Lipin proteins, a family of phosphatidic acid phosphatases (PAHs), are key regulators of lipid metabolism, storage, and homeostasis across eukaryotes. While Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) lipins function in lipid biosynthesis and gene regulation, their roles in lipid droplet (LD) biogenesis and lipid homeostasis remain largely unknown. Here, we show that double knockout of two PAH genes (PAH1/2) results in impaired LD biogenesis, accelerated triacylglycerol (TAG) hydrolysis, and lipid imbalance. pah1/2 mutant leaves exhibited a marked reduction in TAG levels and a significant decrease in LD size, while the rates of TAG and diacylglycerol (DAG) synthesis remained largely unchanged. In seeds, PAH1/2 disruption minimally affected TAG content but significantly reduced LD size. Fatty acid feeding experiments demonstrated impaired LD formation and increased lipotoxicity in pah1/2 leaves and seedlings. Furthermore, knockout of PAH1/2 in mutants with enhanced fatty acid flux through phosphatidylcholine (PC) led to severe reductions in leaf TAG levels, despite increases in TAG synthesis rates, indicating accelerated TAG turnover. Phosphatidic acid, free fatty acids, and PC accumulated, leading to massive proliferation of endoplasmic reticulum membranes and severe growth and developmental defects. These findings demonstrate evolutionarily conserved roles for PAH1/2 in LD biogenesis, membrane lipid homeostasis, and cellular protection against lipotoxicity, particularly under conditions of elevated fatty acid flux.
{"title":"Arabidopsis lipins mediate lipid droplet biogenesis to protect cells from lipotoxicity.","authors":"Jilian Fan,Dongling Xie,Changcheng Xu","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiag027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag027","url":null,"abstract":"Lipin proteins, a family of phosphatidic acid phosphatases (PAHs), are key regulators of lipid metabolism, storage, and homeostasis across eukaryotes. While Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) lipins function in lipid biosynthesis and gene regulation, their roles in lipid droplet (LD) biogenesis and lipid homeostasis remain largely unknown. Here, we show that double knockout of two PAH genes (PAH1/2) results in impaired LD biogenesis, accelerated triacylglycerol (TAG) hydrolysis, and lipid imbalance. pah1/2 mutant leaves exhibited a marked reduction in TAG levels and a significant decrease in LD size, while the rates of TAG and diacylglycerol (DAG) synthesis remained largely unchanged. In seeds, PAH1/2 disruption minimally affected TAG content but significantly reduced LD size. Fatty acid feeding experiments demonstrated impaired LD formation and increased lipotoxicity in pah1/2 leaves and seedlings. Furthermore, knockout of PAH1/2 in mutants with enhanced fatty acid flux through phosphatidylcholine (PC) led to severe reductions in leaf TAG levels, despite increases in TAG synthesis rates, indicating accelerated TAG turnover. Phosphatidic acid, free fatty acids, and PC accumulated, leading to massive proliferation of endoplasmic reticulum membranes and severe growth and developmental defects. These findings demonstrate evolutionarily conserved roles for PAH1/2 in LD biogenesis, membrane lipid homeostasis, and cellular protection against lipotoxicity, particularly under conditions of elevated fatty acid flux.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146069908","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}
Felix J Martínez Rivas,Milena A Smith,Zahra Zangishei,Saleh Alseekh,Björn Usadel,William C Plaxton,Alisdair R Fernie
Plant phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylases (PEPCs) are ubiquitously expressed as cytosolic Class-1 PEPC homotetramers composed of 107 kDa plant-type PEPC (PTPC) subunits that are highly sensitive to allosteric inhibition by malate. Class-2 PEPC heterooctameric complexes that are desensitized to malate inhibition also exist in certain sink tissues due to the interaction of a Class-1 PEPC with unrelated 118 kDa bacterial-type PEPC (BTPC) polypeptides. Class-2 PEPCs dynamically associate with the mitochondrial outer envelope and have been hypothesized to support sustained anaplerotic flux and respiratory CO₂ refixation in malate-rich sink tissues, including immature tomato fruit. The current study generated CRISPR-Cas9-edited tomato lines with targeted disruption of the BTPC gene and investigated the impact on fruit development, metabolism, and transcriptional regulation. Immunoblotting and co-immunoprecipitation confirmed the absence of BTPC polypeptides and Class-2 PEPC complexes in the edited lines. Fruits from the edited plants were 25% smaller and 40% lighter and required up to 10 additional days to complete ripening compared to the WT. Metabolomic analysis across ripening stages revealed substantial reductions in malate and citrate, with elevated sugars and amino acids, indicating reprogrammed carbon flux. RNA-seq data showed downregulation of genes for cell wall remodeling, sugar transport, and ethylene-responsive transcription factors. These results provide direct evidence that BTPC is essential for organic acid balance, sugar metabolism, and ripening regulation in tomato. Its absence perturbs metabolic homeostasis and developmental progression, positioning BTPC as a strategic target for enhancing fruit quality traits through genetic engineering.
