Allelic variations in GA20ox3 regulate fruit length and seed germination timing for high-altitude adaptation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Altitude significantly affects both fruit length (FL) and seed germination timing (SGT) in plants. Alpine plants often require prolonged chilling to enhance seed germination rates, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations remain largely unexplored. In this study, we have identified the gibberellin biosynthesis gene GA20ox3 as a key regulator of FL and SGT in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our findings demonstrate that DELLA proteins form a negative feedback loop by interacting with the transcription factor DNA-BINDING ONE ZINC FINGER6 (DOF6), which directly binds to the GA20ox3 promoter. Allelic variations in the GA20ox3 promoter of one alpine ecotype influence the binding affinity of DOF6, leading to variations in both FL and SGT. The geographical distribution of the GA20ox3 promoter alleles, corresponding well to different altitudes and temperatures, underscores the significant role of such variation in the A. thaliana's adaptation to the varied habitats, especially concerning seed germination timing. Our results reveal a cold-mediated gibberellin signaling mechanism that controls both FL and SGT, thereby optimizing reproductive success in varied environments.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-05-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60436-7
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Seed Germination and Physiology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
8.75

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article

Allelic variations in GA20ox3 regulate fruit length and seed germination timing for high-altitude adaptation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Yan Song, Shaobo Gu, Xiaoqin Feng, Xuemeng Gao et al.
5 citations
Nature Communications
Seed Germination and Physiology
8.75
article

Allelic variations in GA20ox3 regulate fruit length and seed germination timing for high-altitude adaptation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Yan Song, Shaobo Gu, Xiaoqin Feng, Xuemeng Gao, Yingjun Yao, Jianquan Liu, Luna Tan, XiangWen Liu, Ruyun Liang, Landi Feng, Shangling Lou, Yuanzhong Jiang, Yudan Zheng, Jing Hou, Yu Han, Han Zhang, Meng Liu, Huanhuan Liu, Xinyao Jiang, Pengchuan Sun, Mei Dong
article en
5 citations

Abstract

Altitude significantly affects both fruit length (FL) and seed germination timing (SGT) in plants. Alpine plants often require prolonged chilling to enhance seed germination rates, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations remain largely unexplored. In this study, we have identified the gibberellin biosynthesis gene GA20ox3 as a key regulator of FL and SGT in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our findings demonstrate that DELLA proteins form a negative feedback loop by interacting with the transcription factor DNA-BINDING ONE ZINC FINGER6 (DOF6), which directly binds to the GA20ox3 promoter. Allelic variations in the GA20ox3 promoter of one alpine ecotype influence the binding affinity of DOF6, leading to variations in both FL and SGT. The geographical distribution of the GA20ox3 promoter alleles, corresponding well to different altitudes and temperatures, underscores the significant role of such variation in the A. thaliana's adaptation to the varied habitats, especially concerning seed germination timing. Our results reveal a cold-mediated gibberellin signaling mechanism that controls both FL and SGT, thereby optimizing reproductive success in varied environments.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Xihua University (CN), Sichuan University (CN), Lanzhou University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Seed Germination and Physiology
8.75
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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