J Integr Plant Biol ›› 2025, Vol. 67 ›› Issue (5): 1339-1363.DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13862

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  • 收稿日期:2024-07-27 接受日期:2025-01-10 出版日期:2025-05-01 发布日期:2025-05-12

MdZFP7 integrates JA and GA signals via interaction with MdJAZ2 and MdRGL3a in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis and undergoes degradation by the E3 ubiquitin ligase MdBRG3

Xing‐Long Ji1, Ling‐Ling Zhao2, Baoyou Liu2, Yong‐Bing Yuan1, Yuepeng Han3,4, Chun‐Xiang You5 and Jian‐Ping An3,4*   

  1. 1. College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
    2. Yantai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yantai 265599, China
    3. State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
    4. Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
    5. College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China

    *Correspondence: Jian‐Ping An (anjianping@wbgcas.cn and anjianping@sdau.edu.cn, Dr. An is fully responsible for the distribution of all materials associated with this article)
  • Received:2024-07-27 Accepted:2025-01-10 Online:2025-05-01 Published:2025-05-12
  • Supported by:
    This work was financially supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of China (U22A20493, 32302516), Taishan Scholars Program (tsqn202312147), Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2022YQ24, ZR2024MC214), Development Plan of the Youth Innovation Team of the Higher Education Institutions in Shandong Province (2022KJ326), and Chinese Academy of Sciences Talent Support Project (E3559901).

Abstract: Jasmonic acid (JA) and gibberellin (GA) coordinate many aspects of plant growth and development, including anthocyanin biosynthesis. However, the crossover points of JA and GA signals and the pathways through which they interact to regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism by which the zinc finger protein (ZFP) transcription factor Malus domestica ZFP7 (MdZFP7) regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis by integrating JA and GA signals at the transcriptional and post-translational levels. MdZFP7 is a positive regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis, which fulfills its role by directly activating the expression of MdMYB1 and enhancing the transcriptional activation of MdWRKY6 on the target genes MdDFR and MdUF3GT. MdZFP7 integrates JA and GA signals by interacting with the JA repressor apple JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN2 (MdJAZ2) and the GA repressor apple REPRESSOR-of-ga1-3-like 3a (MdRGL3a). MdJAZ2 weakens the transcriptional activation of MdMYB1 by MdZFP7 and disrupts the MdZFP7–MdWRKY6 interaction, thereby reducing the anthocyanin biosynthesis promoted by MdZFP7. MdRGL3a contributes to the stimulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis by MdZFP7 by sequestering MdJAZ2 from the MdJAZ2–MdZFP7 complex. The E3 ubiquitin ligase apple BOI-related E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase 3 (MdBRG3), which is antagonistically regulated by JA and GA, targets the ubiquitination degradation of MdZFP7. The MdBRG3-MdZFP7 module moves the crosstalk of JA and GA signals from the realm of transcriptional regulation and into the protein post-translational modification. In conclusion, this study not only elucidates the node-role of MdZFP7 in the integration of JA and GA signals, but also describes the transcriptional and post-translational regulatory network of anthocyanin biosynthesis with MdZFP7 as the hub.

Key words: anthocyanin biosynthesis, gibberellin, hormone signal crosstalk, jasmonic acid, transcriptional and post‐translational regulation

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