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The RhMPK3-RhLOB41-RhWRKY9 module orchestrates ethylene-induced petal abscission via dual control of ROS homeostasis
Bingjie Zhang1, Yue Xiao1, Yang Liu1,2
1Beijing Key Laboratory of Development and Quality Control of Ornamental Crops, Department of Ornamental Horticulture, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Abstract:
Organ abscission represents a critical adaptive strategy for plant survival, yet the post-translational mechanisms ensuring its irreversible remain poorly understood. Here, we unveil a signaling module, MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE 3 (RhMPK3)-LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN 41 (RhLOB41)-WRKY DNA-BINDING PROTEIN 9 (RhWRKY9), that gates ethylene-induced petal abscission in rose (Rosa hybrida) by orchestrating reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. We demonstrate that the transcription factor RhWRKY9 acts as a dual-function regulator, concurrently activating ROS production via activation of RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOGUE D (RhRBOHD) and suppressing scavenging via repression of CATALASE 2 (RhCAT2), thereby generating a ROS burst that locks abscission progression. Ethylene primes this process by destabilizing RhLOB41, a transcriptional repressor of RhWRKY9, through RhMPK3-mediated phosphorylation at Ser30. Phosphorylation creates a phosphodegron that targets RhLOB41 for autophagy-dependent degradation. Our findings redefine ROS as decisive executors of abscission and establish bidirectional ROS control as a paradigm for irreversible developmental transitions.
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