of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) to α-farnesene in tea plants. Using an integrative approach that included DNA–protein interaction analysis, gene silencing, gene overexpression, and metabolic profiling, we revealed that the transcription factor <i>CsNAC29</i> activates α-farnesene emission by directly regulating the expression of <i>CsAFS2</i>. Suppression of either <i>CsNAC29</i> or <i>CsAFS2</i> significantly reduced α-farnesene production and compromised the resistance of tea plants to gray blight disease. Our study not only elucidates the molecular mechanisms underlying α-farnesene-mediated resistance in tea plants but also proposes a potential pathway for enhancing both aroma and immunity through targeted genetic manipulation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":233,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Journal","volume":"123 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144832720","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":"Unravelling the role of phytosulfokine (PSK) in regulating rose petal growth through cell proliferation","authors":"Yinghao Wei,&nbsp;Yuanfei Zhang,&nbsp;Jiaxi Li,&nbsp;Feifei Gong,&nbsp;Weihan Hua,&nbsp;Huwei Liu,&nbsp;Weichan Jin,&nbsp;Kaiyang Tang,&nbsp;Jiawei Sun,&nbsp;Huijun Yan,&nbsp;Hao Zhang,&nbsp;Yunhe Jiang,&nbsp;Junping Gao,&nbsp;Xiaoming Sun","doi":"10.1111/tpj.70424","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70424","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Petal size significantly affects the ornamental quality of flowers, and cell proliferation plays a crucial regulatory role during the early stages of petal growth. Phytosulfokine (PSK) is a peptide hormone involved in regulating plant growth and development. However, its function in regulating petal size and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we isolated the PSK precursor gene <i>RhPSK3;1</i>, which is highly expressed during the early stages of petal growth in roses (<i>Rosa hybrida</i>). Silencing <i>RhPSK3;1</i> shortened the duration of the cell proliferation phase in rose petals, reduced the number of abaxial sub-epidermal cells and ultimately decreased petal size, whereas exogenous PSK application produced the opposite effects. Rescue experiments confirmed that exogenous PSK application largely reversed the phenotypes induced by <i>RhPSK3;1</i> silencing. Additionally, the homeodomain-leucine zipper II family transcription factor RhHAT9 directly binds to the <i>RhPSK3;1</i> promoter and inhibits its transcription. In summary, our results elucidate the role of the peptide hormone PSK in rose petal growth, highlight its positive regulation of cell proliferation in petals, and enhance our understanding of petal size regulation from the perspective of peptide hormones.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":233,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Journal","volume":"123 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144832538","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":"Comparison of transcriptional activity profiling by metabolic labeling or nuclear RNA sequencing","authors":"E. E. Wear,&nbsp;L. Mickelson-Young,&nbsp;H. W. Bass,&nbsp;L. Hanley-Bowdoin,&nbsp;W. F. Thompson,&nbsp;L. Concia","doi":"10.1111/tpj.70401","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70401","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The application of high-throughput sequencing to cellular transcriptome profiling (RNA-seq) has enabled significant advances in our understanding of gene expression in plants. However, conventional RNA-seq data reports mainly cytoplasmic transcript abundance rather than actual transcription rates. As a result, it is less sensitive to detect unstable and low-abundance nuclear RNA species, such as long non-coding RNAs, and is less directly connected to chromatin features and processes such as DNA replication. To bridge this gap, several protocols have been established to profile newly synthesized RNA in plants and other eukaryotes. These protocols can be technically challenging and present their own difficulties and limitations. Here we analyze newly synthesized nuclear RNA metabolically labeled <i>in vivo</i> with 5-ethynyl uridine (EU-nuclear RNA) in maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) root tips and compare it with the entire nuclear RNA population. We also compare both nuclear RNA preparations to conventional RNA-seq analysis of cellular RNA. The transcript abundance profiles of protein-coding genes in nuclear RNA and EU-nuclear RNA were tightly correlated with each other (<i>R</i>² = 0.767), but quite distinct from that of cellular RNA (<i>R</i>² = 0.170 or 0.293). Nuclear and EU-nuclear RNA reads are frequently mapped across entire genes, including introns, while cellular reads are predominantly mapped to mature transcripts. Both nuclear and EU-nuclear RNA exhibited a greater ability to detect both protein-coding and non-coding expressed genes.