Domestication of Tartary Buckwheat Shaped a Regulatory Module for Seedling Salt Tolerance by Targeting the Magnesium Transporter Gene <i>FtMGT2</i>
Globally, soil salinization increasingly affects farmland, severely limiting the production of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum). To identify genetic factors for salt tolerance, we analyzed core Tartary buckwheat accessions and utilized differential expression analysis and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), identifying a key domesticated magnesium transporter protein, FtMGT2. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype (G/A) of a natural variant located in the FtMGT2 promoter was found to be positively associated with the expression of FtMGT2 and salt tolerance variation. Mechanistically, the MADS transcription factor FtAGL16 binds the A variant more strongly. FtAGL16 and the MYB transcription factor FtMYB15L co-regulate FtMGT2 transcription, with FtMYB15L protein stability strictly controlled by the E3 ubiquitin ligase FtBRG1. Intriguingly, under salt stress, FtAGL16 can compete with FtBRG1 for binding to FtMYB15L, stabilizing and accumulating FtMYB15L. This enhances FtMGT2 expression, increasing Mg<sup>2+</sup> flux, which in turn enhances the transport activity of the sodium (Na<sup>+</sup>) transporter FtHKT1. This coordinated action leads to increased Na<sup>+</sup> efflux and enhanced salt resistance. This study thereby establishes both the theoretical basis and practical application for targeted molecular breeding to enhance plant salt tolerance.
Authors
- Meiliang Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5175-3684)
- Congcong Hou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9618-4307)
- Rintu Jha
- Yaliang Shi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3600-6290)
- Milen I. Georgiev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5248-6135)
- Chaonan Guan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6542-2229)
- Yuanfen Gao
- Mengyu Zhao
- Dili Lai
- Muriel Quinet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5485-6582)
- Wenfeng Weng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3719-5732)
- Shuai Shao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5931-5377)
- Hui Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0175-5494)
- Xiang Lu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1792-5926)
- Sun–Hee Woo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6219-1688)
- Jingjun Ruan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0377-658X)
- Yuqi He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9920-9653)
- Guangsheng Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8820-3848)
- Alisdair Robert Fernie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9000-335X)
- Wei Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4264-1864)
- Xu Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4480-330X)
- Kaixuan Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9562-1675)
- Zebin Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6037-2469)
- Yinan Ouyang
Institutions
- East China University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Chungbuk National University (KR)
- Guizhou University (CN)
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BG)
- Sichuan Agricultural University (CN)
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (BG)
- Zunyi Normal College (CN)
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (DE)
- Institute of Crop Sciences (CN)
- UCLouvain (BE)
- Capital Normal University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Science
- Published
- 2025-11-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202511570
- Primary Topic
- Magnesium in Health and Disease
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00