Huang Ruihua, Wen Mengrui, Feng Bojin, Wu Pingzhi, Zhong Xiaoqing, Yang Yifeng, Liu Minghui, Li Hongqing, Yang Chengwei, Peng Changlian, Zhang Shengchun
Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, College of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institution of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Plant Cell. 2025 May 9;37(5). doi: 10.1093/plcell/koaf085.
High-temperature stress hinders seed filling, reducing seed quality and crop yield. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. Here, we identify SAP AND MIZ1 DOMAIN-CONTAINING LIGASE1 (SIZ1) as a key regulator of seed filling under prolonged high temperatures in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). SIZ1 and WRINKLED1 (WRI1) are co-expressed during seed filling, and overexpressing either gene enhances seed filling and promotes fatty acid biosynthesis under high-temperature stress. Genetic and biochemical analyses revealed that SIZ1 stabilizes WRI1 by promoting its SUMOylation at Lys-257 and Lys-266, thereby inhibiting its interaction with the CULLIN3-based ubiquitin E3 ligase adaptor protein BTB/POZMATH (BPM) and preventing its ubiquitination and degradation. Mutating these SUMOylation sites accelerates WRI1 degradation, impairing its function in seed filling under high-temperature stress. Furthermore, high-temperature stress induces SIZ1 expression and reduces WRI1 levels, suggesting that SIZ1-mediated SUMOylation counteracts high-temperature stress-induced WRI1 instability. These findings establish SIZ1 as a crucial factor in maintaining WRI1 stability and seed filling under high-temperature stress, providing valuable genetic resources and a theoretical foundation for addressing prolonged high-temperature stress in agricultural production.
高温胁迫会阻碍种子灌浆,降低种子质量和作物产量。然而,这一过程背后的分子机制仍不清楚。在此,我们确定含SAP和MIZ1结构域的连接酶1(SIZ1)是拟南芥在长期高温下种子灌浆的关键调节因子。SIZ1和皱叶1(WRI1)在种子灌浆过程中共同表达,过表达任一基因均可增强种子灌浆,并在高温胁迫下促进脂肪酸生物合成。遗传和生化分析表明,SIZ1通过促进WRI1在赖氨酸257和赖氨酸266处的SUMO化来稳定WRI1,从而抑制其与基于CULLIN3的泛素E3连接酶衔接蛋白BTB/POZMATH(BPM)的相互作用,并防止其泛素化和降解。突变这些SUMO化位点会加速WRI1的降解,损害其在高温胁迫下种子灌浆中的功能。此外,高温胁迫诱导SIZ1表达并降低WRI1水平,这表明SIZ1介导的SUMO化可抵消高温胁迫诱导的WRI1不稳定性。这些发现确立了SIZ1作为高温胁迫下维持WRI1稳定性和种子灌浆的关键因素,为解决农业生产中的长期高温胁迫提供了宝贵的遗传资源和理论基础。