Ghulam Murtaza, Zeeshan Ahmed, Najmaldin Ezaldin Hassan, Sajid Ullah, Nazih Y Rebouh, Mohammed S Alotaibi, Saqer S Alotaibi, Sajad Ali, Sabina Jafarzadeh, Rashid Iqbal
{"title":"Foliar application of gamma aminobutyric acid regulates sulfur metabolism and restores redox balance to improve aluminum tolerance in <i>Camelina sativa</i>.","authors":"Ghulam Murtaza, Zeeshan Ahmed, Najmaldin Ezaldin Hassan, Sajid Ullah, Nazih Y Rebouh, Mohammed S Alotaibi, Saqer S Alotaibi, Sajad Ali, Sabina Jafarzadeh, Rashid Iqbal","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2705725","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2705725","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aluminum toxicity severely limits crop productivity by disrupting nutrient balance, photosynthesis, and cellular redox homeostasis. Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important signaling molecule involved in plant stress adaptation, but its role in regulating sulfur metabolism and antioxidant defense under aluminum stress remains poorly understood. This study investigated the impact of foliar application of GABA (100 μmol L<sup>-1</sup>) on aluminum tolerance in <i>Camelina sativa</i> exposed to Al stress (50 mg kg<sup>-1</sup> soil Al) using controlled experiments and naturally aluminum-contaminated mining soil. GABA application significantly improved plant performance by increasing plant height, biomass, root growth, photosynthetic pigments, and gas exchange parameters compared with Al-stressed plants. In addition, GABA enhanced antioxidant protection by increasing the activities of ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, while reducing reactive oxygen species accumulation and the malondialdehyde content by improving the redox balance. GABA treatment increased glutathione levels and the GSH/GSSG ratio, whereas the accumulation of oxidized glutathione and dehydroascorbic acid induced by aluminum stress decreased, indicating improved antioxidant recycling capacity. Furthermore, GABA restored sulfur metabolism by regulating cysteine, glucosinolate, glutathione S-transferase activity, and the expression of sulfur-related genes, including <i>ST5a b c</i>, <i>CYP83A1</i>, and <i>BCAT4</i>. Functional inhibitor experiments demonstrated that the protective role of GABA depends on calcium signaling and reactive oxygen species signaling pathways. Transcriptome analysis further revealed extensive regulation of genes involved in antioxidant defense and sulfur metabolism. These findings demonstrate that GABA enhances aluminum tolerance through coordinated regulation of sulfur metabolism, redox homeostasis, and stress signaling, providing new insights into sustainable strategies for improving crop resilience in aluminum-affected soils.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2705725"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13393235/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148551957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Thermal petiole wounding triggers trap closure in <i>Dionaea muscipula</i>.","authors":"Neleh Bergstrom, Paul Helfrich","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2700900","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2700900","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Venus flytrap (<i>Dionaea muscipula</i> Ellis) is a carnivorous plant that captures invertebrates using an electrically excitable trap mechanism. Invertebrates stimulate trigger hairs, initiating action potentials (APs) that drive rapid closure. Trap lobes are electrically isolated from one another by non-excitable petioles. We examined thermal wounding to leaf petiole's ability to produce detectable electrical activity in the isolated trap and if wounding stimulation is sufficient to trigger closure. Using a within-subject design across 15 mature plants, we compared trap-recorded electrical signals following trigger hair (TH) stimulation and petiole branding with a heated soldering iron. Primary spike morphology did not differ significantly between treatment groups for either Spike/Baseline Ratio or Depolarization Fraction. Within-Brands primary-to-secondary Spike/Baseline Ratios differed significantly consistent with non-regenerative signal attenuation rather than canonical AP propagation from the petiole. Differences are consistent with thermal petiole wounding disrupting xylem continuity and generating a hydraulic pressure transient that initiates trap-derived APs through the trap's own excitation machinery. The trap's closure threshold is accessible via sufficiently large, likely non-electrical, systemic perturbation.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2700900"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13353776/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148427850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ghulam Murtaza, Oybek Mamarakhimov, Khasan Musaev, Mamlakat Djabbarova, Lola Sanayeva, Negmurod Rashidov, Khayrullo Ibragimov, Sajad Ali, Mohammed S Alotaibi, Aziza Huseynova, Nazih Y Rebouh, Sajid Ullah, Rashid Iqbal
