Plant Science最新文献

Plant height is a key agronomic trait in soybean that is closely associated with yield potential. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying its regulation remain largely elusive. In this study, we employed a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population comprising 271 lines evaluated across six environments to dissect the genetic architecture of plant height. A total of eleven quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with plant height were identified, including four novel loci (qPH5-1, qPH6-1, qPH6-2, and qPH17-1). Among these, four stable major QTLs (qPH2-1, qPH10-1, qPH18-1, and qPH19-2) were consistently detected across multiple environments, each explaining more than 10% of the phenotypic variance. Resequencing analysis of the parental lines suggested that E1, E2, Dt2, and E3 represent candidate genes underlying qPH6-3, qPH10-1, qPH18-1, and qPH19-2, respectively. Notably, Glyma.02G057500 (GmDWF4.2), a soybean ortholog of Arabidopsis AtDWF4, was mapped within the qPH2-1 interval and exhibited exon polymorphisms between the two parental lines, Jidou17 and Suinong14. Functional assays demonstrated that both GmDWF4.2_JD17 and GmDWF4.2_SN14 partially rescued the dwarf phenotype of the Arabidopsis dwf4-102 mutant. Notably, heterologous overexpression of GmDWF4.2_SN14 in wild-type Arabidopsis resulted in a significantly greater increase in plant height compared to that of GmDWF4.2_JD17. Overall, our findings demonstrate that GmDWF4.2 functions as a positive regulator of plant height in soybean and further reveal that the GmDWF4.2_SN14 haplotype confers a stronger promotive effect on this trait. These findings contribute to elucidating the genetic regulatory mechanisms of soybean plant height and provide a theoretical foundation for refining molecular marker-assisted selection strategies for this agronomic trait.

WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) transcription factors (TFs), which constitute a plant-specific homeodomain-containing family, play diverse roles in growth and development. However, their function in pathogen-induced stress responses remains largely unexplored. In this study, we identified 11 SsWOX family members in the sugarcane reference genome, which were classified into ancient, intermediate, and modern/WUSCHEL clades. Comparative analyses of motif composition, exon-intron organization, and cis-regulatory elements revealed conserved evolutionary relationships among SsWOX family genes. Expression profiling using RNA-seq and qRT-PCR during sugarcane-smut (Sporisorium scitamineum) interactions demonstrated distinct expression patterns of several SsWOX genes, with SsWOX13 showing robust induction, indicating its potential role in smut resistance. Transient overexpression of SsWOX13 in Nicotiana benthamiana led to hypersensitive response (HR)-associated programmed cell death, evidenced by elevated electrolyte leakage, increased reactive oxygen species accumulation, and upregulation of HR- and defense-related genes. Furthermore, transcriptional self-activation assays confirmed that SsWOX13 possesses transcriptional activation activity, functioning as a TF in sugarcane. Collectively, these results expand our understanding of sugarcane WOX TFs and indicate that sugarcane WOX13 positively regulates HR-mediated immunity.

Phytophthora blight, caused by the notorious oomycete pathogen, Phytophthora capsici, is a devastating disease of pepper worldwide. Transcription factors (TFs) play pivotal roles in modulating host immune networks during pathogen attack. Among them, the APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor (AP2/ERF) family, which is the largest group of plant-specific TFs, is critically involved in plant growth, development, and stress adaptation. However, their transcriptional profiles and functional roles in pepper resistance to P. capsici remain largely unexplored. In this study, we profiled AP2/ERF TFs in the resistant (CM334) and susceptible (EC01) pepper lines following P. capsici infection by transcriptome analysis. Differential expression analysis identified an ERF subfamily gene, CaAP2/ERF99, which was significantly up-regulated at 3 h post-infection in both pepper lines, suggesting its role in basal defense against P. capsici. RT-qPCR further validated its early-response expression pattern, and subcellular localization confirmed its nuclear distribution. Moreover, CaAP2/ERF99 expression was strongly induced by exogenous treatment of salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and ethephon (ETH), linking it to hormone-mediated defense signaling. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments revealed that transient overexpression of CaAP2/ERF99 in pepper leaves significantly reduced lesion size and P. capsici biomass. However, the silencing of this gene compromised the disease resistance. Further transcriptional regulation analysis revealed that CaAP2/ERF99 activated a broad spectrum of defense-related genes, including CaPR1, CaPR10, CaLOX1, CaChi2, and CaDEF1. Collectively, these results demonstrate that CaAP2/ERF99 exerts a positive regulatory role in pepper's defense response against P. capsici and represents a promising candidate gene for enhancing resistance against Phytophthora blight.

FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) is a MADS-box transcription factor that integrates diverse internal and environmental signals to precisely regulate the growth and development of plants. While historically characterized as a key repressor of flowering in the vernalization, autonomous, and temperature pathways, recent research has revealed that FLC's functions extend far beyond flowering control. This review synthesizes current understanding of FLC's pleiotropic roles in various developmental processes, from seed germination, juvenile-to-adult phase transition and biomass determination, to the establishment of annual/perennial habits. Furthermore, it explores emerging links between FLC and broader environmental adaptation, including plant responses to drought stress, nitrogen availability, and pathogen tolerance, where its role may be both direct and indirect. The molecular mechanisms underlying FLC's expression are explored, encompassing complex multi-layered regulation at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, including alternative splicing (AS) and m⁶A RNA methylation, and epigenetic levels (notably PRC2-mediated H3K27me3 deposition). The discussion also covers how natural sequence variation and transposable elements in the FLC locus contribute to adaptive evolution. By contextualizing recent findings, this review aims not only to summarize FLC's functions as a developmental-stress integrator but also to critically evaluate the strength of evidence, identify persistent knowledge gaps, and propose key questions for future research to move from descriptive association to mechanistic understanding.

The Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factors play critical regulatory functions in plant developmental programming and abiotic stress adaptation. While the HD-Zip gene family have been well characterized in model plants, its molecular evolution and biological functions in oat (Avena sativa L.) remain largely unexplored. In this study, a total of 60 AsHD-Zip family members (designated AsHD-Zip1 to AsHD-Zip60) were identified, phylogenetically categorized into four evolutionarily conserved subfamilies (I-IV). Cis-regulatory elements linked to plant growth, developmental processes, stress responses, and phytohormone signaling were detected through promoter analysis of AsHD-Zip genes, suggesting their functional significance in environmental adaptation. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that salt stress and polyethylene glycol-mediated drought stress significantly up-regulated the expression of AsHD-Zip15, 34, 38, 39, 49, and 60 genes. It is noteworthy that AsHD-Zip49 was able to consistently respond to drought stress. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H), bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and split luciferase complementation (Split-luc) assay indicate that AsHD-Zip49 interacts with AsHD-Zip39. The heterologous overexpression of AsHD-Zip49 in Arabidopsis thaliana, combined with the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of this gene in oat, strongly suggests that AsHD-Zip49 plays a positive and crucial role in enhancing drought tolerance. In summary, this study comprehensively characterized the AsHD-Zip gene family, analyzed its expression pattern under drought and salt stress, validated the biological function of AsHD-Zip49, and laid the foundation for further research into the roles of HD-Zip in oat abiotic stress.

Rapid, field-deployable diagnostics are essential for effective plant disease management. Although CRISPR-Cas systems offer high sensitivity and programmability, their use in on-site plant pathogen detection has been hindered by the lack of standardized, practical workflows. Here we present implementable CRISPR-Cas diagnostic protocols using Cas12a, Cas13a, and miniature Cas variants for rapid detection of major plant pathogens. Three field-ready assays are described: (i) an RPA-Cas12a lateral-flow test for DNA pathogens, (ii) a Cas13a RT-RPA assay for RNA viruses, and (iii) an amplification-free Cas12a electrochemical biosensor suited for portable laboratories. Each protocol includes sample preparation steps, reagent formulations, incubation conditions, and troubleshooting guidance. Across platforms, detection limits of 1-100 copies µL⁻¹ were achieved within 20-45 min, demonstrating analytical sensitivity comparable to conventional PCR-based diagnostics while offering substantially reduced assay time and improved field deployability. We also address practical constraints including sample inhibitors, reagent stability, and biosafety and propose solutions for field implementation. These standardized workflows translate recent advances in CRISPR diagnostics into reproducible, field-deployable tools for plant health surveillance and rapid disease detection.

