1. CsREV-CsTCP4-CsVND7 module shapes xylem patterns differentially between stem and leaf to enhance tea plant tolerance to drought
- Author
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Jiayang Li, (李佳阳), Jiejie Ren, (任洁洁), Xingyu Lei, (类兴宇), Wenmin Fan, (樊文敏), Lei Tang, (唐磊), Qiqi Zhang, (张琦琦), Zhulatai Bao, (包珠拉太), Wenfei Zhou, (周文菲), Juan Bai, (白娟), Yuzhou Zhang, (张余周), and Chunmei Gong, (龚春梅)
- Subjects
CP: Plants ,CP: Molecular biology ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
Summary: Cultivating drought-tolerant tea varieties enhances both yield and quality of tea plants in northern China. However, the mechanisms underlying their drought tolerance remain largely unknown. Here we identified a key regulator called CsREV, which differentially regulates xylem patterns between leaves and stems, thereby conferring drought tolerance in tea plants. When drought occurs, upregulation of CsREV activates the CsVND7a-dependent xylem vessel differentiation. However, when drought persists, the vessel differentiation is hindered as CsVND7a is downregulated by CsTCP4a. This, combined with the CsREV-promoted secondary-cell-wall thickness of xylem vessel, leads to the enhanced curling of leaves, a characteristic closely associated with plant drought tolerance. Notably, this inhibitory effect of CsTCP4a on CsVND7a expression is absent in stems, allowing stem xylem vessels to continuously differentiate. Overall, the CsREV-CsTCP4-CsVND7 module is differentially utilized to shape the xylem patterns in leaves and stems, potentially balancing water transportation and utilization to improve tea plant drought tolerance.
- Published
- 2024
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