Xu Huiming, Xing Yifan, Li Guangyou, Wang Xin, Zhou Xu, Lu Zhaohua, Ma Liuyin, Yang Deming
Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou 510520, China.
Center for Genomics, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, School of Future Technology, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Mar 25;26(7):2958. doi: 10.3390/ijms26072958.
The phosphate starvation response (PHR) transcription factor family play central regulatory roles in nutrient signaling, but its relationship with other abiotic stress remains elusive. In the woody plant , we characterized 12 EgPHRs, which were phylogenetically divided into three groups, with group I exhibiting conserved structural features (e.g., unique motif composition and exon number). Notably, a protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed that EgPHR had a species-specific protein-protein interaction network: EgPHR6 interacted with SPX proteins of multiple species, while and poplar PHR uniquely bound to TRARAC-kinesin ATPase, suggesting functional differences between woody and herbaceous plants. A promoter sequence analysis revealed a regulatory network of 59 transcription factors (TFs, e.g., BPC, MYBs, ERFs and WUS), mainly associated with tissue differentiation, abiotic stress, and hormonal responses that regulated expression. Transcriptomics and RT-qPCR gene expression analyses showed that all dynamically responded to phosphate (Pi) starvation, with the expression of and exhibiting sustained induction, and were also regulated by salt, cold, jasmonic acid, and boron deficiency. Strikingly, nitrogen starvation suppressed most , highlighting crosstalk between nutrient signaling pathways. These findings revealed the multifaceted regulatory role of in adaptation to abiotic stresses and provided insights into their unique evolutionary and functional characteristics in woody plants.
磷饥饿响应（PHR）转录因子家族在营养信号传导中发挥核心调节作用，但其与其他非生物胁迫的关系仍不清楚。在木本植物中，我们鉴定了12个EgPHR，它们在系统发育上分为三组，第一组具有保守的结构特征（例如，独特的基序组成和外显子数量）。值得注意的是，蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用网络分析表明，EgPHR具有物种特异性的蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用网络：EgPHR6与多个物种的SPX蛋白相互作用，而杨树PHR则独特地与TRARAC-驱动蛋白ATP酶结合，这表明木本植物和草本植物之间存在功能差异。启动子序列分析揭示了一个由59个转录因子（如BPC、MYB、ERF和WUS）组成的调控网络，主要与组织分化、非生物胁迫和激素反应相关，这些反应调节了基因表达。转录组学和RT-qPCR基因表达分析表明，所有基因都对磷（Pi）饥饿动态响应，EgPHR1和EgPHR2的表达表现出持续诱导，并且还受到盐、冷、茉莉酸和硼缺乏的调节。引人注目的是，氮饥饿抑制了大多数EgPHR，突出了营养信号通路之间的相互作用。这些发现揭示了EgPHR在适应非生物胁迫中的多方面调节作用，并为其在木本植物中的独特进化和功能特征提供了见解。
