Boyeong Kim | PubMed Health

PubMed2025

Rice ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 101 increases leaf angle by upregulating BRASSINOSTEROID UPREGULATED 1.

The leaf angle (LA) is a critical component of plant architecture that directly influences photosynthetic efficiency and grain yield. In the present study, we found that ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 101 (OsERF101), an APETALA2/ethylene response factor, plays a role in LA formation. A null mutation in OsERF101 resulted in reduced LA, whereas transgenic plants overexpressing OsERF101 (OsERF101-OEs) exhibited increased LA. OsERF101 increased the development of the adaxial lamina joint (LJ). Transactivation assays and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis indicated that OsERF101 activated BRASSINOSTEROID UPREGULATED 1 (OsBU1) transcription by directly binding to its promoter. However, OsERF101 expression was suppressed by exogenous brassinosteroid (BR) treatment and elevated endogenous brassinolide (BL) levels during LJ development. Additionally, OsERF101 downregulated the expression of BR biosynthesis genes, including Brassinosteroid-deficient dwarf2 (OsBRD2) and CYP90B2/OsDWARF4, leading to reduced levels of endogenous BL, the most active BR, in OsERF101-OEs. These findings suggested that OsERF101 mediates a negative feedback loop that balances endogenous BR levels and signaling. Collectively, rice plants have evolved diverse regulatory mechanisms involving OsERF101 to tune LA formation and optimize plant architecture finely.

Oryza↗

PubMed2025

ONAC005 enhances salt stress tolerance by promoting suberin deposition in root endodermis.

Salt stress impairs photosynthetic efficiency and consequently reduces the growth, development, and grain yield of crop plants. The formation of hydrophobic barriers in the root endodermis, including the suberin lamellae and Casparian strips, is a key adaptive strategy for salt stress tolerance. In this study, we identified the role of the rice NAC transcription factor, ONAC005, in salt stress tolerance. ONAC005 expression was induced by NaCl and abscisic acid (ABA). Expression analysis using the β-glucuronidase reporter gene driven by the ONAC005 promoter revealed that ONAC005 is predominantly expressed in the stele and endodermis of rice roots. The null mutation of ONAC005 increased sodium ion levels in the shoots and roots, indicating susceptibility to salt stress, whereas ONAC005 overexpression enhanced tolerance to salt stress by reducing sodium ion accumulation. Yeast one-hybrid, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and dual-luciferase assays demonstrated that ONAC005 upregulates the expression of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase 8 (OsTPS8) by directly binding to its promoter region, leading to increased trehalose accumulation. ONAC005 enhances the formation of the root hydrophobic barrier by upregulating OsTPS8 expression under salt stress. Furthermore, considering the altered expression of ABA signaling and responsive genes, ONAC005 regulates the expression of genes in specific stress-responsive pathways that are independent of OsTPS8-mediated signaling. These results indicate that ONAC005 positively regulates hydrophobic barrier formation in the roots, thereby enhancing salt stress tolerance in rice.

Oryza↗