{"title":"Agmatine and N-hydroxypipecolic acid synergistically enhance salt tolerance in wheat through antioxidant defense, proline metabolism, and photosynthetic protection.","authors":"Ghulam Murtaza, Oybek Mamarakhimov, Khasan Musaev, Mamlakat Djabbarova, Lola Sanayeva, Negmurod Rashidov, Khayrullo Ibragimov, Sajad Ali, Mohammed S Alotaibi, Aziza Huseynova, Nazih Y Rebouh, Sajid Ullah, Rashid Iqbal","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2696140","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2696140","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Salt stress severely limits wheat growth by disturbing photosynthesis, osmotic balance, and cellular redox homeostasis. This study evaluated whether agmatine and N-hydroxy pipecolic acid, applied alone or in combination, could improve wheat tolerance under 200 mM NaCl stress. Wheat plants were grown under greenhouse conditions and treated with agmatine at 100 µM, N-hydroxypipecolic acid at 0.01 µM, or their combined application. Salt stress reduced growth, leaf area, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll content, gas exchange, Rubisco activity, and biomass accumulation while increasing hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, and electrolyte leakage. Both compounds improved wheat performance under salinity, but their combined application produced the strongest response across the measured growth, photosynthetic, osmotic, and antioxidant traits. The combined treatment improved root and shoot growth, maintained higher chlorophyll content and Rubisco activity, supported gas exchange, and increased soluble sugar accumulation. It also reduced oxidative injury by strengthening catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase activities. In addition, the combined treatment increased proline accumulation and activated key enzymes involved in proline metabolism, indicating improved osmotic adjustment under salt stress. These findings suggest that agmatine and N-hydroxy pipecolic acid act through complementary physiological and biochemical pathways to improve wheat salt tolerance. The combined treatment may offer a useful foliar strategy for improving wheat performance under saline conditions, although field validation and dose optimization are needed before practical recommendation.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2696140"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13336252/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148371508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal that exogenous silicon alleviate the response of tomato to salt stress.","authors":"Yiru Wang, Jiayao Liu, Huan Gao","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2652178","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2652178","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Salt stress is a primary abiotic constraint that adversely affects the growth and development of tomato plants. Silicon, a beneficial element, has shown potential in mitigating various abiotic stresses. However, although numerous studies have been conducted in this field, the precise mechanism by which exogenous silicon mitigates salt stress in tomato seedlings remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the physiological responses and underlying molecular mechanisms in tomato seedlings under NaCl stress with or without silicon application. The results showed that salt stress severely inhibited seedling growth, as indicated by reductions in shoot and root fresh weight and plant height, while this damage was markedly alleviated by the application of exogenous silicon. Compared to the treatment with NaCl alone (Na), salt stress plus silicon treatment (Na + Si) improved plant growth, the leaf chlorophyll a content, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), and the proline content and decreased the contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in tomato seedlings. Transcriptomic analysis showed that there were 435 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (397 upregulated and 38 downregulated) between Na + Si and Na treatments. Further enrichment analysis showed that the upregulated DEGs in Na + Si treatment were enriched in response to salt stress, ethylene and abscisic acid biosynthesis process, lignin catabolic process, cell wall biogenesis and the MAPK signaling pathway. Additionally, exogenous silicon application (Na + Si) upregulated the expression of key families of transcription factors, notably the AP2/ERF, WRKY and NAC families. Taken together, our study preliminarily revealed candidate genes and metabolic pathways affected by exogenous silicon treatment, which may provide a strategy for improving the adaptation of tomato to salt stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2652178"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13051611/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147610982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Laying the blueprint of abiotic stress tolerance: an analysis on the complexities of the stress matrix.","authors":"Ishita Samanta, Baisista Saha, Sabiha Tarafdar, Pamela Chanda Roy, Mallesham Bulle, Mrunmay Kumar Giri, Gopal Chowdhary","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2716979","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2716979","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Extreme weather conditions driven by climate change have resulted in higher average temperatures, more frequent intense heat waves, increased drought conditions, improper soil conditions, as well as increased pest and disease incidence, posing a unique challenge to plants. Until now, several studies have been performed to reveal how plants can acclimatize or cope with these unfavorable conditions. These studies have majorly focused on how plants respond to an individual stress at a particular point in time. But in nature, no stress occurs in isolation; rather, they act mostly in combination. This condition is referred to as \"multifactorial stress combination\" or, more precisely, it is termed as \"stress matrix\". The damages and corresponding responses from individual stresses and stress combinations may entirely be different, leading to complex downstream signaling. Through this review, we have made an attempt to decipher the physiological and molecular responses of different plant species to multiple stress combinations. It is further emphasized that more focus needs to be drawn towards the development of plants that are tolerant to multiple or co-occurring stress factors, keeping in mind the adversities of the consistently challenging environmental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2716979"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13531992/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148868614","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Adam Seluzicki, Annemarie E Branks, Sowmya Poosapati, Joanne Chory
