Open Access

ARTICLE

The NAC Transcription Factor ANAC089 Modulates Seed Vigor through the ABI5-VTC2 Module in Arabidopsis thaliana

by Yuan Tian, Lulu Zhi, Ping Li^*, Xiangyang Hu^*

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China

* Corresponding Authors: Ping Li. Email: ; Xiangyang Hu. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2024, 93(6), 1101-1116. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2024.050220

Received 31 January 2024; Accepted 23 April 2024; Issue published 27 June 2024

Abstract

Seed viability is an essential feature for genetic resource conservation as well as sustainable crop production. Long-term storage induces seed viability deterioration or seed aging, accompanied by the accumulation of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) to suppress seed germination. Controlled deterioration treatment (CDT) is a general approach for mimicking seed aging. The transcription factor ANAC089 was previously reported to modulate seed primary germination. In this study, we evaluated the ability of ANAC089 to control seed viability during aging. Compared with that in the wild-type line, the mutation of ANAC089 significantly increased HO, thereby reducing seed viability after CDT, while the overexpression of ANAC089 reduced HO and improved seed longevity, indicating a critical role for ANAC089 in maintaining seed viability through HO signaling. A series of studies have shown that ANAC089 targets and negatively regulates the level of ABI5, an important transmitter of abscisic acid (ABA) signals, to affect seed viability after CDT. Furthermore, ABI5 negatively regulated the expression of VTC2, which is involved in the biosynthesis of the antioxidant ascorbic acid and HO scavenging. As a result, ANAC089 attenuates the generation of HO, thereby enhancing seed viability through the ABI5-VTC2 module during the seed aging process. Taken together, our results reveal a novel mechanism by which ANAC089 enhances seed viability by coordinating ABI5 and VTC2 expression, ultimately preventing the overaccumulation of HO, which would have led to reduced seed viability.

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Keywords

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material File

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