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Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Staining the Cytoplasmic Ca2+ with Fluo-4/AM in Apple Pulp
Published on: November 6, 2021
Apple EBF1/CML15-VQ8 module bridges ethylene and calcium signaling to modulate salt-induced anthocyanin accumulation
Huai-Na Gao1, Lei Zhao1,2, Liao Liao1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
Abstract:
Although previous studies have shown that plants enhance salt tolerance by accumulating anthocyanins, the molecular mechanisms regulating salt stress-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis remain unclear. This study establishes a regulatory network for salt-induced anthocyanin accumulation in apple (Malus × domestica), centered on the VALINE-GLUTAMINE (VQ) protein MdVQ8. MdVQ8 promotes anthocyanin biosynthesis via a dual-safeguard pathway: enhancing MdWRKY75-mediated transcriptional activation of the key regulator MYELOBLASTOSIS 1 (MdMYB1), and facilitating the TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PCF 46 (MdTCP46)-MdMYB1 interaction. The calcium (Ca2+) signaling regulator CALMODULIN-LIKE PROTEIN 15 (MdCML15) maintains the MdVQ8-MdWRKY75 and MdVQ8-MdTCP46 complexes, thereby amplifying MdVQ8-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis under salt stress. Additionally, the ethylene signaling repressor ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3-BINDING F-BOX PROTEIN 1 (MdEBF1) counteracts MdVQ8 function by promoting its ubiquitination and degradation. Our findings reveal that the MdEBF1/MdCML15-MdVQ8 module coordinates the MdWRKY75-MdMYB1 and MdTCP46-MdMYB1 pathways to regulate salt-induced anthocyanin accumulation. Therefore, these results offer new insights into the coordinated regulation of salt stress responses and anthocyanin biosynthesis by Ca2+ and ethylene signaling.
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