Plant Science最新文献

{"title":"Glucose mitigates spatial heterogeneous cold damage in wheat via enhanced carbohydrate allocation to spike","authors":"Bing Dai ,&nbsp;Pedro García-Caparros ,&nbsp;Fasih Ullah Haider ,&nbsp;Yan Liu ,&nbsp;Jingying Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyi Tan ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiangnan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Low temperature during the reproductive stage, particularly late-spring cold events, severely threatens wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L.) yield. This study explored how exogenous glucose promotes the source-flow-sink balance under low temperature by assessing its effects on sucrose metabolism, carbohydrate partitioning, vascular development, and yield components in wild-type (WT) and chlorophyll b-deficient mutant (<em>ANK 32B</em>) plants. Low temperature inhibited the activities of sucrose metabolism enzymes (soluble acid invertase, neutral invertase, sucrose phosphate synthase, and sucrose synthase) in spikes, while inducing abnormal activation in leaves and uppermost internodes. This disturbance caused carbohydrate retention in non-spike organs and severe depletion in spikes, markedly reducing starch, glucose, fructose, and sucrose in the basal and apical spikelets. Consequently, spike development was impaired, grain number and weight decreased, and main-stem yield declined by 60.66 %, 31.05 %, and 52.63 % in the basal, central, and apical spikelets. Micro-CT analysis revealed that cold stress also restricted rachis vascular bundle formation, particularly the bundles delivering assimilates to basal spikelets. The assimilate-limited <em>ANK 32B</em> mutant exhibited compounded sensitivity to low temperature. Exogenous glucose provided sufficient assimilates, stabilized the “source” by mitigating the sucrose metabolism enzyme disturbance, ensured the “flow” by maintaining vascular development, and strengthened the “sink” by increasing carbohydrate accumulation and dry matter in spikes. This coordinated regulation ultimately optimized source-flow-sink system, alleviating cold-induced yield loss by 4.54 %, 0.32 %, and 6.75 % in the basal, central, and apical spikelets, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20273,"journal":{"name":"Plant Science","volume":"365 ","pages":"Article 113029"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146143127","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CaBBX16 responds to light irradiation and regulates the biosynthesis of anthocyanins in pepper leaves","authors":"Chenwei Lin ,&nbsp;Tongyao Lou ,&nbsp;Guangbo Liang,&nbsp;Xiaowei Ma,&nbsp;Biao Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Light plays a pivotal role in promoting anthocyanin accumulation in pepper (<em>Capsicum annuum L.</em>) leaves. The ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) protein acts as a critical regulator in light-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis; however, the precise molecular mechanism underlying HY5-mediated regulation remains incompletely understood. In this study, we identified a B-box (BBX) protein, CaBBX16, which is closely associated with anthocyanin synthesis and responsive to light stimuli. We demonstrated that CaBBX16 interacts with CaHY5 via its conserved B-box domain, leading to enhanced expression of key regulatory factors involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, including <em>CaMYC</em> and <em>CaMYBa</em>. Transient overexpression and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) experiments confirmed a strong positive correlation between <em>CaBBX16</em> expression and the transcription of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in pepper. Collectively, our findings reveal that <em>CaBBX16</em> collaborates with <em>CaHY5</em> to regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in pepper leaves, providing novel insights into the functional role of BBX proteins in light-mediated anthocyanin accumulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20273,"journal":{"name":"Plant Science","volume":"365 ","pages":"Article 113053"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exogenous plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria boosting photosynthetic efficiency via thylakoid lipid restructuring in potato under low-potassium conditions","authors":"Xin Zhou ,&nbsp;Xin Cheng ,&nbsp;Baoyu Fu ,&nbsp;Meiling Li ,&nbsp;Chao Luo ,&nbsp;Haoyang Gong ,&nbsp;Hongkun Yang ,&nbsp;Jingye Fu ,&nbsp;Chengcheng Cai ,&nbsp;Kaiqin Zhang ,&nbsp;Shunlin Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To investigate novel pathways by which exogenous plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) alleviate potassium deficiency in crops, this study employed potato plants cultivated under a 50 % reduction in potassium fertilization as a model system. We elucidate the physiological and molecular mechanisms through which <em>Enterobacter asburiae</em> S13 optimizes photosynthetic performance via non-stomatal pathways. Application of <em>E. asburiae</em> S13 suspension significantly enhanced net photosynthetic rate and Rubisco activity while reducing intercellular CO₂ concentration without affecting stomatal conductance, confirming that photosynthetic enhancement is mediated through non-stomatal regulation. Chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetics (OJIP) and energy flux modeling revealed