Expression pattern and transcriptional regulation of <i>CsPIF7</i> in <i>Camellia sinensis</i>.

Shunhui JIANG; Huiying JIN; Na TIAN; Shuoqian LIU

Return

Expression pattern and transcriptional regulation of CsPIF7 in Camellia sinensis.

Author: Shunhui JIANG ¹ ; Huiying JIN ¹ ; Na TIAN ¹ ; Shuoqian LIU ¹
Author Information

1. Key Lab of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, Hunan, China.
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Camellia sinensis; abscisic acid; expression analysis; germination; transcriptional regulation analysis
MeSH: Camellia sinensis/metabolism*; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Proteins/metabolism*; Abscisic Acid/pharmacology*; Germination/genetics*; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/metabolism*; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Cold Temperature
From: Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(7):2885-2896
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: The PIF7 gene is a member of the bHLH family, playing a pivotal role in plant germination. However, its roles in tea plants (Camellia sinensis) remain largely unexplored. In this study, we cloned the phytochrome-interacting factor gene CsPIF7 to elucidate its role in the germination of tea plants. Subcellular localization analysis demonstrated that CsPIF7 was localized in the nucleus. Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that CsPIF7 directly bound to a specific region (7-321 bp) of the CsEXP promoter, thereby repressing the expression of CsEXP. These findings suggest that CsPIF7 may modulate the germination of tea plants by inhibiting the expression of CsEXP. Quantitative real-time PCR results showed that both CsPIF7 and CsEXP exhibited high expression levels in tea buds, with different expression patterns in response to abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Furthermore, both CsPIF7 and CsEXP were upregulated under cold stress at 4 ℃, indicating their involvement in the cold response of tea plants. Taken together, these results suggest that CsPIF7 regulates CsEXP expression in an ABA-dependent manner, thereby influencing the germination of tea plants. This study provides both theoretical and experimental insights into the molecular mechanisms governing the germination of tea plants, laying the groundwork for further exploring the role of PIF7 in plant development and stress responses.