</p>","PeriodicalId":233,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Journal","volume":"123 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/tpj.70401","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144832719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The protein homeostasis of SPATULA coordinates seed thermoinhibition response in Arabidopsis thaliana","authors":"Yiwei Cao,&nbsp;Yan Mao,&nbsp;Lei Liang,&nbsp;Danni He,&nbsp;Bo Lei,&nbsp;Ping Li,&nbsp;García-Caparrós Pedro,&nbsp;John T. Hancock,&nbsp;Jingling Huang,&nbsp;Liming Yang,&nbsp;Xiangyang Hu","doi":"10.1111/tpj.70415","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70415","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Supraoptimal temperature (SOT) suppresses the completion of seed germination (termed thermoinhibition) to ensure seedling establishment under favorable environmental conditions. SOMNUS (SOM) plays a crucial role in suppressing seed germination completion under SOT, although the underlying regulatory mechanism governing this process remains elusive. In this study, we identified that a bHLH transcription factor SPATULA (SPT) directly binds to the promoter region of <i>SOM</i>, thereby activating its expression. Notably, knockout mutants of <i>SPT</i> enhanced the completion of seed germination under SOT, characterized by increased GA and decreased ABA biosynthesis. In contrast, <i>SPT</i> overexpression reduced the completion of seed germination, leading to decreased GA and increased ABA biosynthesis. These results suggest that SPT negatively controls the seed thermoinhibition response. Genetic analyses further showed that <i>SOM</i> acts epistatically to <i>SPT</i> in suppressing the completion of seed germination under SOT conditions. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the E3 ligase COP1 possibly mediates the degradation of SPT in the nucleus. Under SOT conditions, COP1 is translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, stabilizing nuclear SPT and activating <i>SOM</i> expression to initiate seed thermoinhibition. In a DEX-inducible system, artificial retention of nuclear COP1 induced the degradation of nuclear SPT, limiting <i>SOM</i> expression and subsequently attenuating the seed thermoinhibition response under SOT conditions. These findings reveal a critical function of SPT in controlling the seed thermoinhibition response via <i>SOM</i> activation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":233,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Journal","volume":"123 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144815055","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":"Rooting mechanism of Dendrocalamus brandisii branch and main differences in rooting ability in three different bamboo species","authors":"Lixia Yu,&nbsp;Hui Zhan,&nbsp;Caihua Chu,&nbsp;Diankun Jin,&nbsp;Lingfeng Li,&nbsp;Juan Li,&nbsp;Changming Wang,&nbsp;Todd F. Shupe,&nbsp;Shuguang Wang","doi":"10.1111/tpj.70409","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70409","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Adventitious root (AR) growth is vital for mass propagation of bamboo, and there is a significant difference in the rooting ability among different bamboo species. The differences of AR differentiation from the bamboo branch were undefined. In this study, it was found that the thickness and lignification degrees of the cortex were closely related to the degree of rooting difficulty of the branch base in different bamboo species. The inner cortical cells restored their division ability and further differentiated AR primordium in <i>Dendrocalamus brandisii.</i> Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and jasmonic acid (JA) played a crucial role in the development of ARs, and further IAA and JA treatment analysis indicated that only low concentration hormones could enhance AR differentiation. <i>DbCRL1</i> and <i>DbAOS1</i> were defined to be related to the AR differentiation, and their positive functions were validated in rice. <i>DbAOS1</i> exhibited an ability to independently enhance and activate <i>ANTHRANILATE SYNTHASE</i> in the auxin production pathway. <i>DbCRL1</i> could interact with <i>DbWOX11 in vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i>, wherein they promote AR differentiation synergistically. These findings revealed the differences of AR differentiation in the branch and provided new insights into the rooting mechanism of <i>D. brandisii</i> branch.