{"title":"<b>Molecular genetic characterization of</b> <b>CASEIN KINASE 1-LIKE 12</b> <b>in</b> <i><b>Arabidopsis</b></i>.","authors":"Adam Seluzicki, Annemarie E Branks, Sowmya Poosapati, Joanne Chory","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2025.2610025","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2025.2610025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The CASEIN KINASE 1 (CK1) family plays diverse roles in the development, physiology, and disease in eukaryotes. In <i>Arabidopsis thaliana,</i> the CASEIN KINASE 1-LIKE (CKL) family has 13 members, but to date, the roles of these kinases remain largely unclear. Here, we characterize several insertion mutants, finding that CKL12 may contribute to hypocotyl and primary root growth. Differential effects of insertions at various parts of the gene suggest that the 3' end of the transcript may be important for CKL12 function. We provide evidence that <i>CKL12</i> may be a transcriptional target of brassinosteroid (BR) signaling. The <i>CKL12</i> promoter contains in vitro binding sites for BR-related transcription factors. Knock-down of these transcription factors using RNA interference reduces <i>CKL12</i> transcript. Together, these data suggest that CKL12 may act downstream of BR signaling to regulate seedling growth.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2610025"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12758299/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145866946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Min Jae Bae, Shah Zareen, Hyeseon Yun, Ahktar Ali, Zein Eddin Bader, Kisuk Park, Nassem Albakri, Young Jun Jung, Dae-Jin Yun, Junghoon Park
{"title":"Unveiling the epigenetic and stress-responsive function of histone H1 in plants.","authors":"Min Jae Bae, Shah Zareen, Hyeseon Yun, Ahktar Ali, Zein Eddin Bader, Kisuk Park, Nassem Albakri, Young Jun Jung, Dae-Jin Yun, Junghoon Park","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2677313","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2677313","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Environmental stresses can induce epigenetic alterations, particularly in chromatin accessibility and DNA methylation patterns, which orchestrate gene expression in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>. Many molecular mechanisms with diverse aspects have been reported to play a role, but a thorough understanding is still required. The linker protein Histone H1 (H1) plays an essential role in modulating the chromatin architecture to control gene expression. H1 stabilizes the nucleosome structure and promotes higher-order chromatin compaction. It interacts with chromatin modifiers to influence nucleosome accessibility, thereby regulating transcriptional events. H1 variants exhibit distinct spatiotemporal expression patterns and play key roles in stress adaptation. Under abiotic stress, the depletion of H1 is associated with dynamic DNA demethylation at transposable elements and altered histone marks. For instance, upon H1 depletion under drought or heat stress, shifts in H3K9me2 deposition have been observed, indicating a dual role for H1 in promoting genome stability and facilitating stress-induced transcriptional reprogramming. This review summarizes the emerging insights into H1 molecular mechanisms, crosstalk between noncoding RNAs, and phase-separated condensates. We also discuss the unresolved questions on H1 variant specificity and evolutionary conservation, as well as their potential applications in improving crop resilience through epigenetic engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2677313"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13203016/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147990552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Both brefeldin A and latrunculin B treatment induces cytoplasmic aggregation of plasma membrane-associated proteins in epidermal cells, but not in columella cells.","authors":"Ai Chen, Qianqian Wang, Xianyong Sheng","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2648340","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2648340","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Root columella and epidermal cells are crucial for sensing external stimuli, yet the differences in their plasma membrane-associated proteins' vesicular transport systems remain poorly understood. In this study, we explored the responses of these cells to pharmacological treatments using brefeldin A (BFA) and latrunculin B (Lat B). Our study revealed that BFA treatment induces the formation of BFA bodies containing PIN2-GFP and GFP-LTi6a in epidermal cells, with the earliest and most pronounced accumulation occurring in the transition zone, though it is also observable in the meristematic zone. In contrast, such accumulation are virtually undetectable for PIN3-GFP and GFP-LTi6a in columella cells. Similar effects were observed when BFA was replaced with Lat B, suggesting that the absence of these proteins' accumulation may be more closely connected to distinct intracellular vesicular transport mechanisms inherent to columella cells, rather than unconventional secretion pathways. Further analysis