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The MhNF-YA3-like-MhMSI4-like module regulates apple drought tolerance by activating the expression of MhAAO3.

Xiang Gao,Chunhui Song,Jianwen Tian,Juan Gong,Penghao Yuan,Kunxi Zhang,Jian Jiao,Miaomiao Wang,Pengbo Hao,Xianbo Zheng,Tuanhui Bai

Published 2025 in Plant Physiology

ABSTRACT

Drought significantly impairs the growth, yield, and quality of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.). Nuclear factor-Y (NF-Y) transcription factors have well-documented functions in regulating stress tolerance in various plants. However, the specific functions and molecular mechanisms of NF-Ys in conferring drought tolerance in apples remain largely unexplored. Here, we identified and characterized a NF-Y transcription factor, MhNF-YA3-like, from M. hupehensis, the expression of which is upregulated by drought stress and abscisic acid (ABA). Overexpressing MhNF-YA3-like enhanced tolerance to drought stress, while silencing MhNF-YA3-like increased susceptibility to drought stress. Further research demonstrated that MhNF-YA3-like directly binds to the promoter of MhAAO3 and activates its transcription. Notably, the interaction between MhNF-YA3-like and MhMSI4-like further amplified the regulatory effect of MhNF-YA3-like on MhAAO3, promoting the synthesis of ABA, which consequently improved drought stress tolerance. This study provides insights into how the MhNF-YA3-like-MhMSI4-like module finely tunes apple drought tolerance.

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