Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026
10:29
Measuring Gene Expression in Bombarded Barley Aleurone Layers with Increased Throughput
Published on: March 30, 2018
6.2K
Apple microRNA477b-MsDELLA-like-MsNF-YC9 module enhances osmotic stress tolerance by regulating abscisic acid
Yantao Wang1,2, Maihemuti Turupu1, Chen Feng1,3
1Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
The Plant Journal : for Cell and Molecular Biology
|April 23, 2026
Summary
Wild apples (M. sieversii) enhance osmotic stress tolerance through a miR477b-mediated pathway that boosts abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. This involves MsDELLA-like interacting with MsNF-YC9 to activate ABA production, improving salt and drought resistance.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Osmotic stress from drought and salinity limits apple tree growth and fruit quality.
- Wild apple ancestors like M. sieversii exhibit superior abiotic stress tolerance compared to cultivated apples (M. domestica).
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical for plant abiotic stress adaptation, but their roles in apple are understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the regulatory mechanism of miR477b, MsDELLA-like, and MsNF-YC9 in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis for osmotic stress tolerance in apple.
- To investigate how M. sieversii enhances abiotic stress resistance through small RNA pathways and ABA regulation.
Main Methods:
- Identification of a vascular-localized miR477b and its target MsDELLA-like.
- Analysis of NINE-CIS-EPOXYCAROTENOID DIOXYGENASE 3.2 (MsNCED3.2) gene regulation.
- Generation and analysis of transgenic apple lines with miR477b knockout and MsDELLA-like overexpression.
- Investigation of physical interaction between MsDELLA-like and transcription factor NUCLEAR FACTOR Y, Subunit C9 (MsNF-YC9).
Main Results:
- Knockout of miR477b and overexpression of MsDELLA-like led to increased endogenous ABA levels.
- Transgenic lines exhibited enhanced tolerance to salt and mannitol-induced osmotic stress.
- MsDELLA-like physically interacts with MsNF-YC9, enhancing its binding to the MsNCED3.2 promoter.
- This interaction activates MsNCED3.2 transcription, promoting ABA biosynthesis.
Conclusions:
- The miR477b-MsDELLA-like-MsNF-YC9 pathway is a key regulator of ABA biosynthesis in apple, enhancing osmotic stress tolerance.
- Wild apple M. sieversii utilizes this pathway to confer superior resistance to abiotic stresses.
- Findings provide insights into molecular mechanisms for improving apple stress resilience through breeding and genetic engineering.
Related Concept Videos
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
24.2K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
24.2K
02:02Responses to Salt Stress
12.2K
Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
12.2K
01:17Gene Regulation During Sporulation
706
Sporulation is a complex developmental process that allows certain Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium species, to survive extreme environmental conditions. This process is tightly regulated by a series of signaling cascades and transcriptional controls, ensuring the formation of a highly resistant endospore.Sporulation is triggered by unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient depletion, and is governed by a phosphorelay system. One of the sensor kinases, such as...
706
02:45Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
13.4K
Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
13.4K
02:04Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata
26.2K
During photosynthesis, plants acquire the necessary carbon dioxide and release the produced oxygen back into the atmosphere. Openings in the epidermis of plant leaves is the site of this exchange of gasses. A single opening is called a stoma—derived from the Greek word for “mouth.” Stomata open and close in response to a variety of environmental cues.
26.2K
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
10.2K
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
10.2K