Functional Characterization of <i>MaSPL8</i> Reveals Its Different Roles in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in Mulberry
The Squamosa promoter-binding protein-like (SPL) family proteins plays pivotal roles in plant development and stress adaptation. In this study, we functionally characterized <i>MaSPL8</i> in mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) and investigated its regulatory roles in biotic and abio...
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2025-03-01
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| author | Longyan Zheng Wenhao Zhang Liuqing Wei Mengqi Li Li Liu |
| author_facet | Longyan Zheng Wenhao Zhang Liuqing Wei Mengqi Li Li Liu |
| author_sort | Longyan Zheng |
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| description | The Squamosa promoter-binding protein-like (SPL) family proteins plays pivotal roles in plant development and stress adaptation. In this study, we functionally characterized <i>MaSPL8</i> in mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) and investigated its regulatory roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses. <i>MaSPL8</i> encodes a 364-amino acid protein with a conserved SBP domain and lacks <i>miR156/157</i> binding sites. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed its orthology to <i>Arabidopsis</i> AtSPL8, albeit with functional divergence. Downregulation of <i>MaSPL8</i> via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) resulted in more susceptibility to <i>Ciboria shiraiana</i> infection, but significantly enhanced resistance to drought and salt stress, as evidenced by reduced oxidative damage, elevated proline accumulation, and increased antioxidant enzyme activities. Transcriptomic profiling of <i>MaSPL8</i>-silenced plants revealed enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in brassinosteroid biosynthesis, jasmonic acid metabolism, and oxidative stress responses, suggesting hormone signaling interplay. Furthermore, bioinformatic predictions identified <i>miR5658</i> and <i>miR4221</i> as potential post-transcriptional regulators of <i>MaSPL8</i>. This study highlights <i>MaSPL8</i> as a negative regulator of abiotic stress tolerance and positive regulator of biotic (<i>C. shiraiana</i>) stress tolerance in mulberry and provides insights into its integration with phytohormone pathways. Our findings underscore the evolutionary plasticity of <i>SPL8</i> genes and propose <i>MaSPL8</i> as a target for enhancing mulberry’s resilience in challenging environments. |
| format | Article |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-2f95b6819fea43dfb36713ab37195db82025-08-20T01:48:54ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-03-0114695010.3390/plants14060950Functional Characterization of <i>MaSPL8</i> Reveals Its Different Roles in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in MulberryLongyan Zheng0Wenhao Zhang1Liuqing Wei2Mengqi Li3Li Liu4Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, ChinaThe Squamosa promoter-binding protein-like (SPL) family proteins plays pivotal roles in plant development and stress adaptation. In this study, we functionally characterized <i>MaSPL8</i> in mulberry (<i>Morus alba</i>) and investigated its regulatory roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses. <i>MaSPL8</i> encodes a 364-amino acid protein with a conserved SBP domain and lacks <i>miR156/157</i> binding sites. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed its orthology to <i>Arabidopsis</i> AtSPL8, albeit with functional divergence. Downregulation of <i>MaSPL8</i> via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) resulted in more susceptibility to <i>Ciboria shiraiana</i> infection, but significantly enhanced resistance to drought and salt stress, as evidenced by reduced oxidative damage, elevated proline accumulation, and increased antioxidant enzyme activities. Transcriptomic profiling of <i>MaSPL8</i>-silenced plants revealed enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in brassinosteroid biosynthesis, jasmonic acid metabolism, and oxidative stress responses, suggesting hormone signaling interplay. Furthermore, bioinformatic predictions identified <i>miR5658</i> and <i>miR4221</i> as potential post-transcriptional regulators of <i>MaSPL8</i>. This study highlights <i>MaSPL8</i> as a negative regulator of abiotic stress tolerance and positive regulator of biotic (<i>C. shiraiana</i>) stress tolerance in mulberry and provides insights into its integration with phytohormone pathways. Our findings underscore the evolutionary plasticity of <i>SPL8</i> genes and propose <i>MaSPL8</i> as a target for enhancing mulberry’s resilience in challenging environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/6/950<i>MaSPL8</i>mulberrybiotic stressabiotic stressphytohormoneVIGS |
| spellingShingle | Longyan Zheng Wenhao Zhang Liuqing Wei Mengqi Li Li Liu Functional Characterization of <i>MaSPL8</i> Reveals Its Different Roles in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in Mulberry Plants <i>MaSPL8</i> mulberry biotic stress abiotic stress phytohormone VIGS |
| title | Functional Characterization of <i>MaSPL8</i> Reveals Its Different Roles in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in Mulberry |
| title_full | Functional Characterization of <i>MaSPL8</i> Reveals Its Different Roles in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in Mulberry |
| title_fullStr | Functional Characterization of <i>MaSPL8</i> Reveals Its Different Roles in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in Mulberry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Functional Characterization of <i>MaSPL8</i> Reveals Its Different Roles in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in Mulberry |
| title_short | Functional Characterization of <i>MaSPL8</i> Reveals Its Different Roles in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in Mulberry |
| title_sort | functional characterization of i maspl8 i reveals its different roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses in mulberry |
| topic | <i>MaSPL8</i> mulberry biotic stress abiotic stress phytohormone VIGS |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/6/950 |
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