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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2025, Vol. 24 Issue (12): 4613-4629    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.05.003
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EARLY BUD BREAK and SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE 4 integrate abscisic acid (ABA) plant hormone signaling control of grape bud dormancy

Yang Dong1, Muhammad Khalil-Ur-Rehman3, Yi Zhang1, Liyuan Huang1, Haoran Li1, Lina Yang4, Huan Zheng1#, Jianmin Tao1, 2#

1 Sanya Institute of Nanjing Agricultural University/College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China

2 Institute of Horticultural Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Urumqi 830001, China

3 Department of Horticultural Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan

4 Charles River Laboratories International, lnc., Mattawan, Michigan 49071, USA

 Highlights 

SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE 4 (VvSVP4) promotes dormancy by activating VvPYL9 and enhancing ABA signaling.

VvEBB triggers bud break by repressing VvSAPK2 and activating indole acetic acid (IAA)/cytokinin (CK) pathways.

Transcriptome and hormone data reveal opposing roles of VvSVP4 and VvEBB in ABA-driven dormancy and IAA/CK-mediated bud break.

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摘要  

芽休眠是多年生果树的重要适应性特征,使其能够抵御不利的生长环境。该适应策略在植物的生存和繁殖过程中起着重要作用,但其分子机制尚不清楚。本研究鉴定并分析了葡萄中两个转录因子,EARLY BUD BREAKVvEBB)和SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE 4VvSVP4)。研究结果表明,在杨树中过表达VvSVP4后,其作为萌芽负调控因子发挥作用,而VvEBB则作为正调控因子在芽萌发过程中发挥作用。转录组分析显示,与对照植株相比,植物激素信号通路,特别是涉及脱落酸(ABA)、吲哚乙酸(IAA)和细胞分裂素(CK)的信号通路,在VvSVP4VvSVP4oe)和VvEBBVvEBBoe)过表达植株中显著富集。此外,ABA、IAA和CK的内源激素水平变化与转录组数据呈正相关。在内休眠阶段,VvSVP4直接促进ABA受体基因VvPYL9的表达,从而维持芽的休眠状态。相反,在生态休眠阶段,VvEBB基因迅速上调表达,并负向调控与蔗糖非发酵-1-相关蛋白激酶亚家族2基因(VvSAPK2)的表达,促进芽休眠的解除。综上所述,本研究全面阐释了VvSVP4  VvEBB 基因在休眠和芽萌发中的作用,整合了细胞周期调控和多种激素信号通路的见解。



Abstract  

Bud dormancy is a crucial adaptation for perennial fruit plants, enabling them to withstand unfavorable growth conditions. This adaptive strategy plays a significant role in the survival and reproduction of these plants, yet its molecular basis is not fully understood. In the current study, two transcription factors in grapes, EARLY BUD BREAK (VvEBB) and SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE 4 (VvSVP4), were identified and examined. The findings demonstrated that, following heterologous transformation in poplar, VvSVP4 functions as a negative regulator, whereas VvEBB acts as a positive regulator in the process of bud-break. Transcriptome analysis showed that plant hormone signaling pathways, specifically those involving abscisic acid (ABA), indole acetic acid (IAA), and cytokinin (CK), were significantly enriched in plants overexpressing VvSVP4 (VvSVP4oe) and VvEBB (VvEBBoe), compared to control plants. Additionally, changes in the endogenous levels of ABA, IAA, and CK were found to be positively correlated with the transcriptome data. During the endodormancy phase, VvSVP4 directly and positively influenced the expression of the ABA receptor gene VvPYL9, thereby maintaining the state of bud dormancy. Conversely, during ecodormancy, the VvEBB gene was rapidly upregulated and negatively impacted the expression of the sucrose nonfermenting 1-related protein kinase subfamily 2 gene (VvSAPK2), facilitating the release from dormancy. In summary, this study offers a comprehensive explanation of the roles of VvSVP4 and VvEBB genes in dormancy and bud break, integrating insights into cell cycle regulation and multiple hormones signaling pathways.

Keywords:  bud dormancy       cell cycle        grape        hormone        VvSVP4        VvEBB  
Received: 27 August 2024   Accepted: 18 March 2025 Online: 09 May 2025  
Fund: 

This work was supported by the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA (CARS-29), the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Tianchi Talent Introduction Program, China, and the Key R&D Technology Commissioner Projects in Hainan Province, China (ZDYF2024KJTPY008). 

About author:  #Correspondence Huan Zheng, E-mail: huanzheng@njau.edu.cn; Jianmin Tao, E-mail: taojianmin@njau.edu.cn

Cite this article: 

Yang Dong, Muhammad Khalil-Ur-Rehman, Yi Zhang, Liyuan Huang, Haoran Li, Lina Yang, Huan Zheng, Jianmin Tao. 2025. EARLY BUD BREAK and SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE 4 integrate abscisic acid (ABA) plant hormone signaling control of grape bud dormancy. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 24(12): 4613-4629.

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