{"title":"Malate matters: disrupting bacterial-type phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (BTPC) rewires tomato fruit development.","authors":"Felix J Martínez Rivas,Milena A Smith,Zahra Zangishei,Saleh Alseekh,Björn Usadel,William C Plaxton,Alisdair R Fernie","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiag026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag026","url":null,"abstract":"Plant phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylases (PEPCs) are ubiquitously expressed as cytosolic Class-1 PEPC homotetramers composed of 107 kDa plant-type PEPC (PTPC) subunits that are highly sensitive to allosteric inhibition by malate. Class-2 PEPC heterooctameric complexes that are desensitized to malate inhibition also exist in certain sink tissues due to the interaction of a Class-1 PEPC with unrelated 118 kDa bacterial-type PEPC (BTPC) polypeptides. Class-2 PEPCs dynamically associate with the mitochondrial outer envelope and have been hypothesized to support sustained anaplerotic flux and respiratory CO₂ refixation in malate-rich sink tissues, including immature tomato fruit. The current study generated CRISPR-Cas9-edited tomato lines with targeted disruption of the BTPC gene and investigated the impact on fruit development, metabolism, and transcriptional regulation. Immunoblotting and co-immunoprecipitation confirmed the absence of BTPC polypeptides and Class-2 PEPC complexes in the edited lines. Fruits from the edited plants were 25% smaller and 40% lighter and required up to 10 additional days to complete ripening compared to the WT. Metabolomic analysis across ripening stages revealed substantial reductions in malate and citrate, with elevated sugars and amino acids, indicating reprogrammed carbon flux. RNA-seq data showed downregulation of genes for cell wall remodeling, sugar transport, and ethylene-responsive transcription factors. These results provide direct evidence that BTPC is essential for organic acid balance, sugar metabolism, and ripening regulation in tomato. Its absence perturbs metabolic homeostasis and developmental progression, positioning BTPC as a strategic target for enhancing fruit quality traits through genetic engineering.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146069912","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}
Houben Maarten,Vaughan-Hirsch John,Pattyn Jolien,Mou Wangshu,Roden Stijn,Roig Martinez Albert,Kabak N Elif,Rodrigues Savio,Polko Asia,De Coninck Barbara,Kieber J Joseph,Voet Arnout,Van de Poel Bram
In seed plants, ethylene is produced from 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) by the enzyme ACC-oxidase (ACO). Despite the critical role of ACO in ethylene biosynthesis, the ACO gene family has not been fully characterized in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). This study investigated the five ACO genes in Arabidopsis, revealing distinct tissue-specific and developmental expression patterns. Each ACO enzyme exhibited a unique enzymatic capacity for ethylene production, facilitating isoform-specific regulation of ethylene biosynthesis. At the subcellular level, ACO localized predominantly in the cytosol, where ethylene biosynthesis likely occurs, but, unexpectedly, also in the nucleus. Through reverse genetics, including single and higher-order aco mutants, we observed a high degree of gene redundancy, sustaining ethylene biosynthesis. Disruption of all five ACO genes resulted in plants unable to produce ethylene but did not adversely affect seedling, vegetative, or reproductive development. However, some development processes associated with high rates of ethylene production, such as germination and petal abscission, were impaired in the aco quintuple mutant, while others, such as leaf senescence, were not. This suggests that modulation of ethylene emission rates by ACOs is key in determining specific developmental processes. Furthermore, the aco quintuple mutant showed impaired responses to abiotic (e.g., nutrient deficiency and metal toxicity) and biotic stress (e.g., Botrytis cinerea), akin to ethylene-insensitive plants. This highlights the pivotal role of ethylene in modulating stress responses. In conclusion, the ACO gene family plays a vital role in fine-tuning ethylene biosynthesis in a spatial-temporal way, thereby modulating plant development and stress resilience.
