SlDELLA interacts with SlPIF4 to regulate arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and phosphate uptake in tomato

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis (AMS), a complex and delicate process, is precisely regulated by a multitude of transcription factors. PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORS (PIFs) are critical in plant growth and stress responses. However, the involvement of PIFs in AMS and the molecular mechanisms underlying their regulator functions have not been well elucidated. Here, we show that SlPIF4 negatively regulates the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization and AMS-induced phosphate uptake in tomato. Protein- protein interaction studies suggest that SlDELLA interacts with SlPIF4, reducing its protein stability and inhibiting its transcriptional activity towards downstream target genes. This interaction promotes the accumulation of strigolactones (SLs), facilitating AMS development and phosphate uptake. As a transcription factor, SlPIF4 directly transcriptionally regulates genes involved in SLs biosynthesis, including SlCCD7, SlCDD8, and SlMAX1, as well as the AMS-specific phosphate transporter genes PT4 and PT5. Collectively, our findings uncover a molecular mechanism by which the SlDELLA-SlPIF4 module regulates AMS and phosphate uptake in tomato. We clarify a molecular basis for how SlPIF4 interacts with SLs to regulate the AMS and propose a potential strategy to improve phosphate utilization efficiency by targeting the AMS-specific phosphate transporter genes PTs.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U21A20233), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFD2300701), and the Starry Night Science Fund of Zhejiang University Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study (SN-ZJU-SIAS-0011).

Author contributions

Y.Z. designed and guided the research. L.L., L.H., R.L., and Y.M. carried out the experiments. X.X. provided a critical discussion of the findings. J.Y. supported the research technically and intellectually. Y.Z., L.L., and S.G. wrote and edited the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the manuscript.

Data availability

All data in this article are available within the article and its online supplementary data.

Conflict of interest statement

No conflicting interest.

Supplementary data

Supplementary data is available at Horticulture Research online.

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