TaTPS11 enhances wheat cold resistance by regulating source-sink factor.

Area of Science:

• Plant Science
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Plant sugars influence osmotic pressure, freezing point, and ice damage protection.
• Trehalose, a sugar related to sucrose, is a key research focus for plant cold resistance.
• Previous work identified TaTPS11 from winter wheat as enhancing cold resistance via sugar content.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the mechanism by which TaTPS11 enhances plant cold resistance.
• To investigate the role of TaTPS11-6D in sugar metabolism and hormone regulation under cold stress.
• To improve the understanding of low-temperature storage limiting factors in plants.

Main Methods:

• Cloning and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing of TaTPS11-6D in wheat.
• Generating transgenic (overexpression) and edited (knockout) wheat lines.
• Measuring sugar content, sugar transfer, and plant hormone levels under low temperatures.

Main Results:

• TaTPS11-6D significantly increased plant sugar content and sugar translocation to storage organs under cold conditions.
• Overexpression lines (OE3-3, OE8-7) showed enhanced cold resistance, while edited lines (Cri 4-3) showed reduced resistance.
• TaTPS11-6D modulated plant hormone levels, increasing salicylic, jasmonic, and abscisic acids, while decreasing gibberellic acid.

Conclusions:

• TaTPS11-6D plays a crucial role in enhancing plant cold resistance through increased sugar accumulation and altered hormone signaling.
• The study provides a deeper mechanistic insight into how wheat enhances its capacity for low-temperature storage.
• Findings contribute to developing strategies for improving crop resilience in cold environments.