The miR164a targets CsNAC1 to negatively regulate the cold tolerance of tea plants (Camellia sinensis)

Cold stress widely impairs the quality and yield of tea plants. The miR164 family and its target NAC transcription factor have been identified as crucial regulators in response to cold stress. However, the role of miR164 and CsNAC in cold tolerance in tea plants was little understood. In our study,...

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Main Authors: Siya Li, Lu Cao, Ziwen Zhou, Yaohua Cheng, Xianchen Zhang, Yeyun Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-08-01
Series:Journal of Integrative Agriculture
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095311924004428
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author Siya Li
Lu Cao
Ziwen Zhou
Yaohua Cheng
Xianchen Zhang
Yeyun Li
author_facet Siya Li
Lu Cao
Ziwen Zhou
Yaohua Cheng
Xianchen Zhang
Yeyun Li
author_sort Siya Li
collection DOAJ
description Cold stress widely impairs the quality and yield of tea plants. The miR164 family and its target NAC transcription factor have been identified as crucial regulators in response to cold stress. However, the role of miR164 and CsNAC in cold tolerance in tea plants was little understood. In our study, the expression level of CsMIR164a was significantly reduced under cold stress and significantly and negatively correlated with that of CsNAC1. 5´ RACE and GUS histochemical assays showed that CsNAC1 was cleaved by CsMIR164a. The CsMIR164a-silenced tea leaves promoted the expression levels of CsNAC1 and CsCBFs and exhibited greater cold tolerance. Also, the overexpression of CsNAC1 enhanced cold tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants by promoting the expression levels of AtCBFs. In contrast, the heterologous overexpression of CsMIR164a in Arabidopsis decreased the expression level of AtNACs and AtCBFs and thus impaired cold tolerance. Additionally, silencing of CsNAC1 impaired the expression levels of CsCBFs, resulting in greater cold sensitivity in tea leaves. Our present study demonstrated that the miR164a-CsNAC1 module may play a negative role in the cold tolerance of tea plants via the CsCBF-dependent pathway.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2095-3119
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
record_format Article
series Journal of Integrative Agriculture
spelling doaj-art-4aa7945b8dfc4f2a8b273b384f56ca152025-08-20T03:58:10ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Journal of Integrative Agriculture2095-31192025-08-012483073308610.1016/j.jia.2024.12.033The miR164a targets CsNAC1 to negatively regulate the cold tolerance of tea plants (Camellia sinensis)Siya Li0Lu Cao1Ziwen Zhou2Yaohua Cheng3Xianchen Zhang4Yeyun Li5State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, ChinaCorrespondence Xianchen Zhang; State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, ChinaCorrespondence Yeyun Li; State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Germplasm Innovation and Resource Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, ChinaCold stress widely impairs the quality and yield of tea plants. The miR164 family and its target NAC transcription factor have been identified as crucial regulators in response to cold stress. However, the role of miR164 and CsNAC in cold tolerance in tea plants was little understood. In our study, the expression level of CsMIR164a was significantly reduced under cold stress and significantly and negatively correlated with that of CsNAC1. 5´ RACE and GUS histochemical assays showed that CsNAC1 was cleaved by CsMIR164a. The CsMIR164a-silenced tea leaves promoted the expression levels of CsNAC1 and CsCBFs and exhibited greater cold tolerance. Also, the overexpression of CsNAC1 enhanced cold tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants by promoting the expression levels of AtCBFs. In contrast, the heterologous overexpression of CsMIR164a in Arabidopsis decreased the expression level of AtNACs and AtCBFs and thus impaired cold tolerance. Additionally, silencing of CsNAC1 impaired the expression levels of CsCBFs, resulting in greater cold sensitivity in tea leaves. Our present study demonstrated that the miR164a-CsNAC1 module may play a negative role in the cold tolerance of tea plants via the CsCBF-dependent pathway.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095311924004428tea plantscold stressmiRNAsNAC transcription factorfunctional verification
spellingShingle Siya Li
Lu Cao
Ziwen Zhou
Yaohua Cheng
Xianchen Zhang
Yeyun Li
The miR164a targets CsNAC1 to negatively regulate the cold tolerance of tea plants (Camellia sinensis)
Journal of Integrative Agriculture
tea plants
cold stress
miRNAs
NAC transcription factor
functional verification
title The miR164a targets CsNAC1 to negatively regulate the cold tolerance of tea plants (Camellia sinensis)
title_full The miR164a targets CsNAC1 to negatively regulate the cold tolerance of tea plants (Camellia sinensis)
title_fullStr The miR164a targets CsNAC1 to negatively regulate the cold tolerance of tea plants (Camellia sinensis)
title_full_unstemmed The miR164a targets CsNAC1 to negatively regulate the cold tolerance of tea plants (Camellia sinensis)
title_short The miR164a targets CsNAC1 to negatively regulate the cold tolerance of tea plants (Camellia sinensis)
title_sort mir164a targets csnac1 to negatively regulate the cold tolerance of tea plants camellia sinensis
topic tea plants
cold stress
miRNAs
NAC transcription factor
functional verification
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095311924004428
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