Root-to-shoot mobile mRNA CmoKARI1 promotes JA-Ile biosynthesis to confer chilling tolerance in grafted cucumbers
Abstract Pumpkin rootstock is commonly used to graft cucurbit crops, improving their ability to withstand stress. While the significance of systemic signals from rootstocks to scions is recognized, the role of root-to-shoot transported mRNAs remains understudied. Cucumber plants often face growth an...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63228-1 |
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| author | Miao Zhang Wenqian Liu Cuicui Wang Shujin Lin Ying Chen Heran Cui Chenggang Xiang Yujia Ma Xiaojun Li Yongzhen Lu Xiao Han Yihan Dong Lihong Gao Wenna Zhang |
| author_facet | Miao Zhang Wenqian Liu Cuicui Wang Shujin Lin Ying Chen Heran Cui Chenggang Xiang Yujia Ma Xiaojun Li Yongzhen Lu Xiao Han Yihan Dong Lihong Gao Wenna Zhang |
| author_sort | Miao Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Pumpkin rootstock is commonly used to graft cucurbit crops, improving their ability to withstand stress. While the significance of systemic signals from rootstocks to scions is recognized, the role of root-to-shoot transported mRNAs remains understudied. Cucumber plants often face growth and productivity limitations due to low temperatures. To shed light on the enhancement of chilling tolerance in grafted cucumber scions by pumpkin-derived mRNAs, we revisit the metabolomic and transcriptomic dataset from the cucumber/pumpkin heterograft under chilling condition. We identify pumpkin Ketol-acid reductoisomerase 1 (CmoKARI1) as the key mobile mRNA that specifically travels from pumpkin rootstock to cucumber scion upon early chilling stress. Overexpressing CmoKARI1 results in increased isoleucine level and chilling tolerance in both cucumber and Arabidopsis. The increased isoleucine is further used to synthesize JA-Ile conjugates, activating JA-Ile signaling and enabling heterografts to weather low temperatures. This study represents the instance of a unidirectional mobile mRNA triggered by specific environmental cues. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a4c71d01268746109be5181faab3e87d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-a4c71d01268746109be5181faab3e87d2025-08-24T11:39:28ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-08-0116111610.1038/s41467-025-63228-1Root-to-shoot mobile mRNA CmoKARI1 promotes JA-Ile biosynthesis to confer chilling tolerance in grafted cucumbersMiao Zhang0Wenqian Liu1Cuicui Wang2Shujin Lin3Ying Chen4Heran Cui5Chenggang Xiang6Yujia Ma7Xiaojun Li8Yongzhen Lu9Xiao Han10Yihan Dong11Lihong Gao12Wenna Zhang13Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural UniversityCollege of Biology Science and Engineering, Fuzhou UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural UniversityCollege of Life Science and Technology, Honghe UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural UniversityCollege of Biology Science and Engineering, Fuzhou UniversityInstitut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UPR 2357, Université de StrasbourgBeijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural UniversityAbstract Pumpkin rootstock is commonly used to graft cucurbit crops, improving their ability to withstand stress. While the significance of systemic signals from rootstocks to scions is recognized, the role of root-to-shoot transported mRNAs remains understudied. Cucumber plants often face growth and productivity limitations due to low temperatures. To shed light on the enhancement of chilling tolerance in grafted cucumber scions by pumpkin-derived mRNAs, we revisit the metabolomic and transcriptomic dataset from the cucumber/pumpkin heterograft under chilling condition. We identify pumpkin Ketol-acid reductoisomerase 1 (CmoKARI1) as the key mobile mRNA that specifically travels from pumpkin rootstock to cucumber scion upon early chilling stress. Overexpressing CmoKARI1 results in increased isoleucine level and chilling tolerance in both cucumber and Arabidopsis. The increased isoleucine is further used to synthesize JA-Ile conjugates, activating JA-Ile signaling and enabling heterografts to weather low temperatures. This study represents the instance of a unidirectional mobile mRNA triggered by specific environmental cues.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63228-1 |
| spellingShingle | Miao Zhang Wenqian Liu Cuicui Wang Shujin Lin Ying Chen Heran Cui Chenggang Xiang Yujia Ma Xiaojun Li Yongzhen Lu Xiao Han Yihan Dong Lihong Gao Wenna Zhang Root-to-shoot mobile mRNA CmoKARI1 promotes JA-Ile biosynthesis to confer chilling tolerance in grafted cucumbers Nature Communications |
| title | Root-to-shoot mobile mRNA CmoKARI1 promotes JA-Ile biosynthesis to confer chilling tolerance in grafted cucumbers |
| title_full | Root-to-shoot mobile mRNA CmoKARI1 promotes JA-Ile biosynthesis to confer chilling tolerance in grafted cucumbers |
| title_fullStr | Root-to-shoot mobile mRNA CmoKARI1 promotes JA-Ile biosynthesis to confer chilling tolerance in grafted cucumbers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Root-to-shoot mobile mRNA CmoKARI1 promotes JA-Ile biosynthesis to confer chilling tolerance in grafted cucumbers |
| title_short | Root-to-shoot mobile mRNA CmoKARI1 promotes JA-Ile biosynthesis to confer chilling tolerance in grafted cucumbers |
| title_sort | root to shoot mobile mrna cmokari1 promotes ja ile biosynthesis to confer chilling tolerance in grafted cucumbers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63228-1 |
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