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":233,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Journal","volume":"123 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144815054","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":"Phosphoproteomics analysis provides novel insight into the mechanisms of extreme desiccation tolerance of the desert moss Syntrichia caninervis","authors":"Fangliu Yin,&nbsp;Xuncheng Liu,&nbsp;Amangul Hawar,&nbsp;Wenwan Bai,&nbsp;Qilin Yang,&nbsp;Huan Zhang,&nbsp;Ting Cao,&nbsp;Daoyuan Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaoshuang Li","doi":"10.1111/tpj.70373","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70373","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Syntrichia caninervis</i> is a model species for research on desiccation tolerance (DT) because it is capable of rapidly responding to drastic changes in water conditions. Phosphorylation, a key post-translational modification process that is rapid and reversible, enables the rapid regulation of protein functions, aiding plants to quickly adapt to changing environments. Modifications to phosphorylation may play a crucial role in the DT of <i>S. caninervis</i>, although no studies have been published. Here, we report a 4D label-free high-resolution dynamic proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis of <i>S. caninervis</i> during dehydration and rehydration, allowing for the quantification of 2854 proteins and 1177 phosphoproteins, including 1447 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and 699 differentially phosphorylated proteins (DPPs). Among the phosphoproteins, 36.5% displayed changes in protein abundance. The proteomic and phosphoproteomic changes involved proteins (DEPs and DPPs) that were mainly involved in photosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, the citrate cycle, and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolism pathways during dehydration. During rehydration, DEPs and DPPs were mainly associated with processes related to ribosome and energy metabolism. In summary, during dehydration, phosphorylation mainly regulates signal transduction and metabolic processes, allowing plants to adapt to a loss of water. During rehydration, phosphorylation controls repair and recovery mechanisms, restoring metabolic activity and reestablishing cellular functions. ScDHAR1, a protein involved in glutathione metabolism, was differentially phosphorylated at two serine sites (S29 and S218) in response to desiccation. Further analysis revealed that phosphorylation of S29/S218 in ScDHAR1 significantly increased its enzymatic activity, thereby enhancing the DT of <i>S. caninervis in situ</i>. This work establishes a phosphoprotein database for a DT moss. These findings not only broaden our understanding of <i>S. caninervis</i> DT but also fill knowledge gaps in the field of phosphoproteomics in DT mosses, while providing valuable data resources for future related research.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":233,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Journal","volume":"123 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782617","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 secreted elicitor protein VmHrp1 from Valsa mali activates plant immunity through RLP26 to enhance disease resistance","authors":"Hailong Liu,&nbsp;Shasha Chen,&nbsp;Xing Gao,&nbsp;Hongjie Qian,&nbsp;Yinghao Wang,&nbsp;Daoyuan Zhang,&nbsp;Liangsheng Xu,&nbsp;Lili Huang","doi":"10.1111/tpj.70393","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70393","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Pathogenic fungi, such as <i>Valsa mali</i>, secrete effector proteins to suppress host immunity and promote infection. Plants counteract these attacks through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and activate immune responses. This study reports the identification and characterization of a hypersensitive response-inducing protein (VmHrp1) that comes from <i>V. mali</i> and belongs to the Alt a 1 family. We demonstrate that VmHrp1 induces cell death in <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i> through receptor-like kinases (RLKs) SERK3 and SOBIR1. While deletion of VmHrp1 in <i>V. mali</i> did not affect virulence, its exogenous application boosted resistance to <i>Sclerotinia sclerotiorum</i> in <i>N. benthamiana.