A transcription factor TOE3 simultaneously promotes growth and antiviral immunity by disrupting ABA core module in tobacco

The TaLYK5-TaDSK2a module serves as a molecular switch between plant growth and immunity during fungal attack.

It is demonstrated that the TaLYK5-TaDSK2a module functions as a molecular switch that dynamically regulates the trade-off between plant immunity and growth.

An AAA+ ATPase–F-box module regulates potato late blight resistance by affecting SOBIR1 stability

A previously unrecognized AAA+ ATPase–F-box module that controls receptor homeostasis is revealed and StGCN4 is identified as a promising molecular target for breeding high-yielding and late blight resistant potato cultivars.

Rice stripe virus exploits the miR159a.2-OsGTL1 module to manipulate growth-defense trade-offs.

AtMYB11/12/111 transcription factors regulate nicotine biosynthesis and enhance defense responses in tobacco.

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is a globally important commercial crop, largely due to the accumulation of nicotine, a parasympathomimetic alkaloid that contributes to its economic value and ecological fitness. While the nicotine biosynthetic pathway has been well characterized, its transcriptional regulation remains incompletely understood. MYB transcription factors are established regulators of plant secondary metabolism, particularly flavonoid biosynthesis; however, their role in nicotine biosynthesis remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that the Arabidopsis R2R3-MYB transcription factors AtMYB11, AtMYB12, and AtMYB111 function as positive regulators of nicotine biosynthesis in tobacco for the first time. Overexpression of these MYBs led to significant upregulation of key nicotine pathway genes, including NtPMT, NtODC, NtQPT, NtMPO, NtBBL, and NtA622, resulting in increased nicotine accumulation in both seedlings and mature plants. Notably, AtMYB111 exhibited the strongest regulatory effect. Promoter analysis revealed the presence of MYB-responsive elements in NtODC and NtQPT, and both transient expression assays and yeast one-hybrid studies confirmed direct binding of AtMYB111 to these promoters. Furthermore, exogenous application of an MYB11/12/111-derived complementary peptide (cPEP) recapitulated the induction of nicotine biosynthesis, supporting a functional role of MYB-mediated regulation. Functionally, increased nicotine and flavonoid levels in MYB-overexpressing lines conferred enhanced resistance to the fungal pathogen Alternaria solani and the herbivore Helicoverpa armigera, indicating a direct link between MYB-regulated metabolism and plant defense. Collectively, this study uncovers a previously unrecognized role of these MYB transcription factors in alkaloid biosynthesis and highlights their potential for metabolic engineering of nicotine content and stress resilience in tobacco.

NtGCN2 is associated with multilayer cadmium tolerance in tobacco via coordinated transcriptional changes in growth, antioxidant, and detoxification pathways

The findings suggest that NtGCN2 is associated with a putative transcriptional hub that may integrate growth, metabolism, and detoxification pathways, providing candidate genes and a testable framework for future functional validation.

A Regulatory Circuit between AGL103 and TCPs Balances Growth and Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

This AGL103-TCPs module integrates developmental and stress signaling, offering mechanistic insight into how plants balance growth and resilience and highlighting potential targets for engineering stress-tolerant crops.