C2H2-type zinc finger proteins, as a class of key transcription factors in plants, play a important regulatory role in plant response to a wide range of abiotic stresses, including salt stress, drought, temperature stress, osmotic stress, high light stress and oxidative stress. This paper presents a systematic review of the structural characterization and classification system of C2H2-type zinc finger proteins and their molecular mechanisms involved in abiotic stress response. Research indicates that C2H2-type zinc finger proteins enhance plant stress resistance indirectly by regulating ion homeostasis, promoting the synthesis of osmoregulatory substances, activating reactive oxygen species scavenging systems, and participating in both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signaling pathways. In addition, these proteins can indirectly enhance plant adaptation to stressful environments by regulating physiological processes such as stomatal movement and photosynthetic efficiency. This study provides new theoretical basis and strategic ideas for addressing the challenges of global climate change and ensuring food security.

Wheat thermo-sensitive male sterility with Aegilops kotschyi cytoplasm (K-TCMS) is a promising system for hybrid breeding, yet the molecular mechanisms governing fertility conversion remain elusive. In the K-TCMS line KTM3315A, we identified a gene pair: TaHGSNAT (encoding a heparin-α-glucosaminide N-acetyltransferase) and its antisense long non-coding RNA, TaHTMAR. These two transcripts synchronized co-expression patterns during pollen development. Distinct subcellular localizations (membrane for TaHGSNAT, cytoplasm for TaHTMAR) were also observed. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) demonstrated that both TaHGSNAT and TaHTMAR are essential for normal pollen development and anther dehiscence. Mechanistic studies using dual-luciferase reporter assays and GUS staining revealed that TaHTMAR functionally upregulates TaHGSNAT expression, suggesting a bidirectional positive feedback loop. Collectively, our findings define a TaHTMAR-TaHGSNAT regulatory module and provide new molecular insights into the genetic control of thermo-sensitive male fertility in wheat.

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation or PARylation is required for immune transcription and defense against microbes in plants. However, the mechanisms underlying the PARylation-mediated transcriptional regulation are largely unknown. In this study, an AT-hook motif nuclear localized transcription factor, AHL13, was identified as an interactor of poly (ADP-ribose), the polymer products of PARylation. The knock-out and over-expression experiments suggest that AHL13 functions as a negative regulator of Arabidopsis immunity. RNA seq results showed that a group of defense-related genes were repressed by AHL13 upon bacterial infection. AHL13 could directly bind to the AT-rich sequences in the promoters of the target genes in the EMSA and MST assays. The PAR polymers directly interact with AHL13 with high affinity and significantly suppress its interaction with the AT-rich DNA, suggesting that PARylation might promote immune transcription through a repressor-repelling mechanism. In summary, this study revealed that the PAR-AHL13 interaction plays significant roles in immune gene expression in Arabidopsis.

Avicennia marina, a pioneer mangrove species, has adapted to the intertidal habitat along the tropical and subtropical coasts by developing salt glands on its leaf epidermis. Jasmonic acid (JA) is known to regulate the development of various plant epidermis. However, its role in the development of salt glands in A. marina remains unclear. In this study, we treated A. marina seedling using exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) to investigate the effect of JA on the development and cell fate determination of salt glands, stomata and trichomes in A. marina leaf. The results showed MeJA significantly increased both the density of salt glands and the Na⁺ secretion. Besides, MeJA treatment positively regulated the trichome initiation and negatively affected stomatal lineage ground cells, with a significant decrease in stomatal density but no significant change in trichome density, while it exhibited that salt gland cells may partially originate from trichomes or stomatal lineage cells. Moreover, qRT-PCR results indicated that MeJA affects salt gland development via influencing the process of cell cycle, like reducing endoreduplication. These findings clarify how salt glands contribute to A. marina adaptation to coastal intertidal habitat from a tissue development perspective.