{"title":"1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase determines the fate of ethylene biosynthesis in a tissue-specific way.","authors":"Houben Maarten,Vaughan-Hirsch John,Pattyn Jolien,Mou Wangshu,Roden Stijn,Roig Martinez Albert,Kabak N Elif,Rodrigues Savio,Polko Asia,De Coninck Barbara,Kieber J Joseph,Voet Arnout,Van de Poel Bram","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiag025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag025","url":null,"abstract":"In seed plants, ethylene is produced from 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) by the enzyme ACC-oxidase (ACO). Despite the critical role of ACO in ethylene biosynthesis, the ACO gene family has not been fully characterized in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). This study investigated the five ACO genes in Arabidopsis, revealing distinct tissue-specific and developmental expression patterns. Each ACO enzyme exhibited a unique enzymatic capacity for ethylene production, facilitating isoform-specific regulation of ethylene biosynthesis. At the subcellular level, ACO localized predominantly in the cytosol, where ethylene biosynthesis likely occurs, but, unexpectedly, also in the nucleus. Through reverse genetics, including single and higher-order aco mutants, we observed a high degree of gene redundancy, sustaining ethylene biosynthesis. Disruption of all five ACO genes resulted in plants unable to produce ethylene but did not adversely affect seedling, vegetative, or reproductive development. However, some development processes associated with high rates of ethylene production, such as germination and petal abscission, were impaired in the aco quintuple mutant, while others, such as leaf senescence, were not. This suggests that modulation of ethylene emission rates by ACOs is key in determining specific developmental processes. Furthermore, the aco quintuple mutant showed impaired responses to abiotic (e.g., nutrient deficiency and metal toxicity) and biotic stress (e.g., Botrytis cinerea), akin to ethylene-insensitive plants. This highlights the pivotal role of ethylene in modulating stress responses. In conclusion, the ACO gene family plays a vital role in fine-tuning ethylene biosynthesis in a spatial-temporal way, thereby modulating plant development and stress resilience.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146069905","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}
Saori Suga,Ryoga Inoue,Syogo Wada,Yumiko Shirano,Natsumi Aoki,Takamasa Suzuki,Anuphon Laohavisit,Ayato Sato,Satoko Yoshida
Parasitic weeds in the Orobanchaceae family pose a major threat to crop production worldwide. Parasitic plants develop specialized invasive structures called haustoria, which penetrate host tissues to establish connections and absorb nutrients. The formation of prehaustoria, early-stage haustorial structures, is triggered by host-derived haustorium-inducing factors (HIFs), such as 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DMBQ) and syringic acid. Since prehaustorium formation is a critical initial step in parasitism, its inhibition represents a promising strategy for controlling parasitic weeds. In this study, we performed a chemical screening to identify inhibitors of prehaustorium formation and discovered a compound, designated Haustorium INhibiting Compound 55 (HINC55), that effectively inhibits prehaustorium formation in the parasitic plants Striga (Striga hermonthica) and Phtheirospermum japonicum. Notably, HINC55 suppressed prehaustorium induction by quinones and phenolics, but not by cytokinins in Striga. Furthermore, HINC55 inhibited DMBQ-induced stomata closure in both Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and P. japonicum, suggesting that HINC55 functions as an inhibitor of plant quinone signaling. We used HINC55 to evaluate the composition of HIFs in host root exudates. HINC55 partially suppressed prehaustorium formation in Striga and almost completely in P. japonicum when induced by host root exudates, reflecting the broader HIF responsiveness of Striga. Transcriptome analysis further confirmed the stronger suppression in P. japonicum in response to rice (Oryza sativa) root exudate than in Striga. Overall, HINC55 serves as a tool for investigating plant quinone signaling and dissecting host-parasite chemical communications, as well as a compound for developing novel strategies to control parasitic weeds.
