PtoeIF5A1: A Pleiotropic Regulator of Development, PCD, and Salt Tolerance in Populus tomentosa

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is a highly conserved protein family unique to eukaryotes, yet its functional characterization in woody plants remains limited. In this study, we identified four eIF5A genes (PtoeIF5A1-PtoeIF5A4) from the genome of Populus tomentosa, a fast-growing tree species indigenous to China, and characterized their expression patterns and functional roles through bioinformatics analysis, quantitative real-time PCR, stable overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana, and transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Our results demonstrated that all PtoeIF5A proteins contain a conserved OB-fold domain and multiple phosphorylation sites, with PtoeIF5A1 showing predominant expression in roots and secondary xylem. Functional assays revealed that PtoeIF5A1 overexpression accelerated inflorescence stem elongation and early flowering in Arabidopsis, induced visible chlorosis and programmed cell death (PCD) in tobacco leaves, and significantly enhanced salt tolerance under NaCl treatment. Collectively, these findings establish PtoeIF5A1 in poplar as a pleiotropic regulator integrating developmental cues, programmed cell death, and stress responses; and as a valuable genetic resource for breeding stress-resilient woody plants.