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ABA importers ABCG17 and ABCG18 redundantly regulate seed size in Arabidopsis

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in mediating plant responses to the environment and regulating plant development. In this study, we demonstrate that two ABA importers, ABCG17 and ABCG18, control seed size by regulating the ABA levels transported into the embryo. Double knockdown of ABCG17 and ABCG18 resulted in lower ABA accumulation in the embryo, wider siliques, and increased overall seed size. Leaf phloem-specific ABA induction in the aba2-1 background showed that ABA could move from the vasculature to control seed size. ABCG17 and ABCG18 are expressed in leaves, and the reproductive organs septum, and valves but not in the developing seeds, suggesting that ABCG17 and ABCG18 affect seed size maternally. Together, the results shed light on the molecular mechanisms by which ABA is transported to the embryo to determine seed size.
DOI: 10.1111/tpj.70096
Authors: Yuqin Zhang, Moran Anfang, James H. Rowe, Annalisa Rizza, Zhuorong Li, Ning Su, Hamutal Bar, Laurence Charrier, Markus Geisler, Alexander M. Jones, Eilon Shani
Institutions: Tel Aviv University, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Cambridge, Sainsbury Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Fribourg
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4408613128
FWCI: 5.489
Cites: 72
Cited by: 11
Related to: 10