{"title":"A quinone signaling inhibitor enables functional dissection of haustorium-inducing factors in Orobanchaceae parasitic plants.","authors":"Saori Suga,Ryoga Inoue,Syogo Wada,Yumiko Shirano,Natsumi Aoki,Takamasa Suzuki,Anuphon Laohavisit,Ayato Sato,Satoko Yoshida","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiaf686","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf686","url":null,"abstract":"Parasitic weeds in the Orobanchaceae family pose a major threat to crop production worldwide. Parasitic plants develop specialized invasive structures called haustoria, which penetrate host tissues to establish connections and absorb nutrients. The formation of prehaustoria, early-stage haustorial structures, is triggered by host-derived haustorium-inducing factors (HIFs), such as 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DMBQ) and syringic acid. Since prehaustorium formation is a critical initial step in parasitism, its inhibition represents a promising strategy for controlling parasitic weeds. In this study, we performed a chemical screening to identify inhibitors of prehaustorium formation and discovered a compound, designated Haustorium INhibiting Compound 55 (HINC55), that effectively inhibits prehaustorium formation in the parasitic plants Striga (Striga hermonthica) and Phtheirospermum japonicum. Notably, HINC55 suppressed prehaustorium induction by quinones and phenolics, but not by cytokinins in Striga. Furthermore, HINC55 inhibited DMBQ-induced stomata closure in both Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and P. japonicum, suggesting that HINC55 functions as an inhibitor of plant quinone signaling. We used HINC55 to evaluate the composition of HIFs in host root exudates. HINC55 partially suppressed prehaustorium formation in Striga and almost completely in P. japonicum when induced by host root exudates, reflecting the broader HIF responsiveness of Striga. Transcriptome analysis further confirmed the stronger suppression in P. japonicum in response to rice (Oryza sativa) root exudate than in Striga. Overall, HINC55 serves as a tool for investigating plant quinone signaling and dissecting host-parasite chemical communications, as well as a compound for developing novel strategies to control parasitic weeds.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146069907","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":"Parasitic plant development: A new chemical inhibitor of Striga haustoria development.","authors":"James M Bradley","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiag036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag036","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"31 5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146069998","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}
Terpenoids are a diverse group of metabolites that are crucial for plant development and used in the cosmetics and pharmacological industries. Various developmental processes and environmental factors, including light, affect terpenoid biosynthesis. However, studies on the regulatory factors involved in such regulation remain limited. Squalene synthases (SQSs), key enzymes in the terpenoid pathway, are pivotal for sterol and triterpene biosynthesis across various organisms. Here, we report that AtSQS1 expression and squalene content are higher in darkness than in light and that ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) negatively regulates AtSQS1 expression and squalene biosynthesis in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Our study showed that AtSQS1 expression is unaffected in the hy5-215 mutant under light and dark conditions but is down-regulated in WT and HY5OX lines. Histochemical GUS assays and GFP expression patterns indicated that AtHY5 negatively regulates squalene biosynthesis. Yeast one-hybrid assays, EMSA, and ChIP experiments confirmed the physical binding of AtHY5 to the AtSQS1 promoter. We validated our results by developing AtSQS1 promoter:reporter lines in WT, hy5-215, and HY5OX backgrounds. Quantification of squalene and phytosterol content further confirmed that AtHY5 negatively regulates squalene biosynthesis in a light-dependent manner in Arabidopsis.
