Heterologous expression of CsAlaDC establishes a functional ethylamine-theanine metabolic branch in tomato and enhances thermotolerance through coordination with the GABA metabolic network, offering a promising strategy to improve both stress resilience and nutritional quality in crops.
The GmSNAT1 gene, which encodes a key enzyme involved in soybean melatonin biosynthesis, is crucial for abiotic stress tolerance. In the present study, the molecular mechanism by which GmSNAT1 enhances cold tolerance is elucidated. The cold tolerance of plants was significantly increased by GmSNAT1 overexpression and reduced by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout, a phenotype that was effectively rescued by exogenous melatonin. Integrated transcriptomic, physiological, and biochemical analyses revealed that the GmSNAT1-mediated melatonin pathway activates calcium signaling; coordinates the crosstalk between auxin, abscisic acid, and ethylene; and mobilizes transcription factor networks to orchestrate bidirectional physiological responses. Additionally, the activation of antioxidant systems for reactive oxygen species scavenging and the upregulation of photosynthesis-related genes to maintain photosynthetic stability were explored. The physical interaction between GmSNAT1 and the plant sulfotyrosine peptide receptor GmPSYR1 was confirmed using co-immunoprecipitation, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and yeast two-hybrid assays. This interaction may be involved in cold stress signal transduction, regulation of root development, and redox homeostasis through GmPSYR1. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that cold adaptation in soybeans is synergistically enhanced by GmSNAT1 via a multidimensional axis encompassing melatonin synthesis, signal transduction, and physiological protection, thereby providing a novel molecular target for breeding cold-tolerant crops.
C. Ren, Tong Cheng, Wenjie Zhang et al.· Plant Physiology· 0 citations
Heavy metal pollution has become a major environmental challenge limiting agricultural productivity worldwide. Copper (Cu), although an essential micronutrient, becomes phytotoxic at elevated concentrations, primarily by inducing oxidative stress. Among the most widespread metabolic adjustments triggered by abiotic stress is the accumulation of proline, which is a compatible osmolyte that stabilizes proteins and membranes and helps maintain cellular redox homeostasis. This paper demonstrates that the heterologous expression of TsPAP1, a triticale gene encoding a prolyl aminopeptidase, enhances proline accumulation and confers increased Cu tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Under Cu stress, transgenic lines maintained superior physiological performance relative to the wild type (WT), as evidenced by the reduced biomass loss and lower accumulation of malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species. Cu exposure activated antioxidant defenses; however, the induction of catalase (CAT), class III peroxidases (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities was more pronounced in transgenic lines. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a higher expression of genes encoding antioxidant isoforms localized to chloroplasts (sAPX, CSD2), the cytosol (APX1), peroxisomes (CAT1), and the apoplast (Prx02, Prx51), indicating targeted reinforcement of the multi-compartmental redox defense system. Together, these findings identify TsPAP1 as a potential regulator of proline-dependent redox homeostasis that contributes to enhanced Cu tolerance through the coordinated activation of antioxidant networks. The results further suggest that PAP-dependent peptide turnover contributes to proline-mediated stress adaptation, linking peptide metabolism with antioxidant regulation and highlighting TsPAP1 as a promising target for engineering heavy metal-resilient crops.
P phenotypic, physiological, and transcriptomic analyses were integrated to elucidate the drought adaptation mechanisms of a gamma-ray-induced mutant wheat line, PL6, alongside its wild-type parent, PL1, demonstrating an effective analytical framework for selection of high-confidence transcripts.
M. Hong, Ryu Jeong Kim, So Jin Park et al.· Agriculture· 0 citations
Galactinol synthase (GolS) is a key rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs), and plays a crucial role in plant responses to abiotic stresses such as low temperature. Saussurea involucrata, an alpine plant adapted to extreme habitats, serves as an ideal resource for mining unique and elite stress-tolerance genes. In this study, we isolated and cloned the SiGolS3 gene from S. involucrata, and performed heterologous overexpression and functional verification in Broussonetia papyrifera. Physiological and biochemical analyses revealed that SiGolS3 exerts its cold-tolerant function by promoting RFO accumulation, which in turn maintains cellular osmotic homeostasis, alleviates reactive oxygen species damage, preserves plasma membrane integrity under low-temperature stress, and synergistically promotes cold-responsive gene expression, ultimately enhancing freezing tolerance in transgenic B. papyrifera. This study advances understanding of alpine plant adaptation to extreme environments and offers a candidate gene for woody plant stress tolerance improvement.