</i> Heterologous overexpression of VmHrp1 in apple plants triggered immune responses and enhanced resistance to <i>V. mali</i>. A receptor-like protein RLP26 was identified as the receptor mediating VmHrp1 perception in <i>N. benthamiana</i>. Using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), CRISPR/Cas9, and co-immunoprecipitation assays, we show that knockdown of <i>RLP26</i> diminished <i>VmHrp1</i>-induced cell death and immune responses. In vivo interaction studies revealed that RLP26 binds specifically to VmHrp1, and its complex formation with SERK3 and SOBIR1 is essential for immune signaling. These findings suggest that VmHrp1 activates the plant immune response by interacting with RLP26, enhancing disease resistance in <i>N. benthamiana.</i></p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":233,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Journal","volume":"123 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773748","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":"Venus flytraps' metabolome analysis discloses the metabolic fate of prey animal foodstock","authors":"Ines Kreuzer,&nbsp;Federico Scossa,&nbsp;Takayuki Tohge,&nbsp;Alisdair R. Fernie,&nbsp;Rainer Hedrich","doi":"10.1111/tpj.70391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70391","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Carnivorous plants such as the Venus flytrap <i>Dionaea muscipula</i> survive in nutrient-poor habitats by attracting and consuming animals. Upon deflection of the touch-sensitive trigger hairs, the trap closes instantly. Panicking prey repeatedly collides with trigger hairs, which activate the endocrine system: mechano- and chemosensors translate the information on the prey's nature, size, and activity into jasmonate-dependent lytic enzyme secretion. This digestive fluid gradually degrades its exoskeleton and internal tissues. The released substances are absorbed by glands covering the inner trap surface. To understand <i>Dionaea</i>'s modification of metabolism upon prey consumption, we compared the metabolic profiles associated with secretion and insect feeding. In favor of digestive enzyme secretion, the abundance of most amino acids decreased after JA-stimulation without prey present. By contrast, insect feeding resulted in an increase in almost all amino acids within the trap. In agreement with the export of prey-derived nitrogen, the abundance of certain amino acids also increased in the petiole. In response to feeding with urea, chitin, nucleic acids, or phospholipids, the amino acid profile remained relatively unchanged. This might indicate that the alterations in the Venus flytrap's metabolism depend both on the type of substance and on its amount.</p>","PeriodicalId":233,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Journal","volume":"123 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/tpj.70391","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"OsbZIP83-OsCOMT15 module confers melatonin-ameliorated cold tolerance in rice","authors":"Ruiqing Li,&nbsp;Chen-Fan Zheng,&nbsp;Bo Liu,&nbsp;Can Hu,&nbsp;Yue Song,&nbsp;Haowei Fu,&nbsp;Huali Zhang,&nbsp;Can Zhang,&nbsp;Qian-Hao Zhu,&nbsp;Meng Jiang","doi":"10.1111/tpj.70402","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70402","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cold stress is one of the most common abiotic stresses, and melatonin (Mel) is involved in the regulation of plant cold tolerance. However, the detailed mechanism underlying Mel-mediated cold tolerance remains largely unknown. Here, we reveal that <i>caffeic acid O-methyltransferase 15</i> (<i>OsCOMT15</i>) is cold-responsive (COR) and acts as a key modulator of Mel biosynthesis to enhance rice cold tolerance at the seedling stage. We also discover that OsbZIP83, a bZIP transcription factor, serves as the direct regulator of <i>OsCOMT15</i> to control its transcription. Knocking out <i>OsbZIP83</i> or <i>OsCOMT15</i> caused cold-hypersensitive phenotypes and significantly decreased melatonin contents upon cold stress, while their overexpressing lines exhibited the opposite effects to cold treatment. Further analysis elucidates that OsbZIP83 activates the expression of <i>OsCOMT15</i> and two known COR genes, <i>DEHYDRATION-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING FACTOR 1s</i> (<i>OsDREB1A</i> and <i>OsDREB1G</i>). The results demonstrate the functionalities of the OsbZIP83-<i>OsDREB1s/OsCOMT15</i> module in rice cold tolerance via orchestrating melatonin synthesis and cold response. Collectively, the findings shed new insights on how phytohormones respond to chilling factors and provide potential avenues and strategies guiding the engineering of health-benefiting and stress-tolerating crops.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":233,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Journal","volume":"123 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144773528","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}