J Integr Plant Biol

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  • 收稿日期:2026-05-15 修回日期:2026-08-27 接受日期:2026-09-06

Light signaling controls chloroplast pyruvate metabolism through the STF1/2–PKP1 module in soybean

Faming Lin1, 2†, Xiaoran Wang1†*, Chenhao Zhao1, Shaolong Yang1, Jingnan Xu1, Hongyi Su1, Ruixiang Lei1, Yilei Xu3, Jike Xue1, Ming Chang4, Fanjiang Kong5* and Ran Wang1*   

  1. 1. Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Crop Synthetic Biology, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046 China;
    2. State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004 China;
    3. These authors contributed equally to this work.;
    4. Department of Agronomy, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023 China;
    5. College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China;
    6. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, School of Life Sciences, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
    †These authors contributed equally to this work.
    *Correspondences: Ran Wang (wangran@henau.edu.cn, Dr. Wang is fully responsible for the distribution of all materials associated with this article); Xiaoran Wang (xiaoranwang@henau.edu.cn); Fanjiang Kong (kongfj@gzhu.edu.cn)
  • Received:2026-05-15 Revised:2026-08-27 Accepted:2026-09-06
  • Supported by:
    The authors are grateful to Bin Liu (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences) for providing stf2, stf1stf2, gmcry1s-qm, gmcry2s-tm, gmcop1a, and gmcop1b seeds. The authors would also like to thank Professor Chunpeng Song for his valuable guidance on this research. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32572306) and the High-Level Talents Project of Henan Agricultural University (111-30501301).

Abstract: Light signaling coordinates plant development with metabolism, but the link between photoreceptors and chloroplast energy remains unclear. PKP1 produces pyruvate via plastid glycolysis, yet its integration with light signaling and whether blue light directly controls plastid primary carbon metabolism are unexplored. Here, we show that the soybean HY5 homologs SOYBEAN TGACG-MOTIF BINDING FACTOR 1 (GmSTF1) and GmSTF2 directly bind TGACGT motifs in the GmPKP1 promoter and activate its transcription, thereby establishing a direct regulatory link between the light signaling machinery and chloroplast pyruvate metabolism. Overexpression of GmPKP1 increased pyruvate levels and altered cellular energy status, leading to reduced plant height but increased pigment accumulation and enhanced photosynthetic performance. Field trials further revealed that GmPKP1 overexpression significantly increased pod number per plant, thereby enhancing individual plant yield, while concurrently reducing seed protein content and markedly increasing seed oil content. Genetic and metabolomic analyzes confirmed that GmSTF1/2 positively regulate plastid pyruvate metabolism and influence central carbon metabolic pathways, with GmPKP1 representing a key directly regulated node. Furthermore, the soybean blue-light photoreceptors GmCRY1a and GmCRY2a interact with GmSTF1/2 to enhance their transcriptional activity, whereas GmCOP1 suppresses this activation, thereby modulating GmPKP1 expression and pyruvate accumulation. Together, these findings define a CRYs-COP1-STF1/2-GmPKP1 module that directly couples blue light perception to chloroplast pyruvate metabolism. This represents a conceptual expansion beyond the canonical HY5-centered developmental paradigm, revealing that light signaling can directly regulate core plastidial carbon metabolism.

Key words: chloroplast glycolysis, elongated hypocotyl 5, pyruvate kinase plastids 1, soybean

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