PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 3 represses plant salt tolerance through MADS-box transcription factor AGAMOUS-LIKE 21.

Two bHLH transcription factors regulate PbGME1 expression to modulate ascorbate biosynthesis and salt tolerance in pear.

Salt stress severely limits plant growth and productivity. GDP-mannose-3',5'-epimerase (GME), a key enzyme in ascorbic acid (AsA) biosynthesis, has been implicated in plant stress responses, but its role in pear salt tolerance remains unclear. Here, we identified PbGME1 as a positive regulator of salt tolerance in pear. The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor PbbHLH67 directly binds to the PbGME1 promoter and activates its transcription, as shown by yeast one-hybrid, electrophoretic mobility shift, and dual-luciferase assays. Overexpression of PbbHLH67 enhanced salt tolerance in pear seedlings, pear calli, and Arabidopsis, whereas silencing of PbbHLH67 increased salt sensitivity in Pyrus betulifolia, accompanied by corresponding changes in AsA accumulation. We further identified PbbHLH53 as a PbbHLH67-interacting protein, which also binds the PbGME1 promoter and activates its transcription. Similar to PbbHLH67, overexpression of PbbHLH53 enhanced salt tolerance, whereas its silencing increased salt sensitivity. Notably, heterodimerization of PbbHLH67 and PbbHLH53 further strengthened PbGME1 transcriptional activation. Moreover, the AsA biosynthesis inhibitor lycorine largely abolished the enhanced salt tolerance conferred by PbbHLH67 or PbbHLH53 overexpression. Together, these findings demonstrate that the PbbHLH67-PbbHLH53 module promotes pear salt tolerance by activating PbGME1 expression and increasing AsA accumulation.

Abscisic acid–regulated stability of CmABF1 and CmBRM modulates salt tolerance in chrysanthemum via epigenetic regulation of CmHSFA4

It is shown that salt stress–induced ABA accumulation up-regulates Heat Shock Factor 4 (CmHSFA4), a gene that is known to enhance chrysanthemum salt tolerance, and an ABA-SnRK2.2-ABF1/BRM signaling module that integrates phosphorylation-dependent protein stabilization and degradation with histone methylation dynamics to fine-tune salt stress–responsive gene expression in chrysanthemum is revealed.

The GRAS transcription factor BpGRAS19 confers salt stress tolerance in birch by regulating ROS scavenging

GhVIP1-GhMYB44 module regulates cotton salt tolerance by regulating stress-related genes and enhancing ROS degradation.

Soil salinization severely impacts cotton yield and quality. Excess salt stimulates excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in oxidative damage and impairment of cell membrane integrity. Therefore, enhancing the antioxidant capacity of cotton is a key strategy to improve salt tolerance. In this study, we systematically characterized the salt tolerance function of GhVIP1, a bZIP family transcription factor. Overexpression (OE) of GhVIP1 enhanced tolerance to salt stress in Arabidopsis, as evidenced by higher germination rates, root length, chlorophyll content, and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), along with lower malondialdehyde (MDA) and ROS contents compared to the wild-type (WT). Conversely, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of GhVIP1 resulted in salt-sensitive phenotypes in cotton. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and dual-luciferase (LUC) reporter assays further confirmed that GhVIP1 directly binds to the promoter of GhMYB44 and activated its transcription in vitro. However, genetic analysis revealed that GhMYB44 functions as a negative regulator of salt tolerance, as its silencing significantly enhanced ROS-scavenging capacity and upregulated the expression of ROS-related genes. Notably, silencing GhVIP1 unexpectedly led to elevated GhMYB44 transcript levels in cotton, suggesting the existence of a complex in vivo regulatory network involving additional intermediate factors. Collectively, our results demonstrate that GhVIP1 positively regulates salt tolerance by enhancing ROS detoxification, partially through its interplay with the antagonistic GhMYB44 pathway. This study provides new genetic resources and a theoretical basis for molecular breeding of salt-tolerant cotton.

Overexpression of PlPAT1, a GRAS transcription factor from Paeonia lactiflora, enhances salt stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco

It is demonstrated that PlPAT1 functions as a positive regulator of salt stress tolerance, likely through modulating osmotic balance and enhancing reactive oxygen species scavenging capacity.

A Regulatory Circuit between AGL103 and TCPs Balances Growth and Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

This AGL103-TCPs module integrates developmental and stress signaling, offering mechanistic insight into how plants balance growth and resilience and highlighting potential targets for engineering stress-tolerant crops.