shows that Lat B treatment led to significant aggregation of key endomembrane organelles in epidermal cells, including the Golgi apparatus, trans-Golgi network (TGN), recycling endosomes (RE), early endosomes (EE), and late endosomes (LE). In contrast, columella cells displayed slight aggregation, limited to the Golgi apparatus, TGN, and RE, without obvious aggregation of EE or LE. These findings suggest the possibility of cell type specificity in actin filament-mediated intracellular vesicular transport of plasma membrane-associated proteins between columella and epidermal cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2648340"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13014555/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147505852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aradhika Vijeev, Shaik Basha, Spandana S Nadig, Krishna Kishore Mahato
{"title":"Postharvest preservation of fruits and vegetables by light-emitting diodes.","authors":"Aradhika Vijeev, Shaik Basha, Spandana S Nadig, Krishna Kishore Mahato","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2684157","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2684157","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables remain a major challenge because of rapid physiological deterioration, microbial spoilage, and quality degradation during storage and distribution. Light-based technologies, particularly light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, have emerged as promising non-thermal and residue-free approaches for preserving postharvest quality through precise regulation of wavelength, intensity, and exposure duration. However, reported responses remain highly variable across species, cultivars, developmental stages, and treatment conditions, limiting the establishment of predictive and standardized strategies. Previous reviews have focused primarily on either technological applications or specific mechanistic pathways, whereas an integrated understanding across preharvest and postharvest systems remains limited. This review provides a comparative and comprehensive analysis of LED- and UV-mediated regulation across the preharvest-postharvest continuum. Specifically, it synthesizes evidence on the light regulation of fruit growth and development, spectral effects on photosynthesis, metabolism and molecular pathways, enhancement of antioxidants and bioactive compounds, postharvest shelf-life extension, microbial control, senescence regulation, and quality preservation. Additionally, this review critically evaluates the methodological variability, translational limitations, and challenges associated with commercial implementation. Unlike existing reviews, this work integrates wavelength-specific physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses with practical considerations and cross-study comparisons to identify inconsistencies and emerging trends. By emphasizing mechanistic understanding, evidence-based synthesis, and future research priorities, this review provides a framework for developing predictive, crop-specific, and scalable light-based preservation strategies that may contribute to sustainable postharvest management and reduced food losses in horticultural systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2684157"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13271348/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148213887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mediator subunit MED19 modulates elf18-induced <i>PR1</i> expression via TGA transcription factors.","authors":"Taeyoung Um, Gang-Seob Lee, Jun Sung Seo","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2649382","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2649382","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Mediator complex bridges transcription factors and RNA polymerase II to regulate gene expression during plant immune responses. We previously demonstrated that the Mediator subunit MED19a modulates <i>PATHOGEN-RELATED 1</i> (<i>PR1</i>) expression through interactions with Fibrillarin 2 (FIB2) and the long non-coding RNA ELENA1 upon elf18 treatment. Because TGA transcription factors are known to play important roles in regulating <i>PR</i> genes, we sought to determine whether specific TGAs cooperate with MED19a. To identify TGA transcription factors cooperating with MED19a, we performed yeast two-hybrid assays and found that MED19a interacts with TGA1 and TGA5. These interactions were confirmed by in vitro pull-down assays and bimolecular fluorescence complementation in planta. Expression analysis revealed that <i>PR1</i>, <i>PR2</i>, <i>PR3</i>, and <i>PR5</i> were significantly upregulated in <i>tga1</i> and <i>tga5</i> mutants, while <i>PR1</i> expression remained unchanged in TGA1 and TGA5 overexpression lines after elf18 treatment. Consistent with prior observations, <i>PR1</i> expression was slightly reduced in <i>med19a</i> mutants. We generated <i>med19a med19b</i> double mutants using RNAi and verified reduced <i>MED19b</i> expression. In triple mutants (<i>med19a med19b tga1</i> and <i>med19a med19b tga5</i>), <i>PR1</i> expression levels were intermediate between those of the respective <i>tga</i> single mutants and the <i>med19a med19b</i> double mutant. These results suggest that MED19a modulates <i>PR1</i> expression through physical and functional interactions with TGA1 and TGA5, contributing to fine-tuned transcriptional control of immune responses triggered by elf18 in Arabidopsis.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2649382"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13007467/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147501296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}