{"title":"Regulation of squalene biosynthesis and plant development by ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 in response to light in Arabidopsis thaliana.","authors":"Pranshu Kumar Pathak,Aruba Khan,Ashish Sharma,Nivedita Singh,Gurpreet Sandhu,Shruti Tiwari,Sanchita Gupta,Prabodh Kumar Trivedi","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiag021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag021","url":null,"abstract":"Terpenoids are a diverse group of metabolites that are crucial for plant development and used in the cosmetics and pharmacological industries. Various developmental processes and environmental factors, including light, affect terpenoid biosynthesis. However, studies on the regulatory factors involved in such regulation remain limited. Squalene synthases (SQSs), key enzymes in the terpenoid pathway, are pivotal for sterol and triterpene biosynthesis across various organisms. Here, we report that AtSQS1 expression and squalene content are higher in darkness than in light and that ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) negatively regulates AtSQS1 expression and squalene biosynthesis in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Our study showed that AtSQS1 expression is unaffected in the hy5-215 mutant under light and dark conditions but is down-regulated in WT and HY5OX lines. Histochemical GUS assays and GFP expression patterns indicated that AtHY5 negatively regulates squalene biosynthesis. Yeast one-hybrid assays, EMSA, and ChIP experiments confirmed the physical binding of AtHY5 to the AtSQS1 promoter. We validated our results by developing AtSQS1 promoter:reporter lines in WT, hy5-215, and HY5OX backgrounds. Quantification of squalene and phytosterol content further confirmed that AtHY5 negatively regulates squalene biosynthesis in a light-dependent manner in Arabidopsis.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146056750","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":"Beyond florigen: Role of FLOWERING LOCUS T1 on source-sink relation, reproduction, and vegetative development in barley.","authors":"María Flores-Tornero","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiag035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag035","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146070037","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}
Tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) plays an important role in plant hormonal balance and secondary metabolite synthesis by catalyzing the conversion of tryptophan to tryptamine. Prior research has indicated that AevTDC from Aegilops variabilis, a relative of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), enhances wheat resistance to the pathogen cereal cyst nematode by influencing salicylic acid and flavonoid pathways. Expanding on these findings, this study demonstrates that AevTDC promotes both serotonin and flavonoid synthesis, resulting in altered wheat grain color. Furthermore, we observed that AevTDC overexpression induces the expression of TaMYB310, which is closely associated with flavonoid biosynthesis. TaMYB310 activates the expression of CHS (encoding chalcone synthase) and FLS (encoding flavonol synthase) by directly binding to the MYB binding site (MBS), thereby promoting flavonoid biosynthesis. Additionally, overexpression of AevTDC reduced wheat seed sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA), providing an explanation for the accelerated seed germination. In summary, this study reveals the critical role of AevTDC in regulating wheat metabolism, emphasizing its importance in promoting serotonin and flavonoid synthesis, altering grain color, and accelerating seed germination. These findings offer insights into plant metabolic regulation mechanisms and their applications in agricultural improvement.