that bacterial treatment increased light-harvesting efficiency in photosystem II (PSII) while reducing energy dissipation. Integrated multi-omics analyses further identified glycerophospholipid metabolism as the core pathway, driving thylakoid membrane restructuring through upregulation of thylakoid structure-related genes and lipid metabolites. This ultimately restored tuber yield to levels comparable to conventional potassium fertilization under low-potassium conditions. Overall, this study proposes a novel paradigm in which exogenous PGPR enhances crop photosynthetic efficiency through a “membrane lipid metabolism → thylakoid optimization → PSII functional enhancement” cascade, providing a theoretical foundation for developing sustainable potassium-reduction technologies based on precision regulation of photosynthetic machinery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20273,"journal":{"name":"Plant Science","volume":"365 ","pages":"Article 113012"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146126220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing the rhizosphere to enhance photosynthesis and functional traits of Cyperus esculentus in saline-alkali soils: A comparison between biochemical amendments and salt-tolerant plant intercropping","authors":"Xin Shen ,&nbsp;Weiyi Zhou ,&nbsp;Xiangyi Li ,&nbsp;Yalan Liu ,&nbsp;Bixia Nie","doi":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil salinization is a critical barrier to agriculture, especially in arid regions like Xinjiang, where it restricts crop growth. <em>Cyperus esculentus</em>, a moderately salt-tolerant oilseed crop with ecological and economic value, faces cultivation challenges under high saline-alkali soils. Although biological strategies have been proposed to alleviate salt stress, their effects on the crop’s photosynthetic performance remain insufficiently studied. This study evaluated two approaches—biochemical amendments and intercropping with salt-tolerant plants—to assess their impact on soil properties and functional traits of <em>C. esculentus</em>. Microbial agents and humic acid improved the rhizosphere by reducing soil pH by 10–14 % and increasing available nitrogen by 29–51 %, thereby enhancing chlorophyll a synthesis and leaf nitrogen content. By lowering the salt content of the soil and possibly boosting beneficial microbial activity, intercropping enhanced the root environment. It increased net photosynthetic rates by 20–22 % and suggested better electron transfer. Through root interactions with companion plants, nutrient uptake was further enhanced. In comparison to CK, both treatments greatly boosted biomass, with leaf biomass increasing by 18–27 % at maturity. Although our data point to distinct primary pathways, intercropping was mainly linked to synergistic optimization of morphology and photosystem electron transport, whereas biochemical amendments were linked to improved nutrient status and photosynthetic efficiency, suggesting potential physiological stability. These findings provide insight into the physiological adaptation of <em>C. esculentus</em> under salinity and offer practical guidance for its sustainable cultivation in saline-alkali soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20273,"journal":{"name":"Plant Science","volume":"365 ","pages":"Article 113018"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146126445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ABA and ABA signaling mediate Arabidopsis stomatal response to CO2 via H2O2 and NO production","authors":"Jinxia Li ,&nbsp;Chenxi Zhang ,&nbsp;Mingtao Mu ,&nbsp;Xiaoyu Ma ,&nbsp;Shumei Hei","doi":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.112993","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.112993","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The augmentation of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations induces reduction in foliar stomatal aperture, thereby affecting photosynthetic capacity and transpiration- mediated cooling in plants. Elucidating the mechanism through which CO₂ modulates stomatal dynamics is crucial for understanding plant adaptability to future fluctuations in CO₂ levels. Although abscisic acid (ABA) is a pivotal phytohormone regulating stomatal movements, its role in CO₂-induced stomatal closure remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that elevated CO₂ failed to induce stomatal closure in wild-type <em>Arabidopsis</em> treated with ABA biosynthesis inhibitor fluridon, as well as in the ABA-deficient mutant <em>aba1</em>, <em>aba2</em> and <em>aba3</em>. Using <em>β</em>-glucuronidase (GUS) staining in <em>pRD29B::GUS</em> transgenic lines, we confirmed that the reporter gene controlled by ABA-responsive <em>RD29B</em> promoter in guard cells was strongly induced by elevated CO₂. Additionally, transcripts of the ABA-responsive gene <em>RAB18</em> and ABA-synthetic gene <em>ABA2</em> were upregulated during CO₂-induced stomatal closure in wild-type <em>Arabidopsis</em>. In contrast, fluridonand ABA receptor mutant <em>pyr1pyl1pyl2pyl4</em> respectively inhibited CO₂-induced activation of <em>RD29B</em> promoter-driven GUS marker and <em>RAB18</em> expression. The expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene driven by <em>ABA2</em> and <em>RAB18</em> promoters in tobacco leaves was enhanced under CO₂, and the fluorescence mainly distributed in non-guard cells. Furthermore, ABA, ABA receptor (PYR/RCARs) and OST1 kinase were identified as upstream cascade components of H₂O₂ and NO in stomatal response to CO₂. Notably, GHR1 was implicated as an intermediate between H₂O₂ and NO in this pathway. Additionally, NADPH oxidase subunits AtRBOHD and AtRBOHF, and nitrate reductase isoenzyme NIA1, were responsible for H₂O₂ and NO production in guard cells under high CO₂ conditions. Together, our findings propose that elevated CO₂ triggers an increase in ABA and activates ABA signaling to close stomata via H₂O₂ and NO production, providing comprehensive insights into CO₂ signaling in guard cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20273,"journal":{"name":"Plant Science","volume":"365 ","pages":"Article 112993"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metabolomics-guided engineering of drought-resilient crops: Integrating multi-omics and AI for climate-smart agriculture","authors":"Cengiz Kaya","doi":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113025","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113025","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought stress is among the most critical threats to global food security, and its complex impact on plant physiology often exceeds the reach of traditional breeding approaches. Metabolomics has emerged as a transformative tool for dissecting drought responses, enabling dynamic, systems-level characterization of primary and secondary metabolites that mediate osmotic balance, redox homeostasis, and stress acclimation. Building on earlier reviews that primarily focused on stress-associated metabolites, this article emphasizes the integration of metabolomics with cutting-edge technologies, CRISPR-based genome editing, pathway engineering, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence, to establish a translational framework for drought-resilient cropimprovement. Recent advances in analytical platforms, bioinformatics pipelines, and crop-specific case studies are critically examined to demonstrate how metabolomic signatures can be translated into predictive biomarkers and incorporated into breeding pipelines. In addition, emerging frontiers such as single-cell and spatial metabolomics, ecological metabolomics, and AI-driven predictive modeling are highlighted as promising directions for connecting laboratory discoveries with field-scale applications. By synthesizing technological and biological advances, this review outlines how metabolomics can evolve from a diagnostic tool into a predictive and prescriptive platform, positioning it as a key component of climate-smart agriculture and next-generation crop improvement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20273,"journal":{"name":"Plant Science","volume":"365 ","pages":"Article 113025"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146150045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"TgARAD1 regulated by TgERF8 enhances the tolerance of Torreya grandis to drought stress","authors":"Ruoman Wang ,&nbsp;Tongtong Wang ,&nbsp;Ya Liu ,&nbsp;Jin Su ,&nbsp;Hangbiao Jin ,&nbsp;Jiasheng Wu ,&nbsp;Jingwei Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113047","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113047","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Upon exposure to drought conditions, plants rapidly shut their stomata to minimize water loss-a response critically influenced by the cell wall properties of guard cells. The <em>ARABINAN DEFICIENT</em> (<em>ARAD</em>) gene family modulates cell wall composition and architecture by regulating the biosynthesis of arabinan, a key pectic side chain. While ARAD1 has been implicated in plant growth and development, its function in abiotic stress responses remains poorly understood. Here, the expression of <em>TgARAD1</em> in <em>Torreya grandis</em>, a gymnosperm species with extremely high medicinal value, was significantly upregulated under drought stress. Subcellular localization experiment demonstrated that TgARAD1 was resided in the Golgi apparatus. Overexpression of <em>TgARAD1</em> promoted stomatal closure, reduced water loss, enhanced antioxidant defense and mitigated oxidative damage, ultimately enhancing drought tolerance in <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>. Further study revealed that the transcription factor TgERF8 activated the expression of <em>TgARAD1</em> through direct interaction with its promoter. Taken together, our findings uncover a previously uncharacterized drought-responsive regulatory module in which TgERF8 enhances <em>TgARAD1</em> expression to modulate stomatal closure and oxidative stress resistance. This investigation offers new viewpoint into the pivotal role of ARAD in via adaptation through stomatal regulation and transcriptional control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20273,"journal":{"name":"Plant Science","volume":"365 ","pages":"Article 113047"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146166338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stomatal and leaf hydraulic conductivity responses to changing light and CO2 conditions in Phaseolus vulgaris","authors":"Andrew Ogolla Egesa ,&nbsp;Divya Rana ,&nbsp;Jessica Barrera-Solis ,&nbsp;William M. Hammond ,&nbsp;C. Eduardo Vallejos ,&nbsp;Kevin Begcy","doi":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Extreme conditions brought up by climate change have a negative impact on plant photosynthesis. However, characterizing