Transcription factor TERF1 promotes seed germination through HEXOKINASE 1 (HXK1)-mediated signaling pathway

Seed germination, a vital process for plant growth and development, is regulated by ethylene. Previously, we showed that Tomato Ethylene Responsive Factor 1 (TERF1), an ethylene-responsive factor (ERF) transcription factor, could significantly promote seed germination by increasing glucose content. As glucose can function as a signaling molecule to regulate plant growth and development through HEXOKINASE 1 (HXK1), we aim to illustrate how TERF1 promotes seed germination through the HXK1-mediated signaling pathway. We showed that seeds overexpressing TERF1 exhibited more resistance to N-acetylglucosamine (NAG), an inhibitor of the HXK1- mediated signaling pathway. We identified genes regulated by TERF1 through HXK1 based on transcriptome analysis. Gene expression and phenotype analysis demonstrated that TERF1 repressed the ABA signaling pathway through HXK1, which promoted germination through activating the plasma membrane (PM) H⁺-ATPase. TERF1 also alleviated the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress to accelerate germination by maintaining reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis through HXK1. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanism regulated by ethylene through the glucose-HXK1 signaling pathway during seed germination.