{"title":"Overexpression of TRYPTOPHAN DECARBOXYLASE from Aegilops variabilis enhances flavonoid biosynthesis and germination in wheat.","authors":"Yu He,Zhiheng Li,Huixue Dong,Danning Yang,Huayu Jiang,Jing Gu,Yiwei Yuan,Zhehao Wang,Xiaojiang Guo,Mengping Cheng,Maolian Li,Haili Zhang,Zhongwei Yuan,Zhien Pu,Guoyue Chen,Qiantao Jiang,Yuming Wei,Zhe Li,Songtao Wang,Hai Long,Jirui Wang","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiag041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag041","url":null,"abstract":"Tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) plays an important role in plant hormonal balance and secondary metabolite synthesis by catalyzing the conversion of tryptophan to tryptamine. Prior research has indicated that AevTDC from Aegilops variabilis, a relative of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), enhances wheat resistance to the pathogen cereal cyst nematode by influencing salicylic acid and flavonoid pathways. Expanding on these findings, this study demonstrates that AevTDC promotes both serotonin and flavonoid synthesis, resulting in altered wheat grain color. Furthermore, we observed that AevTDC overexpression induces the expression of TaMYB310, which is closely associated with flavonoid biosynthesis. TaMYB310 activates the expression of CHS (encoding chalcone synthase) and FLS (encoding flavonol synthase) by directly binding to the MYB binding site (MBS), thereby promoting flavonoid biosynthesis. Additionally, overexpression of AevTDC reduced wheat seed sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA), providing an explanation for the accelerated seed germination. In summary, this study reveals the critical role of AevTDC in regulating wheat metabolism, emphasizing its importance in promoting serotonin and flavonoid synthesis, altering grain color, and accelerating seed germination. These findings offer insights into plant metabolic regulation mechanisms and their applications in agricultural improvement.","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146069906","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}
A plant architecture with upright leaves promotes canopy photosynthesis, thus enhancing biomass production. Brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis has been positively linked with rice leaf angle; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we report that OsPIL13, a bHLH transcription factor, modulates rice (Oryza sativa L.) leaf angle by orchestrating BR biosynthesis. Phenotypic and cytological analysis demonstrated that OsPIL13 modulates longitudinal cell elongation in the adaxial lamina joint, with ospil13 mutants showing a 48% reduction in leaf angles and OsPIL13 overexpression lines exhibiting an 86% increase in leaf angles relative to cv. Dongjin (WT), ultimately shaping rice leaf angle. Interestingly, the WT and OsPIL13 transgenic plants had contrasting responses to brassinazole (a specific BR biosynthesis inhibitor), implying that the BR pathway is involved in OsPIL13-mediated leaf angle. Further studies identified that OsPIL13 binds to the exon of OsDWF4, encoding the rate-limiting enzyme in BR synthesis CYP90B1. The content of endogenous brassinolide decreased in the lamina joints of the ospil13 mutant relative to WT, whereas the OsPIL13 overexpression line resulted in an increase. Moreover, mutation of OsDWF4 in the background of the WT and OsPIL13 overexpression line was associated with a reduced leaf angle compared to their respective WTs. Our data reveal that OsPIL13 modulates rice leaf angle by regulating BR homeostasis through the OsDWF4-mediated pathway.
{"title":"The transcription factor OsPIL13 regulates leaf inclination in rice by modulating brassinosteroid homeostasis.","authors":"Wenqing Tao, Pengyuan Gu, Yaoyao Wu, Daojian Wang, Changxiao Gu, Yuyao Chang, Jingwen Zhang, Guohua Xu, Yali Zhang","doi":"10.1093/plphys/kiag024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiag024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A plant architecture with upright leaves promotes canopy photosynthesis, thus enhancing biomass production. Brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis has been positively linked with rice leaf angle; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we report that OsPIL13, a bHLH transcription factor, modulates rice (Oryza sativa L.) leaf angle by orchestrating BR biosynthesis. Phenotypic and cytological analysis demonstrated that OsPIL13 modulates longitudinal cell elongation in the adaxial lamina joint, with ospil13 mutants showing a 48% reduction in leaf angles and OsPIL13 overexpression lines exhibiting an 86% increase in leaf angles relative to cv. Dongjin (WT), ultimately shaping rice leaf angle. Interestingly, the WT and OsPIL13 transgenic plants had contrasting responses to brassinazole (a specific BR biosynthesis inhibitor), implying that the BR pathway is involved in OsPIL13-mediated leaf angle. Further studies identified that OsPIL13 binds to the exon of OsDWF4, encoding the rate-limiting enzyme in BR synthesis CYP90B1. The content of endogenous brassinolide decreased in the lamina joints of the ospil13 mutant relative to WT, whereas the OsPIL13 overexpression line resulted in an increase. Moreover, mutation of OsDWF4 in the background of the WT and OsPIL13 overexpression line was associated with a reduced leaf angle compared to their respective WTs. Our data reveal that OsPIL13 modulates rice leaf angle by regulating BR homeostasis through the OsDWF4-mediated pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":20101,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146106798","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}
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