and exploiting extant genetic variation in plants for structure and function could lead to the assembly of genotypes adapted to extreme environments. This could be accomplished by combining suitable structures and adaptive mechanisms. We selected two common bean genotypes from the Andean (Calima) and the Mesoamerican (Jamapa) gene pools and analyzed their leaf structural characteristics, leaf hydraulics, and stomatal responses to transient light and CO₂. We used the patterns of stomatal conductance to water vapor (g_sw) to track the time for stomatal stability between the two genotypes. Our results indicated contrasting leaf structures and differences in potential leaf hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and the flow rate of water in the leaf. We also found faster stomatal responses to light and CO2 for smaller stomata. Our data also indicate that leaf structural traits in the two genotypes were constructed in coordination to support efficient physiological processes. We analyzed the dynamics of water loss, and our results agree with the differences seen in stomata density and the speed to stomata response indicating that Jamapa retains more residual water than Calima. These results showed far-reaching consequences of leaf structure and hydraulics on photosynthetic gas exchange responses under global warming conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20273,"journal":{"name":"Plant Science","volume":"365 ","pages":"Article 113005"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146119611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide identification of the HD-Zip gene family and functional study of AsHD-Zip49 under drought stress in oat (Avena sativa L.)","authors":"Yilin Cui,&nbsp;Zhichao Ma,&nbsp;Yutao Tong,&nbsp;Jinglong Zhang,&nbsp;Cai Gao,&nbsp;Xiang Ma,&nbsp;Yang Zhou,&nbsp;Shudi Huang,&nbsp;Peizhi Yang,&nbsp;Zhongxing Li","doi":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factors play critical regulatory functions in plant developmental programming and abiotic stress adaptation. While the <em>HD-Zip</em> gene family have been well characterized in model plants, its molecular evolution and biological functions in oat (<em>Avena sativa</em> L.) remain largely unexplored. In this study, a total of 60 <em>AsHD-Zip</em> family members (designated <em>AsHD-Zip1</em> to <em>AsHD-Zip60</em>) were identified, phylogenetically categorized into four evolutionarily conserved subfamilies (I-IV). <em>Cis-</em>regulatory elements linked to plant growth, developmental processes, stress responses, and phytohormone signaling were detected through promoter analysis of <em>AsHD-Zip</em> 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 <em>AsHD-Zip15</em>, <em>34</em>, <em>38</em>, <em>39</em>, <em>49</em>, and <em>60</em> genes. It is noteworthy that <em>AsHD-Zip49</em> 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 <em>AsHD-Zip49</em> in <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>, combined with the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of this gene in oat, strongly suggests that <em>AsHD-Zip49</em> plays a positive and crucial role in enhancing drought tolerance. In summary, this study comprehensively characterized the <em>AsHD-Zip</em> gene family, analyzed its expression pattern under drought and salt stress, validated the biological function of <em>AsHD-Zip49</em>, and laid the foundation for further research into the roles of <em>HD-Zip</em> in oat abiotic stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20273,"journal":{"name":"Plant Science","volume":"365 ","pages":"Article 113020"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146137248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcriptome profiling of AP2/ERF family members and functional characterization of CaAP2/ERF99 in pepper defense against Phytophthora capsici","authors":"Jie Wang ,&nbsp;Muhammad Azeem ,&nbsp;Yawei Li ,&nbsp;Beibei Gong ,&nbsp;Xueqi Li ,&nbsp;Li Liu ,&nbsp;Guangqiang Wu ,&nbsp;Moli Chu ,&nbsp;Wei Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plantsci.2026.113026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phytophthora blight, caused by the notorious oomycete pathogen, <em>Phytophthora capsici</em>, 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 <em>P. capsici</em> remain largely unexplored. In this study, we profiled AP2/ERF TFs in the resistant (CM334) and susceptible (EC01) pepper lines following <em>P. capsici</em> infection by transcriptome analysis. Differential expression analysis identified an ERF subfamily gene, <em>CaAP2/ERF99</em>, which was significantly up-regulated at 3 h post-infection in both pepper lines, suggesting its role in basal defense against <em>P. capsici</em>. 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 <em>P. capsici</em> 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 <em>CaPR1</em>, <em>CaPR10</em>, <em>CaLOX1</em>, <em>CaChi2</em>, and <em>CaDEF1</em>. Collectively, these results demonstrate that CaAP2/ERF99 exerts a positive regulatory role in pepper’s defense response against <em>P. capsici</em> and represents a promising candidate gene for enhancing resistance against Phytophthora blight.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20273,"journal":{"name":"Plant Science","volume":"365 ","pages":"Article 113026"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146137301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}