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The MdERF1B-MdWRKY75-MdSOS3 Module Confers Salt Tolerance by Regulating Sodium-Potassium Homoeostasis in Apple.
Zhijun Zhang1, Jiangtong Wei1, Yuhan Wei1
1State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, China.
Plant, Cell & Environment
|April 28, 2026
Summary
This study reveals how the MdWRKY75 gene enhances apple salt tolerance by regulating ion balance. An ethylene pathway gene, MdERF1B, activates MdWRKY75, improving crop resilience to saline soils.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Genetics
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Soil salinization is a major threat to global apple production, causing ion toxicity, osmotic stress, and oxidative damage.
- Developing salt-tolerant apple varieties is crucial for maintaining crop yield and quality in affected regions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the salt response transcription factor MdWRKY75 in enhancing apple salt tolerance.
- To elucidate the regulatory pathway involving MdWRKY75, including its upstream regulators and downstream targets.
Main Methods:
- Gene overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi) in apple plants.
- Analysis of sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) ion content and ratios under salt stress.
- Yeast one-hybrid, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), dual-luciferase, and GUS assays to confirm gene interactions.
- Investigating the effect of ethylene signaling pathway activation.
Main Results:
- MdWRKY75 overexpression significantly reduced Na+ content and Na+/K+ ratios in apple plants under salt stress.
- MdWRKY75 positively regulates the expression of MdSOS3, a key gene in salt ion transport.
- MdERF1B, an ethylene signaling gene, acts as an upstream activator of MdWRKY75.
- Overexpression of MdERF1B and application of ACC (a precursor to ethylene) enhanced salt tolerance.
Conclusions:
- The MdERF1B-MdWRKY75-MdSOS3 module is a critical pathway for enhancing apple salt tolerance.
- This pathway improves salt tolerance by effectively regulating the sodium-potassium ion balance.
- Understanding this mechanism provides a basis for breeding more salt-resilient apple varieties.
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