Journal Article

PmLBD3 links auxin and brassinosteroid signalling pathways on dwarfism in Prunus mume

Ma, Chengdong, Shi, Ting, Zhou, Pengyu, Ni, Zhaojun, Huang, Xiao, Li, Minglu, Tan, Wei, Wang, Ziqi, Bai, Yang, Hayat, Faisal, Gao, Feng, Gao, Zhihong, Ma, Yufan

2024

Overview

Background Grafting with dwarf rootstock is an efficient method to control plant height in fruit production. However, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Our previous study showed that plants with Prunus mume (mume) rootstock exhibited a considerable reduction in plant height, internode length, and number of nodes compared with Prunus persica (peach) rootstock. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism behind the regulation of plant height by mume rootstocks through transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses with two grafting combinations, ‘Longyan/Mume’ and ‘Longyan/Peach’. Results There was a significant decrease in brassinolide levels in plants that were grafted onto mume rootstocks. Plant hormone signal transduction and brassinolide production metabolism gene expression also changed significantly. Flavonoid levels, amino acid and fatty acid metabolites, and energy metabolism in dwarf plants decreased. There was a notable upregulation of PmLBD3 gene expression in plant specimens that were subjected to grafting onto mume rootstocks. Auxin signalling cues promoted PmARF3 transcription, which directly controlled this upregulation. Through its binding to PmBAS1 and PmSAUR36a gene promoters, PmLBD3 promoted endogenous brassinolide inactivation and inhibited cell proliferation. Conclusions Auxin signalling and brassinolide levels are linked by PmLBD3 . Our findings showed that PmLBD3 is a key transcription factor that regulates the balance of hormones through the auxin and brassinolide signalling pathways and causes dwarf plants in stone fruits.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Amino acids / Auxin / Auxins / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biosynthesis / Brassinolide / Brassinosteroids - metabolism / Cell proliferation / Control methods / Crop production / Dwarf plants / Dwarfing mechanism / Dwarfism / Energy metabolism / Flavonoids / Fruits / Gene expression / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Genes / Grafting / Growth hormones / Hormonal signalling / Hormones / Horticulture / Inactivation / Indoleacetic Acids - metabolism / Leaves / Life Sciences / Metabolism / Metabolites / Metabolomics / Methods / Molecular modelling / Physiological aspects / Plant growth / Plant Growth Regulators - metabolism / Plant Proteins - genetics / Plant Proteins - metabolism / Prunus / Prunus - genetics / Prunus - growth & development / Prunus - metabolism / Prunus - physiology / Prunus mume / Research Article / Rootstocks / Signal Transduction / Steroids, Heterocyclic - metabolism / Transcription factors / Transcription Factors - genetics / Transcription Factors - metabolism / Transcriptomics / Up-regulation