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Phytochrome A and B Function Antagonistically to Regulate Cold Tolerance via Abscisic Acid-Dependent Jasmonate
Feng Wang1, Zhixin Guo1, Huizi Li1
1Department of Horticulture, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China (F.W., Z.G., H.L., J.Z., X.X., K.S., J.Y., Y.Z.);Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Integrative Biology, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China (F.W., J.Y., Y.Z.);Philips Research China, Shanghai 200233, People's Republic of China (M.W.); andPhilips Research Europe, High Tech Campus 34, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands (E.O.).
Far-red light (FR) and red light (R) signaling via phytochrome A (phyA) and phyB differentially regulate cold tolerance in tomato. FR light activates phyA, promoting abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling for cold response.
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Molecular Biology
- Environmental Stress Response
Background:
- Light signaling and phytohormones are crucial for plant growth, development, and stress adaptation.
- The interplay between light quality and phytohormone signaling in response to cold stress is not well understood.
- Phytochromes (phyA and phyB) are key photoreceptors mediating light responses in plants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of far-red (FR) and red (R) light, perceived by phytochrome A (phyA) and phytochrome B (phyB), in regulating cold tolerance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).
- To elucidate the cross-talk between light signaling and phytohormone pathways (abscisic acid - ABA, jasmonic acid - JA) in mediating cold response.
- To determine the involvement of the C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR (CBF) pathway in light quality-mediated cold tolerance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized tomato wild-type, phyA mutant, phyB mutant, ABA-deficient (not), and JA-deficient (spr2) mutants.
- Manipulated light quality by altering the Red/Far-red light ratio (R/FR).
- Assessed cold tolerance, measured phytohormone levels (ABA, JA), and quantified gene expression of ABA-, JA-related genes, and CBF pathway genes.
Main Results:
- Far-red light (FR) and red light (R) signaling through phyA and phyB antagonistically regulate cold tolerance.
- FR light positively regulates cold tolerance via phyA, associated with increased ABA and JA levels and CBF pathway activation.
- R light negatively regulates cold tolerance via phyB; JA acts downstream of ABA in the light quality-mediated cold response pathway.
Conclusions:
- Phytochrome A and phyB play opposing roles in mediating light quality-dependent cold tolerance in tomato.
- FR light-induced activation of phyA triggers ABA and JA signaling cascades, culminating in CBF pathway activation and enhanced cold tolerance.
- This study reveals a novel mechanism of light-phytohormone cross-talk essential for plant adaptation to cold stress.
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