TOT3–AHA1 module: its role in fine-tuning stomatal responses

Stomatal pores, controlled by surrounding guard cells, play a crucial role in balancing carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake and water loss in plants. Recent studies in Arabidopsis thaliana have identified the TARGET OF TEMPERATURE 3 (TOT3)–plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase (AHA1) module as a key player in stom...

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Main Authors: Lei Gong, Nadiyah M. Alabdallah, Faizah Amer Altihani, Siham M. AL-Balawi, Hanan Khalaf Anazi, Basmah M. Alharbi, Md. Mahadi Hasan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Plant Science
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1582196/full
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author Lei Gong
Nadiyah M. Alabdallah
Nadiyah M. Alabdallah
Faizah Amer Altihani
Siham M. AL-Balawi
Hanan Khalaf Anazi
Basmah M. Alharbi
Basmah M. Alharbi
Md. Mahadi Hasan
author_facet Lei Gong
Nadiyah M. Alabdallah
Nadiyah M. Alabdallah
Faizah Amer Altihani
Siham M. AL-Balawi
Hanan Khalaf Anazi
Basmah M. Alharbi
Basmah M. Alharbi
Md. Mahadi Hasan
author_sort Lei Gong
collection DOAJ
description Stomatal pores, controlled by surrounding guard cells, play a crucial role in balancing carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake and water loss in plants. Recent studies in Arabidopsis thaliana have identified the TARGET OF TEMPERATURE 3 (TOT3)–plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase (AHA1) module as a key player in stomatal movement, though its exact role in vascular plants is not yet fully understood. TOT3, a transcriptional regulator, influences the activity of AHA1, which regulates ion fluxes essential for stomatal opening. Under high-temperature conditions, TOT3 promotes stomatal opening, while OST1, a key regulator of drought-induced stomatal closure, inactivates TOT3 through phosphorylation. This phosphorylation serves as a molecular switch, adjusting stomatal aperture in response to heat and drought stress. Moreover, light may also impact stomatal movement via the TOT3–AHA1 interaction. This review explores the molecular mechanisms underlying the TOT3–AHA1 module, its integration with abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, and its role in plant adaptation to environmental stresses. Understanding this pathway could contribute to developing crops with enhanced water-use efficiency and resilience to abiotic stress.
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issn 1664-462X
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Plant Science
spelling doaj-art-01d474ed9fb14d97bd34f73a05e264252025-08-20T02:01:24ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-05-011610.3389/fpls.2025.15821961582196TOT3–AHA1 module: its role in fine-tuning stomatal responsesLei Gong0Nadiyah M. Alabdallah1Nadiyah M. Alabdallah2Faizah Amer Altihani3Siham M. AL-Balawi4Hanan Khalaf Anazi5Basmah M. Alharbi6Basmah M. Alharbi7Md. Mahadi Hasan8School of Agriculture and Bioengineering, Longdong University, Qingyang, ChinaDepartment of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi ArabiaBasic and Applied Scientific Research Centre, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi ArabiaBiology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi ArabiaBiology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi ArabiaBiology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi ArabiaBiology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi ArabiaBiodiversity Genomics Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi ArabiaState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaStomatal pores, controlled by surrounding guard cells, play a crucial role in balancing carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake and water loss in plants. Recent studies in Arabidopsis thaliana have identified the TARGET OF TEMPERATURE 3 (TOT3)–plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase (AHA1) module as a key player in stomatal movement, though its exact role in vascular plants is not yet fully understood. TOT3, a transcriptional regulator, influences the activity of AHA1, which regulates ion fluxes essential for stomatal opening. Under high-temperature conditions, TOT3 promotes stomatal opening, while OST1, a key regulator of drought-induced stomatal closure, inactivates TOT3 through phosphorylation. This phosphorylation serves as a molecular switch, adjusting stomatal aperture in response to heat and drought stress. Moreover, light may also impact stomatal movement via the TOT3–AHA1 interaction. This review explores the molecular mechanisms underlying the TOT3–AHA1 module, its integration with abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, and its role in plant adaptation to environmental stresses. Understanding this pathway could contribute to developing crops with enhanced water-use efficiency and resilience to abiotic stress.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1582196/fullabscisic acidcarbon di-oxideguard celllightphotosynthesis
spellingShingle Lei Gong
Nadiyah M. Alabdallah
Nadiyah M. Alabdallah
Faizah Amer Altihani
Siham M. AL-Balawi
Hanan Khalaf Anazi
Basmah M. Alharbi
Basmah M. Alharbi
Md. Mahadi Hasan
TOT3–AHA1 module: its role in fine-tuning stomatal responses
Frontiers in Plant Science
abscisic acid
carbon di-oxide
guard cell
light
photosynthesis
title TOT3–AHA1 module: its role in fine-tuning stomatal responses
title_full TOT3–AHA1 module: its role in fine-tuning stomatal responses
title_fullStr TOT3–AHA1 module: its role in fine-tuning stomatal responses
title_full_unstemmed TOT3–AHA1 module: its role in fine-tuning stomatal responses
title_short TOT3–AHA1 module: its role in fine-tuning stomatal responses
title_sort tot3 aha1 module its role in fine tuning stomatal responses
topic abscisic acid
carbon di-oxide
guard cell
light
photosynthesis
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1582196/full
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