Regulatory mechanisms of several types of PTMs, including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, acetylation, crotonylation, and S-acylation, in the cold stress signaling pathway are summarized.
Abstract
Cold environments significantly influence plant growth, development, geographical distribution, and yield. A growing body of research has focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses to cold stress, among which post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins play a pivotal role by regulating protein stability, activity, and protein-protein interactions. In this review, we summarize regulatory mechanisms of several types of PTMs, including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, acetylation, crotonylation, and S-acylation, in the cold stress signaling pathway. These dynamic modifications allow plants to mount precise and adaptive responses, effectively balance defense with developmental processes, and establish a molecular foundation for adaptation to cold environments. A comprehensive understanding of the cascading relationships and collaborative regulatory networks among PTMs is indispensable for deciphering the molecular logic of plant cold adaptation. Moreover, further exploration of the temporal and spatial dynamics of these modifications and their functional associations will continue to refine our mechanistic understanding of the regulatory networks governing plant cold tolerance.
Transcriptional regulation is the cornerstone of plant developmental plasticity and environmental resilience. Central to these processes are the B-Box (BBX) proteins, a family of zinc-finger transcription factors that have emerged as pivotal signaling hubs. While their roles were initially defined through light signaling and photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis, recent advances have repositioned BBX proteins as integrative nodes across a vast array of physiological processes, including seed germination, thermomorphogenesis, shade avoidance and senescence, as well as responses to both abiotic and biotic stresses. The remarkable functional diversity of BBX proteins emerges from a highly orchestrated, hierarchical regulatory landscape. This review synthesizes recent progress in how BBX activity is modulated through chromatin remodeling, alternative splicing and E3-ligase-mediated protein stability, among other mechanisms. We propose that understanding BBX function requires a shift from identifying isolated target genes to decoding the combinatorial logic of their interactions. Deciphering this interactome under fluctuating environments not only deepens our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms regulating plant plasticity but also identifies highly promising targets for the precision breeding of climate-resilient crops.
J. Botto, G. Gómez-Ocampo, C. Barraza· Plant physiology and biochem...· 0 citations
The DNA-binding with one finger (Dof) family comprises plant-specific transcription factors that serve as key hubs regulating plant growth, development, stress responses, and metabolism. Advances in multi-species genome sequencing have deepened our understanding of the structure and function of this family. This review systematically describes the conserved structural features of Dof proteins and their expansion patterns during plant evolution. It further focuses on the molecular mechanisms and regulatory networks underlying organ development, growth coordination, stress responses, and metabolic regulation. Comprehensive analysis reveals that the Dof family exhibits conserved core functions across evolution, along with pronounced species specificity. In terms of regulatory mechanisms, Dof proteins integrate external signals and internal transduction pathways to coordinate growth, development, and stress defense. They achieve this through multiple modes, including transcriptional regulation of target genes and protein–protein interactions. This review highlights the pivotal roles of the Dof family across diverse developmental stages and physiological processes. It thus provides a theoretical foundation for dissecting its biological mechanisms and advancing molecular breeding in crops.
Liang Yang, Xiangkai Guo, Kaitong Wang et al.· Horticulture Research· 0 citations
MYB transcription factors are pivotal regulators of plant cold acclimation, yet current knowledge about cold-tolerance-related MYBs (crMYBs) remains fragmented across species, with their phylogenetic relationships, regulatory mechanisms, and functional divergence poorly integrated. This review synthesizes functionally validated crMYBs within a phylogenetic framework to provide an updated perspective on their regulatory roles in plant cold acclimation. We curated 106 experimentally validated crMYBs from 45 plant species and systematically characterized their subfamily distribution, regulatory polarity, pathway associations, validation strategies, and cross-species functional patterns. R2R3-MYBs constitute the majority of characterized crMYBs, whereas 1R-MYBs and 3R-MYBs remain underrepresented despite their established links to circadian regulation, cell-cycle control, and stress adaptation. Comparative analyses further indicate that orthologous MYBs retain conserved functions or undergo functional divergence across species. Current evidence implicates crMYBs in multiple regulatory layers of cold acclimation, including ABA-associated responses, CBF/COR-related transcriptional regulation, hormonal crosstalk, osmoprotectant accumulation, phenylpropanoid metabolism, cuticular wax biosynthesis, post-translational modifications, and chromatin-level regulation. Characterization of underexplored 1R-MYB and 3R-MYB members, phylogeny-guided cross-species functional validation, clarification of the mechanisms underlying regulatory polarity divergence, and evaluation of MYB functions under combined stress conditions would contribute substantially to a more comprehensive understanding of plant cold resilience.
Hao Zhang, Yao Yao, Binglu Liu et al.· Physiology and Molecular Bio...· 0 citations
A review of WD40 repeat proteins strengthens current findings relating their structural properties, molecular mechanisms, and functional diversity, underscoring their potential as targets for developing stress-resilient, high-yield crops in a changing climate.
The survival of plants in arid environments relies on their intricate responses to drought stress, encompassing physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms. In the face of limited water availability, plants exhibit remarkable adaptations to minimize water loss and sustain vital functions. Physiologically, stomatal closure reduces transpirational water loss, while growth reduction and wilting help conserve water. Root growth alterations enable exploration of deeper soil layers for water acquisition. Biochemically, osmotic adjustment through accumulation of compatible solutes maintains cellular turgor pressure. Antioxidant production counteracts reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by water stress. Notably, abscisic acid (ABA) accumulates, orchestrating stress responses including stomatal closure and gene regulation. Molecularly, gene expression changes underlie the activation of stress-responsive genes. Transcription factors like DREB and bZIP modulate gene expression, while ABA-dependent and ABA-independent pathways govern signaling. LEA proteins and chaperones shield cellular structures, and microRNAs fine-tune post-transcriptional regulation. This comprehensive framework underscores the remarkable capacity of plants to adapt to drought stress through an integrated network of physiological, biochemical, and molecular strategies. Understanding these responses holds promise for enhancing crop resilience and agricultural sustainability in water-scarce environments.
Anjali, P. Chand· Progressive Agriculture· 0 citations
Abstract Plants face the challenge of balancing dynamic environmental stresses with internal developmental demands during growth, necessitating the precise regulation of gene expression networks to optimize resource allocation. Recent studies have shown that epigenetic regulatory systems, which serve as bridges between genotype and phenotype, enable plants to respond rapidly to environmental changes and facilitate adaptive evolution by establishing heritable epigenetic memory. This article systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which core epigenetic processes coordinate plant growth and development with environmental adaptation, with particular emphasis on the transgenerational transmission of epigenetic information, such as DNA modification, RNA modification, histone modification, histone chaperones, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNA regulation. It further examines the interrelationships between these mechanisms and how they work in concert to achieve such coordination. It also explores key unresolved scientific questions in this field and proposes future perspectives for further research.
Yan-Zhu Liu, Jia-Qi Wu, Jin-Hua Yang et al.· Horticulture Research· 1 citation
